Tree Frog Productionsand Kerri-

Leaps & Rounds	September/October 2002

Volume One, Number Two
Theme: Melody (pitch, scale, interval, motive)
Focus: Tactile

WELCOME CREATIVE ARTISTS & EDUCATORS!

Dear Friends;

I hope that the summer has been a time of relaxation and rejuvenation for you as many of us return to our teaching schedules in September. The beginning of each school year is a special time: an opportunity to build community between students, create an inclusive classroom and set the philosopy that will guide your students into empowered learning. Remember to build in time for recuperation: five minutes listening to music, the Braindance or spinal roll downs between classes or subjects. This will help to keep the energy of each group flowing and help to relieve stress along the way.

My summer has been full of workshops for Lesley University, where I have met some extraordinary teachers and heard inspiring stories of children learning through the arts. As I continue to do teacher training, I am encouraged to know that the children are in such good hands. After teaching at the Summer Dance Institute For Teachers in Seattle, I treated myself to the advanced session again to refresh, review and revise. The result was the development of new friendships and renewed creativity, which allowed me to write the music for Oscar Wilde's "The Selfish Giant", for the elementary week of Drama Camp this year.

Our second production, for the middle school/high school students, was "Free To Be. . .You and Me". It was a phenomenal experience to work with eighteen bright and talented young people who never ceased to amaze me. We laughed, played and worked hard to create a unique presentation of this classic work. The themes of being your own person and embracing freedom for all were especially poignant to the group as they reflected on this past year.

We are very proud to also announce that the Tree Frog website has won two awards recently: Congratulations to our gifted graphic artist and web designer Aaron Sarnat. We always knew he was a genius - so nice to see other people recognizing that now!

Please feel free to contact us with your successes, challenges and inspirations as you share the gift of music and dance with your students. Great change cam be accomplished when we share what we know and collaborate with each other.

May the music light your way,

-Kerri Lynn

UPCOMING EVENTS

Kerri Lynn's fall will be busy but exciting. She is looking forward to opening the Tree Frog Studio for private lessons and small group Orff-Schulwerk and BrainPlay classes for babies and pre-schoolers and their parents. Once again, she will be the Music Director at First United Methodist Church Of Olympia with three choirs: The Celebration Singers, The Rhythm Of Life and Songlight Children's Choir. Please see our Classes & Workshops page to see class descriptions, fees and schedules.

In addition to regular weekly classes, Kerri Lynn will be presenting new workshops this fall. Contact us for more information on workshops in your area:

September 21 Orange County Orff Chapter, CA
"Circle Of Song: The Voice As Instrument"

October 12 Portland Orff Schulwerk Chapter, OR
"Tapestry: Weaving The Schulwerk"

October 19 Northern New Jersey Orff Chapter, NJ
"Connections: Creating Community Through Orff Process"

November 6-10 AOSA National Conference, LV
"Music Moments To Teach Academics"

November 15-17 Lesley University: Grand Junction, CO
and Dec. 13-15 "Creative Movement And Learning"

NEW RELEASES!!!

Music Moments To Teach Academics by Kerri Lynn Nichols

At last, Kerri Lynn's text for teachers of all subjects is available! Great for classroom teachers as well as music specialists, this source book is full of activities, research and practical ideas to assist educators in integrating music into the curriculum to enhance learning. Excellent for beginners and experienced musicians alike. Includes chapters for math, science, social studies, language arts, visual art and wellness as well as an extensive resource section. Thousands of seed ideas to build upon and explore with your students. $ 25.00

Music For Dancers (compact disc) All songs written and performed by Kerri Lynn Nichols

A companion recording for the book of the same title, this phenomenal CD can stand alone as an excellent resource for creative music and movement experiences. The collection includes seventeen newly composed pieces plus four pieces from the original audio tape. Each song focuses on a specific musical element (i.e. pulse, pattern, pitch, etc.) and is designed to help the listener explore the concepts of music through movement. Great for music specialists, dance teachers and kids of all ages! CD booklet describes each piece by tempo, meter, key, form and mood. Suggestions for using the recordings can be found on the Tree Frog web site. $ 17.00

Visit resources for an order form and a complete list of available books and CDs.
Online purchases can be made at www.johnsmusic.com or www.jwpepper.com.

SPECIAL (September and October ONLY):
Music Moments To Teach Academics AND Music For Dancers CD Set $ 38.00 (plus shipping)

* When you order directly from Tree Frog Productions (does NOT apply to online credit card purchases)

RESOURCE REVIEW

"Sing And Shine One! The Teacher's Guide To Multicultural Song Leading"
By Nick Page, 1995.
Published by Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH. 177 pages.

Tree Frog Rating:

This is the best treatise on singing in an inclusive framework that we have ever seen. Nick Page, well know throughout this country for multigenerational and multicultural song leading, writes in a manner accessible to a beginner but creates new insights for the experienced song leader. The book includes step by step instructions and approaches to singing well, teaching a song, and leading group singing successfully. The book also includes an incredible section of research called "65 Reasons Why Singing Should Be Central To Eduation And To Life" that can be shared with skeptical parents, colleagues or administrators. In the final section of the book, is an excellent resource section with lists of songs, addresses of publishers and other key information to support the teacher's efforts. Nick Page helps us to give the lost gift of singing back to our children. We give this our highest rating of three frogs!!!

Order from www.johnsmusic.com.

QUOTE

"My essential purpose in singing is to help the listener understand reality."

-Pete Seeger

TEACHER TIPS

Names: Building Blocks For Teaching Melody

Names are the perfect seeds to create enriching music and movement experiences rich in the concepts of melody: pitch, scale, interval and motive. Here are just a few of the many examples that have worked with kids of all ages:

1. Once students have experimented with their names and the concepts of rhythm, they are ready to try out the concepts of melody. In the circle, one student sings their name using a high and low pitch (so-mi) and the group echoes it back. Play with changing the pitches of each syllable and singing the names in new ways.

2. Sit with a partner. Combine your names using different pitches to creative a motive. Sing your motive to the group and have them echo back. Combine several names to create a melody.

3. Practice singing each name using different intervals: steps and jumps. In a small group, create a phrase of names using different intervals. Place four phrases sequentially to create a song. The group can add new words to the melody of names.

LESSON PLAN

Musical Element: MELODY
Concept: PITCH (high, middle, low)

Warm-up:

Introduce the concept (pitch) through hear, see, say and do. Write "pitch" on the board and say it; have the class echo you. Sing or play different pitches and move your body at a high or low level. In a circle, one person inner hums a pitch and the others match it. Repeat this changing leaders and ptiches.

Exploration:

"Sea, Land And Sky"
Music For Dancers #4 "The Hi-Lo Waltz", by Kerri Lynn Nichols

This music is written, in ABCD repeated form. For A (low pitches), students move throughout the space like a deep sea creature. For B (middle pitches). students move like an earth creature. For C (high pitches), students move like an air creature and for D (combined pitches), they choose their favorite creature and interact with the other creatures.

Developing Skills:

Place a number of instruments or sound objects around the room. As the students explore the sound objects, they can divide them into two groups: single and multi-pitched. What kind of sounds that have different pitches do we hear in the city? The country? Brainstorm with the class.

Creating:

Idea #1: (for younger students) Using the pitch instruments/objects from the previous activity and voices, create an improvisation circle with the class.

Idea #2: (for older students) In a small group, create a short ABC form piece with voices, instruments and movement that reflects high pitches, low pitches and combined high and low pitches. You may wish to select an environmental theme like the ocean, countryside or city.

Reflection:

Share pieces from the creating section, so that every student has an opportunity to perform and listen. Share insights, observations and ideas about the work. Review the concept.

BUILD YOUR BRAIN!

Fundamental Focus: Tactile (Sensory Integration)

This fundamental movement pattern is associated the touch we receive from our mother after we are first born. The touch of the skin, the swaddling and warmth all work together to help the baby make vital bonding connections in the brain. Here are three ways to easily integrate more tactile experiences in your classroom:

-With a partner, give a standing shoulder-back-neck rub using fingers, palms and hands sharply and smoothly. Brush the energy out from the spine to the sides, starting at the base of the head and down the spine to the lower back. Turn and repeat the process for your partner.

-Create clapping and body percussion games and sequences with your students for a warm-up, closing activity or transition. These are fun and quick and can include claps, pats on different body parts, stomps, snaps with different energies and weights: sharp, smooth, strong and light.

-Keep props of different textures available in the classroom for relaxation sequences or explorations. These can include scarves, fake furs, Chuck-em's, stretchy bands, sand paper, balls and a variety of fabrics. Integrate these props into class lessons.

SPECIAL FEATURE:

"Music Essentials For Enhanced Learning"
by Kerri Lynn Nichols

ONCE A ROUND: