Marimbas and More

This week I shared a video of three marimba players I recorded while walking along the boardwalk in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  The students were asked to put the beat in their feet while watching.   This was the introduction to this week's music activities, playing the bass xylophones and metalophones with our songs we have been learning.  Below is a 2nd grade class and a 5th grade class.

To make a connections, all the classes got to play the  bass xylophones and metalophones in the classroom to the songs we have been working on.  The accompaniments ranged from easy two hand ostinato patterns to cross-over patterns.

Our CFIES learners also practiced their conversations by adding "Molo kwendini" for a little boy or "Molo tambanzano" for a little girl.  They also learned young girl and boy, older man and woman, and teacher.  

During this week, we had visitors from Raleigh come to our classes because our school was being observed for  our NC Global Ready Model School application.   I had a 5th grade classes in while they visited my classroom.  We were discussing instruments from Africa at the time.  I had an opportunity to share the different drums and instruments that are in the classroom.  One of the students played the djembe so well after discussing how to get different sounds from the drum I just had to record her playing.  The drum was actually one I purchased  at the street market while in  South Africa this summer.

Bringing Africa to the Classroom

Ms. LaPorta's 2nd Graders

Our elementary school, Carolina Forest International Elementary thrives on learning about cultures from different places.  Since I spent a month in South Africa and had Xhosa language lessons at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, I am sharing with my students.  This is the 1st introductory lessons on greeting people.  It is a "Hello; Hello;  How are you?  I am fine thank-you, and how are you?  I am fine also, thank-you" rehearsed conversation setting.  Listen how well these learners pick up the language.  I have an awesome student leader, Riley.

In this setting, I have two 5th grade students greeting each other.  Nice job girls.

Now you are probably wondering why are you doing this in "Music Class"?  I guess it is my passion to share my African experience with my students as well as the fact that it fits in with our music class routine.  I started with a movement activity, and this week I showed a video of Emafini's choir and their 8 step move.  I had CFIES learners trying to move along with them (not with a lot of success!  It's harder for our students than you think)   We got to discuss the different language of the song and tried it out ourselves.  Great mini lesson.  Stay tuned for next week's update!