What *is* inside a maraca?

Monday in K-2 music, we began each class with a song and dance to give students practice in keeping a steady beat, singing, and being a community. The 1-2 classes seemed to really enjoy singing “Sally Go ‘Round the Sun” and requested it again on Wednesday.

We then explored the world of handheld percussion instruments to prepare for studying percussive possibilities in "Our Backyard." Each student got to choose a handheld percussion instrument, from triangles, cymbals, jingle bells, Claves, Zills, Guiros, a Shekere, and an Agogo. Students put themselves in groups based on the sounds of their instruments, then discussed why their instruments might sound similarly. The kids made many insightful observations about the relationship between instrument sounds, their construction, and vibrations. For example, in Susan’s class, Noah noticed that the small cymbals sounded dramatically different at close range and exclaimed that he could “hear the vibrations.” He then proceeded to demonstrate for every child in class. This led to a discussion of vibrations and distance from our ears. In Elaine’s class, Ella decided that maracas were filled with shells because they sounded so much like her Shekere, which has shells on the outside. I refused to sacrifice my maracas to science, and the students decided they could find out from the instrument makers. Both classes could hear the difference between sounds made with metal and wood, and that differently-sized instruments made different pitches and volumes.

Kindergartners drew their instruments first and were able to categorize instruments with some assistance. They absolutely loved experimenting with the instruments and all show improvement in their ability to keep a steady beat and follow a conductor. I’m impressed! Kindergartners’ favorite rhyme this week was “Little Bo Peep”—almost every child was able to recite it by the end of class. Kindergartners also experimented with finding their “head” voices by making high and low “siren” sounds; sorry to those of you that heard this experiment carried on at home; rest assured that it is the first step toward your child singing in a clear, on-pitch tone.