Week beginning 08/06/2020
World Oceans Day
Monday 8th June 2020 is World Oceans Day. We are encouraged to think about protecting our oceans, and all water sources – rivers, lakes, ponds etc. Our music activities this week are on the theme of ‘water’.
What songs do you know about water? Sing a few!
Some songs I thought of are: Row, Row, Row the Boat, I am Sailing, Beyond the Sea, Yellow Submarine, Under the Sea, The Big Ship Sails on the Ally Ally O.
Water play is great fun, and involves creating lots of different sounds too! Have a water play session at home and see what different sounds you can create. You could pour water onto different surfaces, splash water with different levels of force, blow bubbles in water using a straw, fill pans and glasses with water and bang them. You could listen to water music whilst playing with water (music examples further down). This video will give you lots of ideas to try:
Water play & music exploration - Child's Play Music
You can visit the website for information about the activities: https://childsplaymusic.com.au/2012/01/17/water-play-music-play-children-a-natural-combination/
Water Chimes
Water Chimes
Make your own water chimes – fill up glasses with different amounts of water – each will produce a different pitch. You could add food colouring to each glass – each colour then represents a different note.
How to Make Xylophone Using Water
MUSICAL GLASSES - Harry Potter Theme
Here is the Harry Potter theme played on wine glasses!
KEEP THE OCEAN CLEAN by Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders
Here is a song about looking after the ocean.
Can you write your own song about caring for water?
Lots of composers have written pieces of music about water. Some are exciting, with big sea storms, and so are loud and dramatic. Other pieces of music are very calm, about still waters and gentle ripples.
Here are a few examples of water music. You could use them as background music during water play.
"Reflets dans l'eau" (Reflections in the Water) by Jacques Ibert
This is a short, beautiful piece of music for solo harp. You can hear the gentle ripples in the water – imagine a large pond on a summer’s day. I think this music is very relaxing. Can you make some gentle movements with your arms to reflect the ripples of this music?
Ronald Binge Sailing by ( On The Water )
This music is also very calm and gentle. Watch the video and pretend you are on the boat. What can you see? How do you feel? I hope you don’t get seasick!
BRITTEN: Peter Grimes: V. Storm
BRITTEN: Peter Grimes: V. "Storm"
Now we are in a big boat on the sea, and there is a big storm! There are huge waves and it is a bit scary! What instruments can you hear in this music? There are lots of brass instruments and drum which are loud and dramatic. In contrast to the solo harp playing very gentle water music, now, for the storm, the whole orchestra is playing loudly and quickly! How does this music make you feel? What do you think the drums and cymbals represent? Maybe they are crashes of big waves, or thunder? If you have any drums (or things you can use as a drum!) play along and create your own wave and thunder crashes!
March: "Padstow Lifeboat" - Malcolm Arnold
Now we have a piece of music about a lifeboat. This music was written for the launching of new lifeboat in Padstow, Cornwall in 1968. This music is a march – can you march, clap or play a drum in time to it? What instruments can you hear? This music is written for brass band and percussion, so you can probably hear cornets, trombones, horns and drums. Can you hear the sound that represents a foghorn? Imagine the excitement of going to the seaside to see the new lifeboat going out to sea, whilst a live brass band is playing this piece of music on the promenade! The music is very grand – just like the new lifeboat!
If you enjoy moving to music, this website has lots of water-themed yoga activities: https://www.yoremikids.com/news/early-education-classroom-water-themed-activities-indoors
One example from the YoReMiKids website is Row, Row, Row the Boat:
Earth & Beautiful Ocean
The Ocean is essential to life on Earth. Most of Earth's water is stored in the ocean. Although 40 percent of Earth's population lives within, or near coastal regions, the ocean impacts people everywhere. Without the ocean, our planet would be uninhabitable. This animation helps to convey the importance of Earth's oceanic processes as one component of Earth's interrelated systems. it is very relaxing to watch.