Hoy 1

Sarah Hoy
Dr Veblen
Music 3852
Due: Oct 22 Extension: Oct 24

Project # 3

Musical Concept: Dynamics

Kindergarten: Sing a circle song such as Go to Jane Glover. The first time say, Lets sing a
song with our indoor voices, to represent a medium volume or mezzo forte dynamic. Sing the
song once through and while the students are learning how to sing at a mf dynamic they are also
familiarizing themselves with the song in order to participate in the rest of the exercise. If need
be sing once at this dynamic. Next instruct the children to crouch like quiet crabs and sing with
me. Then sing the song again but this time in a crouched position representing a smaller sound
and whisper sing to represent a piano dynamic. Lastly, sing the song once more and this time
say, Now stretch really tall and sing in your outdoor voice with me and sing really loud.
During each variation of this activity the students can sway from side to side and follow the beat.

Grade Three: For a grade three class, I think that utilizing Ariannas song about finding the keys
would be a great way to keep the students engaged while practicing different dynamics. First, I
would sit in a circle with the students and sing the song all the way through. Next I will choose a
student to sit in the middle of the circle and instruct them to close their eyes. Once the student in
the middle of the circle has done so I would ask another selected student to hide a set of keys in
the classroom. Once the student has hidden the keys they will return to the circle and the other
student sitting in the center will be in charge of finding the keys. I would then explain that in
order to assist this student in finding the keys we will sing our original song and the closer the
student gets to the keys, the louder we sing. The further away the student is from the keys, the
quieter we sing. We would loop the song, going through this exercise until the student found the
keys. I would repeat this exercise so that several of the students got to try.

Grade Six: With grade sixes Ive made up an exercise that I think will take the next step from
distinguishing from common dynamics like forte and piano and now touch on internal phrasing.

I would deem this activity the Alligator Exercise during which I would ask two students to
volunteer to face one another and make big V shapes with their arms in front of them, just like
alligator mouths (but also just like the crescendo and decrescendo symbols). Next I would sing a
familiar song like Yellow Submarine by the Beatles, stand behind the student on the left, and
follow the dynamic contour as I sang the song, walking from the student on the left to the student
on the right (see example a and b pictured below). Yellow Submarine is a great song to use as
you can see in example c, I can walk from the student on the left to the student on the right to
illustrate the dynamic contour while we sing In a town where I was born and then circle back
to the student on the left during the words lived a man who sailed to sea. This would allow me
be ready for the next phrase of and he told us of his life. Once we had sang through a cycle of
 Hoy 2

one verse and the chorus, I would sing the chorus once more but have the students point at me
while I move in order for them to physically make the shape of the dynamic contour themselves.
Next I would ask a student to take my place and try.