Tree Frog Productionsand Kerri-

Leaps & Rounds	January/February 2003

Volume One, Number Four
Theme: Expression (pace, dynamics, articulate, interpret)
Focus: Head-Tail
Special Feature: Games Galore: The Magic Of Play

WELCOME ARTISTS & EDUCATORS!

Dear Friends;

Once again, we have turned the corner and have a brand new year before us to create more love, joy and peace in our world. It is a good time to remember that we set an example for children in every thought, word and action we take: they are masters of observation! What a delightful opportunity we have to explore and laugh together as we sing, dance and play - enhancing our minds, bodies, souls and spirits.

This issue of Leaps And Rounds is devoted to the magic of play. In my workshops and classes, it is not unusual to hear someone shout out, "It's a game!" to remind us be playful in nature as we learn together. This cooperative spirit builds group community and nurtures self-esteem in the individual. There are no "right" and "wrong" answers, only creative interpretations of the work! Whereas fear prevents the brain and body from working at their capacity, an atmosphere of love, play and acceptance open the door to new ways of thinking, moving and being. This is how we are able to encourage our students to reach their potential and shine like stars.

I hope that you enjoy this issue of the newsletter. As always, please feel free to contact us with your ideas, successes and stories - we want to share the glorious things you are doing with our many readers.

Take care,

Kerri Lynn Nichols
Artistic Director, Tree Frog Productions

UPCOMING EVENTS

Be sure to check out our calendar to find out about the many workshops and events gong on at this time of the year. Kerri Lynn is currently working on a recording project in conjunction with Nurturing Pathways to create a CD for doing the fundamental body-brain patterns with children 0-3 years. She is also preparing to teach Level One Orff-Schulwerk Training at the University of Oregon this summer with Nancylee Summervill. And this August will mark the opening of a new course: The Music & Movement Institute For Enhanced Learning. This will take place in Olympia, WA with graduate credit offered through Seattle Pacific University.Here are a few of the highlights for this month:

FEB 2 - Children's Music Workshop, "Love Those Who Are Different", FUMCO, 10-11
FEB 5 - Evergreen School District Music Workshop, Vancouver, WA. 1-4pm
FEB 8 - Olympia Rhythm Fest, Procession Arts Studio, 11am-6pm
FEB 8 - James Harding Workshop: Portland Orff Schulwerk Chapter, OR, 9am-3:30pm
FEB 7-9 - Lesley Music Workshop, Spokane, WA, all weekend

For more information, contact us at contact@treefrogpro.com

NEW RELEASES!!!

Keep your eyes and ears open for new books and CD's from Kerri Lynn Nichols. In March, two collections of original canons/rounds will be released, entitled "Once A Round" and "Twice A Round". Beautiful melodies, inspired words and playful orchestrations accent these collections for all ages. You will be able to purchase these on the Tree Frog website or at John's Music.

RESOURCE REVIEW

"Songwriter's Rhyming Dictionary"
by Kevin Mitchell, 1995.
Published by Alfred Publishing Company, Van Nuys, CA.

Tree Frog Rating: (out of three frogs!)

At last, a concise and handy rhyming dictionary that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! This spiral bound book has hundreds of rhymes in an easy-to-read, easy-to-find format. Rhymes are organized in dictionary format, "near rhymes" that can be pronounced in more than one way, places and proper names and a handy list of prefixes and suffixes at the bottom of each page. Some added features are a brief history of rhyme, a glossary of rhyme schemes and song lyric tips to help you work through writer's block. This is a terrific source for you and your students!

You can order this book at www.amazon.com

QUOTE

"Nothing on earth is so well suited to make the sad merry, the merry sad, to give courage to the despairing, to make the proud humble, to lessen envy and hate, as music."

-Martin Luther

SPECIAL FEATURE:

"Games Galore: The Magic Of Play" by Kerri Lynn Nichols

Play is an essential part of developing creativity with any group of learners, and yet, for some reason, play is discarded by most of our educational institutions beyond the elementary level. We know from research that learning and brain growth continue into our elderly years, and that this stage of life can actually be a return to the childlike qualities of our youth. As an Orff educator who specialized for many years in work at the secondary level, I have seen firsthand how starved for play these students can be and what magic, synergy and creativity a simple game can inspire. Play is where we can cast away preconceived rules and stereotypes and be real with each other. We can let go of the status quo and experience life through the laughter, energy and spontaneity of play. We can celebrate the joy of discovery by thinking "outside the box".

Games are great learning forms, filled with social, cognitive and physical challenges and a plethora of possible sequences and solutions. Cooperative games foster group cohesion, build self-confidence and teach independence and interdependence at the same time. Games have followed humanity through out history and will continue to as long as people are engaging and interacting with one another. It is our nature to play. From peekaboo and Say Say Oh Playmate, to jump rope jams, hopscotch and Kick The Can, children of all ages hold on to these traditional games as a part of their heritage. There is something deeply rooted in our bodies and minds, even a survival instinct, that clings to these games as rituals.

Games can be used in the classroom to teach a variety of concepts and skills, from learning names on the first day to reviewing for that final exam. Here are some forms or structures that work well with a variety of ages and subjects:

Names
Say your name and have the group echo you back. Go around the circle to learn every person's name. Add movement or body percussion.

Call-Response (QA)
Chant or sing a question and the students chant or sing an answer. Try the same game with a partner. Choose a theme.

Passing Games
Sit in a circle with your group and pass an object (or every person can have an object). Say "pick-pass" and pass onedirection. Builds group cooperation.

To And Fro
Face a partner. One partner dances away from the other using a specific concept (i.e. high and low) for 8 counts, and then returns for 8 counts. Switch roles. Change concepts or integrate academic concepts on a chant.

Shape Museum
Make a shape and your partner copies you. Melt out of that shape to dance away and copy someone else. You can vary this game in many ways: Sculptor & Clap, Painter & Canvas, Opposites, etc. (idea from Anne Green Gilbert).

Clapping Games
Clap a pattern and have the class copy or echo you. Try layering several patterns together. Integrate math concepts. Use other body percussion: stomps, snaps and pats.

Telephone
Sit in a circle. The first person whispers a short message in the ear of the the second person. Each person passes the message on to the next person, with the last person saying it out loud. Good game for building listening skills.

Clap Pass
Stand in a circle. The leader claps their hands together once fast and then the next person and so on. The object is to pass the clap around the circle as fast as possible without any changes in the pulse. Fosters good eye tracking, listening and cooperation.

Closely related to play, is improvisation which is "in the moment" music-making. Though less structured than creating a written composition or dance, it is equally valuable in terms of developing the i imagination and the musical brain. In improvisation, we bypass the analytical mind and shoot straight from the heart and spirit. The created music is truly a moment in time, like catching a glimpse of a falling star. A proverb that I have used extensively with my students is, "When in doubt. . .improvise!" Some of the most powerful music moments I have ever experienced have come from some kind of improvisation. There are o mistakes, only creative interpretations of the work. In improvisation, students get to take credit for the beauty that emerges "accidentally". The gain self-confidence and an appreciation for each other and the music and dance created through this process.

I make time to play and improvise with my students every day, whether they are preschool age or seniors. The students look forward to this time: it motivates them to learn and gives them energy to focus on the work of the day. Play keeps the creative mind firing and the classroom full of joy. When we tap into this age old learning process, we nurture group synergy and equip our students to engage critical thinking skills while having a good time. And after all, isn't learning is supposed to be fun?

TEACHER TIPS

The concepts of Expression (pace, dynamics, articulate and interpret) are great ones for exploring the art of communication. Create games and scenarios with your students based on these exciting concepts:

1. Face Off
Sit facing a partner. One person slowly starts to form a facial expression and the other partner copies exactly (no talking, laughing only as necessary!). Switch roles. Explore how many different feelings and thoughts you can express with just your face. Afterwards, brainstorm with your partner all of the faces you interpreted.

2. Accents
With the class, practice saying vocabulary words and noticing where the accent, or stress, falls (on which syllable). Try putting the stress on a different syllable in the word. You can play this game with the names in the class. Over pronounce your words, really lengthening the vowels and snapping on the consonants. Try saying the words without articulating - are other words created?

3. Third Time
Choose a mundane activity that the students have to perform in class, like sitting down at a desk and taking out a piece of paper and a pencil. Have them perform this sequence in unison with the rest of the class (like robots) first slowly, then medium pace, then fast. Add other movements to the sequence to make it more difficult.

4. Loudmouth
When spelling words orally, say the consonants softly and the vowels loudly. Vary the activity when reading sentences: verbs loudly and all other words softly. Make up your own variations.

LESSON PLAN

Musical Element: EXPRESSION
Concept: PACE

Warm-up:

Music Selection: Music For Dancers, #20 "Paraphony & Polyphony", by K. Nichols

Introduce the concept (pace) through hear, see, say and do. Write the word on the board, say it and have the class echo you. Do the Braindance (see Fundamental Patterns Chart in Pedagogy) using fast and slow movements.

Exploration:

Music Selection: Music For Dancers, #11 "Three Paces"

Game: The music is in ABC form. For A, move at a medium pace. For B, move in slow motion and for C, move at light speed. Variations: move fast to the slow music and visa versa. Ask the students which one they liked the best and why.

Developing Skills:

Music Selection: Rhythmically Moving, Volume Two, #9 "Fjaskern" (The Hurry Scurry)

Teach the folk dance "Fjaskern" from Sweden. Teach the choreography, but don't tell the students that the music will gradually get faster and faster (it's a surprise!). Here is the basic choreography: Formation: partners facing counterclockwise, holding hands. Walk 16 counts forward in the circle; turn and walk 16 counts the opposite direction. Face your partner: Heel, heel, heel, heel, clap once and switch places (8 counts) Repeat this last sequence three more times.

Creating:

Idea #1: In small groups of 4 or 5, allow the students to create a movement or
musical sequence that can be repeated. They must perform it slowly, fast and at a medium pace, but they can decide the order. The group must
decide which pace fits the sequence best and tell the class why after the
informance.

Idea #2: With younger children, use the "Three Paces" music from the Exploration
in this lesson. Give each student a prop that is easy to manipulate, like a small scarf, streamer or other. When the music is fast, they must dance fast with their prop; when the music is slow, they must dance slowly, etc. Instead of props, you may give each student a small percussion instrument (one that can play a steady pulse) and have them walk and play the changing pace of the pulse.

Reflection:

Create a final informance of the pieces worked out in the creating section of the lesson. Share so that each student has an opportunity to inform and observe. For the younger students, you can have half of the class perform and half observe, then switch. In a circle, allow the students to share their insights or favorite parts in a supportive way. Review the concept of pace and relate it to life skills. When do we need to work at a fast pace? Slow? Medium? Which one feels most comfortable?

BUILD YOUR BRAIN!

1. Create a dance about a seed that grows (seed to stem to leaves to flower) and then returns to the earth as it withers. Music Selection: I Am The Song #6, "Journey To The Moon" by Kerri Lynn Nichols

2. Practice reaching high and melting low. Add a twist in the spine and melt and reach to each side of the body. Curl and stretch in a variety of directions. Music Selection: Music For Dancers, #5 "Ladders" by Kerri Lynn Nichols. Music plays ascending and descending scales.

3. Sing the scale and touch body parts for each pitch: Do (feet), Re (calves), Mi (knees), Fa (thighs), So (hips), La (belly), Ti (shoulders), do (head). Reverse the order. Sing different intervals, moving your body from head to tail to match (i.e. Do-So-Do (feet-hips-feet). Make up your own variations.

ONCE A ROUND: