“DIY” Teaching Aids For


Choral Music Concepts by Cherilyn Worthen Utah Valley University cherilyn.worthen@uvu.edu


Reprinted from Utah Music Educators Journal


sic teaching in preparation for a new job. Caught between nostalgia and the need to organize years of teacher-storage, my eye was drawn to a stack of banker boxes, con- taining an odd assortment of items. One box alone held tennis balls, nylon stock- ings, plastic tubing and tiaras. Viewing the strange contents in that setting caused me to realize that some of my best choral les- son plan “helps” were inspired by nothing less than a trip to the local dollar store or home improvement center in true “Do-It- Yourself” fashion. Today’s world of technology-assisted


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teaching provides music educators with invaluable helps for enhancing instruction. Even so, my collection of boxes reminds me that a colorful visual aid, a game, a simple object or prop can have significant impact on day-to-day lesson plans and rehearsals. In many cases, they are significantly cheaper than brand-new electronics! Even middle and


secondary choral students respond


well to object lessons, hands-on activities and demonstrations made easy with simple supplies.


Each year, we review the basics of sing-


ing, explore music literacy and encour- age choral ensemble skills. A challenge for teachers of all ages is to keep presenting these repeated concepts in ways that still motivate singers toward progress and im- proved understanding. Taken from my own collection of


storage boxes, inspired by colleagues and conferences over the years, consider some of the following home-grown teaching aids, listed by topic, for your choral curriculum development.


TEMPO


recently had the occasion to pack up my classroom after 14 years of middle and high school choral mu-


Singing Basics


Posture Old Textbooks: A box of discarded textbooks, or even books you store your library are an inexpensive


tool


in to


help practice beautiful posture and singing alignment. Balancing the heavy book atop one’s head and walking carefully makes the point quickly. Requesting this kind of “royal stance” in rehearsal is reinforced when they recall the sensation from a group activity. Relay races, timed contests and other competitions make great games for a Friday afternoon. Crowns, scepters and sashes: Avail-


able cheaply at a party supply store, these props can be displayed to remind singers to use the “royal” stance in rehearsal. Party supply stores carry all manner of props, hats and costumes you could use in a variety of situations. Whether displayed on a bulletin board or used by students in class, visual re- minders of your lessons can help students to recall concepts more quickly.


Breathing Pinwheels: Perfect for demonstra-


tions on breath management, maintaining a steady stream of air, passive vs. active breath energy. Careful pressurizing of air keeps the pinwheel moving in a constant pattern. Air basketball toy: This small party fa-


vor also requires a constant stream of breath to keep the ball floating above the basket. Aerosol vs. Pump sprays: Helpful for


showing the difference between legato vs. staccato breath energy. Hairsprays, paints or water bottles can make for fun and in- teresting demonstrations of steady air stream (legato singing) vs. short energized bursts of breath (staccato singing). Cocktail/Coffee straws: Small, coffee- style straws can be helpful for demonstrat-


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ing pressurized airflow on an inhale/exhale. Vocalises done through the coffee straw help students practice using pressurized air, with- out the resultant volume and extra wear on the voice.


Vocal Production This demonstration is made possible by


your local home improvement center and a trip to the sporting goods store. You will need:


1. A small bellows (found in the fireplace section of the store) 2. 12 inches of corrugated plastic tubing (diameter size to fit bellows/duck call) 3. A duck call (or other hunting “call” toy)


A bellows makes a beautiful breathing


demonstration by itself. The expansion of the accordion-like pouch mimics low and expansive abdominal action. After fitting the end of the duck call over the nozzle of the bellows, send air from bellows into the duck call. This allows the reeds to vibrate, making the duck call sound, mimicking vi- brating vocal folds. Connecting the plastic tubing to the duck call, you create the im- age of the vocal tract above the voice box. Once “attached” (either by fitting each piece carefully or even having students hold them together) the bellows is pumped, causing air to move through the duck call and then the tubing, which will create a different sound than just the duck call alone. By manipu- lating the corrugated tubing (squeezing or changing the shape) or using different sizes, lengths, or tubing material, you dem- onstrate the changing sounds of an altered resonating chamber. There are many varia- tions of this demonstration, but each piece creates a model for the various parts of the vocal phonation process. Balloons: These offer a simple demon- stration of the process of breathing (inhale/


MARCH 2013


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