Instrument Time!!! 1/20 Singing Time

For last week's Singing Time, I decided to use instruments.  Originally, my plan was to emphasize that we - like instruments - are all different, but that together we can make things beautiful.  I wanted to point out that God made them all unique and different.  But, we ran out of time.

I came with the following instruments:

- A big bag of homemade egg shakers - I took plastic Easter eggs, filled them halfway full with rice, and wrapped them with colored electrical tape.  Pat Graham used these at the workshop and I thought they were fun.

- Nice, not-splintery chopsticks (I had nine pairs)

- Toy microphone (can get for about $1 at Target, etc)

- My set of tone/resonator bells (similar to the ones at http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Beat-8-note-Resonator-Bells/dp/B0002EKG5S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358915903&sr=8-2&keywords=tone+bells).  They are slightly pricey - I have them because of my four-year old's 'Let's Play Music' class - but I can see a lot of uses for them in primary.

We began by reviewing "I Am a Child of God" from last week - before Primary I passed out the pictures from last week - numbers still on the back - to the teachers and asked them to hand them out when I asked.  As we sang, I had the kids who were given a picture by their teacher come to the front and try to get in the right order.  Jr. Primary needed a LOT of help, but Sr. Primary did better.  Then we sang it again to see if they got the order right (giving them a reason to repeat, ala Sis. Graham!).

 

Next, I handed out one bell to each child.  I had some extra mallets (Target had toy xylophones for like .30 ea a few weeks ago), and used chopsticks for the couple I was short.  Using a chart I wrote on the inside of the file folder, we sang the song again with the bells playing during the chorus only.  After each chorus, the kids would pass their bell to a neighbor so that more people got a turn.

 

I complimented them on their singing and the spirit it brought.

 

Next we moved onto one of our ward's 'option' songs - "I Want to Be a Missionary Now".  Using the microphone, I spoke the lyrics, then would point at the kids for them to fill in the words.  I knew the last chorister had taught this song just a few months ago, so I didn't spend a lot of time teaching it, just reviewing the words.  Then I passed out the eggs and the sticks and had each group do a different rhythm.

 

The rhythms I chose were way too complicated for Jr, so for Sr. I had the eggs shake on each word, while the sticks beat on counts 2 and 4.

 

I think they had a lot of fun getting involved in music!  Passing out the supplies took longer than I would have liked, but we noticed a big improvement in reverence, particularly in Jr. Primary.