Creating Centers for Musical Play and Exploration

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Kristen M. Kemple,
Jacqueline J. Batey, and
Lynn C. Hartle

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Creating musical compositions

Materials: Provide a portable keyboard or piano or xylophone/glockenspiel and some paper, markers, and stickers. To the keys corresponding to the middle two octaves, teachers should affix removable stickers of various shapes and sizes, such that each key has a unique sticker.

 To simplify, affix stickers only to keys middle C to G. To extend, include more keys. To make a penta-tonic scale or five-note scale, put an x on the F and B piano keys (or remove the F and B xylophone bars) so children won’t play these notes. When two children play instruments adjusted to this scale, anything they play together sounds good.

Supporting play: As children create their own music, encourage them to “write” it down for future reference. They can copy the stickers corresponding to the notes they use, or place identical stickers on a piece of paper. Encourage children to play their own (or their peers’) notated music. Children can also invent their own systems of musical notation. For children with limited motor coordination, the striking surface of xylophone bars may be too narrow. Substitute a metallophone, bass xylophone, or single tone bars that can be spread out.

Exploring bells

Materials: Provide a collection of bells of various types and sizes—resonator bells, tubular bells, handbells, jingle bells, and so on.

Supporting play: Encourage children to touch, shake, ring, and otherwise experiment with the bells. Extend the play by encouraging children to compare, contrast, categorize, and sequence the bells. Provide graph paper, blank paper, and crayons for those who want to document their findings. For children who have difficulty grasping the instruments, attach adjustable Velcro straps.

Musical theater

Materials: Transform your dramatic play area into a stage by providing costumes, instruments, seating for the audience, tickets, a microphone (real or pretend), and so on.

Supporting play: Introduce the concept of a musical show by showing clips of a videotaped concert, such as Cathy and Marcy’s Song Shop or Raffi on Broadway, or segments of a videotaped stage production. Encourage children to assume roles like ticket seller, audience member, actor, musician, and announcer. A guitar will probably be a popular choice. For children who have difficulty with fine motor coordination, a guitar pick is difficult to grasp. A rubber doorstopper is a good substitute for a pick and will produce a louder sound than a young child’s finger strumming.

 

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