The Inspired Classroom » drums

The Magic of One Drum

Elizabeth Peterson — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:19:54 +0000

I bring them to the large room

My students sit to wait

They’re talking and they’re anxious

To start up from their break.

I take a hold of one small drum

Caress it with my hands,

And as I beat so softly

They seem to understand.

Doom, ckick-a chick; Doom doom chick

Some students start to stare at me,

Some students look away,

Some students start to tap with me

On the floor, they start to play.

Doom, ckick-a chick; Doom doom chick

Other classes start to enter -

It’s a fourth grade meeting thing.

As they walk into the large room

They notice as I sing:

“Come right in,” Doom doom chick

“Come and sit,” Doom doom chick

As naturally as muses

they succumb to my one drum.

Class by class they enter;

They sit, they sway, some hum.

Doom, ckick-a chick; Doom doom chick

And now we’re in a rhythm

Over 100 are all there.

Community is building

As magic fills the air.

Slap-slap, clap; Doom doom chick

Doom, ckick-a chick; Doom doom chick

It’s time to start the lesson

A countdown I now say:

4 – - -; Doom doom chick

3 – - -; Doom doom chick-

2 – - -; Doom doom chick

1 – - -; Doom doom chick

Silence,

Smiles,

Applause

We are ready to begin.

So, what was that? This depicts a fantastic musical experience I had with the fourth graders at my school last Friday afternoon: a moment of musical magic I wanted to share. Hope you enjoyed! ~EMP

Drum Circle

Reading and Drumming

Elizabeth Peterson — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 09:27:17 +0000

The school year is in full swing and reading is filling the air in my fourth grade classroom. We read independently, in groups, with partners, as a whole class, as a read aloud, online and hopefully at home as well. Let’s face it, reading is a very important part of an elementary school classroom. But for some students it’s just so difficult when reading is an area where they struggle.

Today, I invite you to read a post I wrote for Big Universe, an online reading and writing community for students. It’s called Reading Comprehension and Drumming Circles and is about one teacher’s experience this summer while attending the arts integration class I taught. She had a real revelation about reading comprehension while drumming with the group. Curious? Here’s the first paragraph, I urge you to please go visit the full post.

It’s no surprise to us that different children learn to read at different rates. The problem may be that we sometimes forget just what that means in the minds of our students. I was reminded of how difficult reading can be for students just last week while participating in a drumming circle. Read the entire article…

The Community that Art Built

Elizabeth Peterson — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:05:09 +0000

It always amazes me how quickly a community can be build when art is involved. I was reminded about this last week, during the grad class I taught in arts integration and the creative process when I saw it happen again. During our five day class we created visual art, music, stories, poems and drama together and through that process, we became extremely close for a group of women who were practically strangers the day before the class.

I was first introduced to this phenomenon of art and community when I was getting my masters from Endicot College in Arts and Learning. With every class we took and every art form we experienced together, we got closer and closer to one another. Things came up. Things that were personal and raw and real. We supported one another. Laughed with one another. Celebrated with one another. It is amazing what we did for each other. And the commonality we all had – a love for art.

Art making breaks down walls and gives you a level of connection nothing else can. As you create art and share art, you build a safe environment for a group to learn and share and grow together.

This can be something we instill in the lives of our students. This sense of a tight-knit community that is supportive, encouraging and empowering. Imagine if we took the time – REALLY took the time to lay that foundation in our classrooms and allowed time for our students to create art together. It doesn’t matter if we see our students all day everyday or for 45 minutes a week; if we see a class of 25, a small group of 6 or a student one-on-one. If we take the time to create with them, the bond that is made will only intensify the learning possibilities throughout the year.

By the time Friday of our class last week rolled around we were hugging good-bye, vowing to keep in touch and continue our journey together. This happened years ago as well for me with my fabulous arts and learning cohort. Yes, life gets in the way sometimes: schedules and family, work and play, but whenever one of us gets a message from another, it’s like we were just together yesterday. That bond that art built lasts a lifetime.

Enjoy your day!

~EMP

Ideas for building community in your classroom:

For additional ideas and thoughts on this subject, see the post Artful Community or check out the “community” tag.

Drum Circle

Elizabeth Peterson — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:36:55 +0000

One of the best ways to illustrate freedom in structure is in a drum circle. Here, a leader starts by drumming an ostinato or rhythm that is repeated over and over. Then the others in the circle begin to play. Some play alongside the leader, others play their own creations, adding their own creative rhythms.

Magically, it all fits together, making one amazing piece of music.

The ostinato starts
ta, ta, ti-ti, ta
ta, ta, ti-ti, ta

I nod to the group
and slowly they come in
Some mimic my rhythm
others add their own

ta, ta, ti-ti, ta
ta, ta, ti-ti, ta

someone shakes maracas
another scrapes the sand
one clicks on the claves
another taps the bells in her hand

ta, ta, ti-ti, ta
ta, ta, ti-ti, ta

a CLASH
comes out of nowhere
but it seems to fit right in
eggs shshshshshshake
alllllllll along

ta, ta, ti-ti, ta
ta, ta, ti-ti, ta

Groovin’
Feelin’
Mixin’
Together

ta, ta, ti-ti, ta
ta, ta, ti-ti, ta

Then slowly 4
But steady 3
Preparing 2
To STOP

The silence now is deafening
And we are satisfied
Want more?
“YES!”

Ostinato – a short rhythm that is perpetually repeated throughout a piece of music. Here, it serves as the structure in which others have the freedom to play.

Reflections on Beat Night – Poetic Experiences

Elizabeth Peterson — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:56:11 +0000

This past Thursday a group of teachers took their third field trip organized by The Inspired Classroom. We attended Beat Night at the Press Room in Portsmouth, NH. What fun! It was a great night of relaxin’, groovin’ and inspirin’.

Four of the teachers out at the Press Room for Beat Night.

The evening began with an hour of featured poets reciting their original poems. There they stood, poets of all ages and backgrounds sharing their experiences with us – unhinged, unrated, truthful and full of life. They spoke of love and pain, emotion and faith. And all this was recited to the backdrop of live, improvisational music. The poets asked for a certain feel and the musicians started to play, laying out the landscape on which the lyrics of the poems rested.

The second hour was open mic and those who felt it, signed up to recite a poem with or without the band. I, knowing I would regret it if I didn’t, decided to put my name down before I lost my nerve. Ayanna Gallant, the hostess of the night (and guest blogger on TIC) introduced the readers one by one and they got up to read.

One poet was a former student of mine who gave an emotional poem about a tragic childhood experience. And in the end of the poem we heard her be at peace. It was beautiful and poetic, it sucked me in to her experience and emotional past. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought how poetry must have been a healing agent for her and how fortunate for me to have been able to witness this beautiful young lady share this part of her with all of us.

A couple of poets later, it was my turn. Once introduced, I got up to the mic, asking the band leader, Larry Simon to play something rhythmic and sultry with lots of drums. He instructed the rest of the band and the music started to play…

It was like magic how my words melted together with the music. We complimented each other with each nuance of melody and lyric. The words poured out my mouth like satin and I was entranced in the moment created by the sounds all around me.

It was a great experience and I’m glad it was captured on video, or at least you can hear the audio.
Later, as I listened to the performance and remembered the experience, it got me thinking.

Why don’t we do things like this more often? Be creative, share our experiences and build community through these art forms in true, raw, and meaningful ways? For me, reading my poem was pure enjoyment, a thrill, but for others it can be a way to get a message out, to tell a story or act as therapy for their soul.

Why don’t we ask students to do this more – write from their experiences, from the gut!?

Another teacher near us had some of his high school students there. Two were being featured that night. HE allows for this in his classroom. He inspires his students to write gutsy poetry that means something real for them in their lives.

We need to do more of this for our children and for ourselves. I am thankful for these field trips. They have helped me to stay inspired in my own teaching so that I can inspire my students!

Next month is jazz and poetry month. What a great excuse to use to try out some poetry writing with my students.

For more pics from Beat Night, visit our Flicker Account.

Musical Experiences – Playing in the Classroom

Elizabeth Peterson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:20:43 +0000

Music is a powerful tool to use in your teaching. It gives students a chance to be creative, to play and find structure – all at once! Best yet, is that it will help you to build community with your students.

It’s all about experiences – building experiences, sharing experiences, reflecting on them and learning from them. With music, you can create these experiences by playing, creating and listening to music.

This blog, I would like to focus on how I encourage my fourth grade students to play music in the classroom. Playing music might include singing, playing instruments, chanting and doing finger plays. We are all naturally drawn to play music. Sometimes there may be nervousness to it or an anxiety to it, but there is a desire. Some ways you I try to include playing into my teaching are:

To build community through playing music, I love to bring out the percussion instruments and play in a drum circle!

Some of my former 2nd grade students play percussion instruments together!

The first time I did this this year, my students’ eyes widened. After discussing instrument protocol and other necessary things, instruments were in students hands and we started playing. I started with an ostinato and soon students found their own voice through the instruments. The shy girl shook her egg, and the boisterous boy clanged his cymbals, the normally soft spoken little lady was giggling as she swirled her maracas. It was a beautiful thing! And I had given them a change to be individualistic, creative and collaborative all at once.

Sure we made a lot of noise (we actually went into a different part of the school to do this) and sure a teacher walked by, peeked in and, noticing I wasn’t the music teacher, gave me a perplexed look (to which I shouted, “Come join us! I know you want to!”), but we weren’t just having fun – we were building community!

I would like to say that I have kept my promise to myself that I would do this every week, but that is not the case, sadly. BUT I try. We have done it maybe once a month. Even so, it has helped us as a class to focus on ourselves for a period of time, to PLAY, to get our creative juices flowing and to connect with one another. It is truly a wonderful thing!!

Next blog – Musical Experiences – Creating Music!