Darling Demonstration Dude Whenever I teach at one of these Music Workshops, I wonder out of all the things I've prepared, which I will really get a chance to share.
This was a first ever music training in this small Pennsylvania stake. The people live hours away from each other and from the building we were using. We wondered who if anybody would show up. I had 10 people come to my Primary break out session. My 10-year-old grandson I coaxed into helping me out. He was my "Demonstration Dude." He helped me set up a display of visual aids and games and other stuff. Then we practiced a few interactive "routines" to demonstrate how the visual aids, games, singing skills, and simple instruments like chimes worked. We even did some straight up movements to show how actions can be used to teach or review a song.
The trouble always is trying to stick strictly to an outline. I did not know exactly what these Primary Music Leaders were interested in or needed help with. I am afraid I left some things out in favor of addressing their questions. Then we just ran out of time. Hopefully I gave them some good information and infused some energy into new things they might try in their own wards.
Then, one lady asked, "Where can I get transposed songs. The Primary songbook has songs that are too high for me to sing."
I found myself saying, "Oh, no, you mustn't lower the key just for your benefit. The children need to sing in the keys as they were written. Children naturally have light high voices with a singing range of roughly one octave Middle C up to Treble C. They need to sing in their head voices so they can learn to hear and match pitches."
Then we talked about how when children try to sing along with and imitate lower adult voices, they tend to match pitches only on the few notes in their speaking range and then they monotone croak the rest.
"And never ask them to 'Sing Louder" to the point that they just yell!"
I told them a story of when I jumped in to accompany in a Primary I was visiting. The song leader handed me a piece of music that I was unfamiliar with. She said the children had learned it, so I just needed to play the piano part. As I sight-read the 5-page song, I realized that I was naturally slipping into "rock-band" mode. It was clearly a rock power ballad in chord progression, rhythm, and style. I caught myself, and reigned back my pop inclinations when I realized that the kids were singing about the Atonement of the Savior. I wouldn't have known, though, from how they were singing. They were yelling loudly in mostly monotone.
Probably, the song leader had told the children to sing louder, but the song was too low. When the melody got down below Middle C (which was most of the song), all they could do was croak out a noise. Then when it got above an F4, they had not been encouraged to sing in their light head voices and couldn't match pitches, they just yelled in monotone. This hurt my heart. It was so hard to listen to such irreverent treatment of such a sacred message.
If no other instructions resonated with these Primary Song Leaders, I hope that did!
This was a first ever music training in this small Pennsylvania stake. The people live hours away from each other and from the building we were using. We wondered who if anybody would show up. I had 10 people come to my Primary break out session. My 10-year-old grandson I coaxed into helping me out. He was my "Demonstration Dude." He helped me set up a display of visual aids and games and other stuff. Then we practiced a few interactive "routines" to demonstrate how the visual aids, games, singing skills, and simple instruments like chimes worked. We even did some straight up movements to show how actions can be used to teach or review a song.
The trouble always is trying to stick strictly to an outline. I did not know exactly what these Primary Music Leaders were interested in or needed help with. I am afraid I left some things out in favor of addressing their questions. Then we just ran out of time. Hopefully I gave them some good information and infused some energy into new things they might try in their own wards.
Then, one lady asked, "Where can I get transposed songs. The Primary songbook has songs that are too high for me to sing."
I found myself saying, "Oh, no, you mustn't lower the key just for your benefit. The children need to sing in the keys as they were written. Children naturally have light high voices with a singing range of roughly one octave Middle C up to Treble C. They need to sing in their head voices so they can learn to hear and match pitches."
Then we talked about how when children try to sing along with and imitate lower adult voices, they tend to match pitches only on the few notes in their speaking range and then they monotone croak the rest.
"And never ask them to 'Sing Louder" to the point that they just yell!"
I told them a story of when I jumped in to accompany in a Primary I was visiting. The song leader handed me a piece of music that I was unfamiliar with. She said the children had learned it, so I just needed to play the piano part. As I sight-read the 5-page song, I realized that I was naturally slipping into "rock-band" mode. It was clearly a rock power ballad in chord progression, rhythm, and style. I caught myself, and reigned back my pop inclinations when I realized that the kids were singing about the Atonement of the Savior. I wouldn't have known, though, from how they were singing. They were yelling loudly in mostly monotone.
Probably, the song leader had told the children to sing louder, but the song was too low. When the melody got down below Middle C (which was most of the song), all they could do was croak out a noise. Then when it got above an F4, they had not been encouraged to sing in their light head voices and couldn't match pitches, they just yelled in monotone. This hurt my heart. It was so hard to listen to such irreverent treatment of such a sacred message.
If no other instructions resonated with these Primary Song Leaders, I hope that did!
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