John J. Cali School of Music
Each lesson in the First Steps approach is based on what Feierabend has termed the “Musical Workout”. This is an 8-part process that takes the class from start to finish and is comprised of these 8 parts (taken from the “First Steps in Music: Preschool and Beyond” teachers manual, p. 11): 1. Pitch Exploration (the vocal warm-up) 2. Song Fragments (consisting of Echo and Call-and-Response songs)
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3. Simple Songs 4. Arioso (child-created tunes) 5. Songtales 6. Movement Warm Ups (movement exploration)
7. Movement for Form and Expression 8. Movement with the Beat
If you look closely, you may be able to discern which parts of the workout fit well under either the tuneful, beatful, and/or art- ful categories. The tuneful portion consists of Pitch Exploration, Song Fragments, Arioso, and Simple Songs. Pitch Exploration is always one that my own students look forward to doing, since it often involves any number of fun toys or manipulatives to help them engage their head voice in preparation for the singing they will do in class. It is usually just a minute or two long and could be echoing a slide whistle, or following a flowing ribbon or a tossed bean bag as they stretch their vocal folds before heading into the Song Fragment portion of class.
During the Song Fragments and Simple Email:
musauditions@montclair.edu
wealth of research regarding singing and movement of young children. It was also based on Feierabend’s own extensive expe- rience working with young children. And although that alone would have been enough, it was also influenced by his work with many of the music education undergraduate and gradu- ate students whom he mentored during his time at the Hartt School of Music and around the world, where his curricular approach and materials have been used for years.
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Song parts of the workout, it is imperative to make sure that we are always singing for the students as opposed to singing with them. This is one of the first and most challenging things I learned from Feierabend, and it has made a world of difference in my instruc- tion. I am now able to hear exactly what my students are able and not able to sing so that I can adjust my teaching accordingly. One added benefit is that training my youngest
students to truly listen (not hum or partially sing along as I sing something for them) has sharpened their ability to focus. I have seen the benefit of this as they move into the older grades and are able to audiate very easily. Arioso is a unique and wonderful part of the “First Steps” music lesson. Children are eventually asked to create original tunes and lyrics during Arioso, building up to this over time. The ability for children to do this, Feierabend says, represents
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