English 101
March 12, 2014
Music Exploration Start the music. Music is combining voice, instrumental or mechanical sounds to create melody, rhythm, or harmony. Music is a vital part of young children lives. Socialization and a feeling of belonging are formed when making music together. Music is a natural outlet for creativity and self-expression, which shows a strong presence in an early head start classroom. Rhythm is an important ingredient in music. The children enter the classroom after gross motor. They made their way noisily to the carpet where I was sitting. Some of the children continue to talk and play while the others jostle and fidget trying to get comfortable. I gave them a moment, and started to clap in a slow steady rhythm waiting for the children to join. Tamara wearing a black and white musical symbol on her tee shirt joined me clapping her hands. She said, “U hears me Ms. Pat.” We continue to clap until the other children started to focus and join us. Miraculously the talking stops and the only movements were the clapping of their hands to my rhythm. I did not say a word I begin slapping my legs and then clapping my hands, alternating between them I felt the power and focus increase as the children follow along. The children are mastering the rhythm, so I moved to a more complex rhythm, slap legs, clap, and clap, snap the fingers and repeat. The children peer at me intensely as they tried to make their hands and rhythm match mine. Dancing is connected to rhymes. Tamara said “I want to dance,” I