Recent Interviews Indicate That Props Can Enhance Fun and Facilitate Personal Connection in the Virtual Learning Environment

I noticed that online music learners had more fun and showed signs of connecting with one another more when we used props, so I decided to investigate!

The Impact of Online Music Learning

When education had to adapt to the constraints of a world in the grip of a pandemic by going online, we worried for the impact on people’s relationships and ability to truly connect with one another. Thankfully, video conferencing offered a lifeline! Zoom, Google Meets, TEAMS and others have helped to alleviate some of those concerns by providing a platform for music classes to continue and friends to gather virtually.

As a teacher and parent, I have been observing my students and children closely to see how they are faring in this transformed world of music education. This summer I moved from the Washington D.C. area to Georgia, and was fortunate enough to be able to continue in my choral conducting position online. My daughters are also learning from home in our new location. As I teach my choral students online from over 500 miles away, and assist my own children with online learning through the local public schools, I have been paying attention to the positive aspects of online learning.

Exploring Props’ Role in Creating Fun and Connection

I noticed that when my choral students use props, especially those from Bear Paw Creek, it appeared to promote relationship building and made our rehearsals more fun! Perhaps it is my current studies as a doctoral student in Music Education that has me in an inquisitive frame of mind, but I embraced the urge to find out what may be behind these observations. So I invited my two girl friends, their children, and my own two daughters to attend a Zoom music party with props and answer some questions for me afterward! To give you a little context, my dear friends L and H live in two different towns near Boston, MA and I currently live near Augusta, GA. Between the three moms we have two boys and three girls from 7 to 11 years old. We all had a fantastic time last month learning more about props together.

What Did We Do?

We had a Zoom music party! For this inquiry we did two activities, moving to”Better When I’m Dancin'” by Meghan Trainor and sang the cumulative song “An Austrian Went Yodeling”. We did each activity twice, once without props and once with props. Next, I asked the adults and children to describe whether the props affected their experience of the activity and/or sense of togetherness. After we were done with our chat, we just had fun as a group, singing, dancing and doing ukelele playalongs!

What Did We Find Out?

The movement activity and cumulative song were brought to life by the inclusion of props. According to my friends and our children, props do bring fun, togetherness and promote connection between participants.

Movement Activity with Scarves

“Better When I’m Dancin'” rarely fails to get people on their feet, so I thought it was a good choice to use for our Zoom party. But the key was to find out if scarves could enhance connection with others remotely and make it more fun as well! After we had some fun dancing together, I asked the adults and children to describe the difference between dancing without the scarves versus with the scarves.

Fun

F (age 7) said that he enjoyed the activity the same whether he used props or not. Interestingly, his mom H said that he moved more freely and independently, and smiled bigger when using the scarf. My friend L noted that she felt self conscious about the movement activity without the scarf.  However she felt emboldened by the scarf, even if only as a barrier between her and the screen. A and S (ages 11 & 8), my daughters, both found the activity much more fun with the scarf because it inspired creativity of movement and uses for the scarf.

Connectedness

R (age 10) responded that she felt more togetherness with the groups when scarves were included. Also, My friend H reported feeling more connected to others due to her increased awareness of their movements on the computer screen. She attributed this to curiosity as to what interesting movements they might do with their scarves. Over all, the consensus was that everyone felt more connection to the group when we used scarves, even those 1,000 miles away.

Cumulative Song with Props

The cumulative song, “An Austrian Went a Yodeling” was a deliberate choice. I decided to use it for this discussion because I know that it is a fun and beloved song even without props. The original performance of the song has various silly characters interrupting the yodeler during an avalanche, requiring the singers to remember the additive sounds they make as they progress from verse to verse. For this activity we performed the song once with the original sounds and then repeated it with props and instruments replacing the sounds. What I was curious to see and hear was whether the props enhanced an already exciting experience of singing and playing with friends remotely.

Fun

My friend L, a lover of puzzles, mentioned that part of the enjoyment of adding of props to the song was in trying to remember what props to use next. S (age 8) also felt that the props made the song even more fun!

Connectedness

When we talked about connection, S described feeling closer to our friends when we sang the song with props. L thought the props brought the group together because we had the same challenge to pick up the right prop at the correct moment in the song. She also said that “doing the same silly thing at the same time brought us together”. F (age 7) echoed L’s sentiments saying that “It felt like we were in the same room.” when we used the props. A melting away of separation was expressed by R. She felt that the screen and distance seemed to disappear when engaged in this activity with props.

What Are My Thoughts On This Discussion?

This casual chat with a handful of adults and children has my mind churning with thoughts about what this could mean for our online music learners. A particular moment that had me thinking was L’s comment on feeling protected from view by the scarf.  I wonder how many students might feel similarly. If props have the potential to decrease student self consciousness, then perhaps targeted use with students that exhibit such concerns could be helpful.

Connection and Fun

H made a comment about feeling connected when moving together with props because of increased interest in the on screen movements of others. This leads me to consider whether students who are reluctant to engage in remote lessons could be similarly motivated. Sometimes students appear tired from being on the computer all day, but they suddenly become very engaged when props are introduced to the lesson. I plan to extend the use of props and see if student engagement is increased.

R’s description of the screen seeming to melt away during an online props activity is encouraging to me as an online music educator. My goal is to bring such an authentic, engaging experience to my students that they forget we are not in person. If props further that goal, then it only further emboldens me to enjoy using my Bear Paw Creek props in the virtual learning environment.

On a lighter note, a possible driver to continue using props can be seen in our experience with “An Austrian Went Yodeling”. The song is already really fun without props, but the participants responded that the props served to enhance the fun!

What Does This All Mean?

Based on this discussion with a small group of adults and children, continuing to use props has the potential to promote fun and togetherness and could be beneficial for online learners. Using props, especially high quality props like the Bear Paw Creek selection of personal student kits may provide students with the additional support they need in such challenging times. The student kits are available at reasonable prices and are tailor-made to meet various student needs and activities.

There was a great deal to learn from this discussion with my friends and our children. They seem to have found greater enjoyment and connection with the group as a result of our props activities, and we loved having a music party together. I think their remarks lend some support to the idea that props can have a positive impact on participants beyond online music learning.

The post Beyond Online Music Learning: Recent Interviews Indicate That Props Can Enhance Fun and Facilitate Personal Connection in the Virtual Learning Environment appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

12 Ideas to Reimagine Teaching with Beanbags

Fresh ideas for using bean bags this fall in the music room or choral rehearsal.

As summer vacation draws to a close, it is always fun to get some fresh ideas for the beginning of the school year.  So go ahead and add some ways to use the bean bags from Bear Paw Creek to your repertoire! These activities will also bring giggles and smiles to teaching the potentially humdrum foundations of music making.

This blog will share activities using beanbags not only the classroom, but also in choral rehearsal. In addition, at the end of the post is a game I developed exclusively for you, the fans of Bear Paw Creek’s Blog!  This game is open-ended, so with some poster board and markers, and of course, beanbags, you can make a delightful game that can address any skill your students need to work on.

I have been thinking about beanbags a lot lately. It is a shame for a prop that raises the spirits of students and teachers alike to be overlooked. Especially considering its durability and versatility. Why don’t we use them more?  And, if we don’t have them, why not? They are certainly one of the most affordable props out there.  In fact, www.bearpawcreek.com has bean bags for just $20 per dozen, and you can even choose the bright or muted color palette or texture that works best for your students’ needs.

If the obstacle is a lack of awareness of how to use this awesome prop, then let’s overcome it, with these 12 ideas that will help you to reimagine teaching with beanbags. These ideas include activities that I have developed, as well as some existing activities that I have adapted to beanbags, not to mention the exclusive game at the end of this blog.

Let’s get you excited for the new school year, and for using that underdog of props, beanbags!

As I was thinking about ways to use bean bags that would be fun and engaging for our students, I also factored in that we teachers don’t necessarily have much time to craft. So if I was going to create something, I wanted it to be a game that could be used for different units.  The result is a game that can be used throught the year, with any age and the only thing you’ll need to change is the Fact Sheet.

The 12th activity, The Bullseye of Music! :

How it works:

1. Have two children, or the whole class play.
2. Child A throws the bean bag at the bullseye.
3. Child B (the opponent or class representative) announces the color which their bean bag hit.
4. Child A puts the tip of a pencil into a paper clip in the center of the spinner for that color and flicks it. The paper clip indicates a number.
5. Child B gives Child A the task or question based on the color and number, and they have a blast performing it!

I didn’t design this for keeping score so there isn’t a plan for that, but you could certainly develop one.  The game is so engaging because the target requires skill and the spinner is pure chance.  I put the arts Integration/extra fun activities in the center, on red, to make them harder to get.

How to Make Bullseye of Music Game Pieces:

Materials: Foam poster board, For tracing- a frying pan & small bowl, Poster markers/paint, Pencil, Paper clip, Paper, Sheet protector/clipboard

Steps:

1. Target– Sketch the biggest possible circle you can on the poster board
2.  Trace frying pan and small bowl creating the concentric circles of a target
3.  Color each ring in a different color (I went the traditional route of red yellow and blue)
4.  Spinner– On the paper, use the small bowl to trace three circles and coordinate the colors to match the circles on the target
5.  Divide the circles into five sections (or more) and number them
6.  Fact Sheet– create blue questions or activities of an easy level and number them 1-5 to match the spinner, and repeat for yellow   being medium level and red being difficult/super fun. Zoom in on the image above for an example Fact Sheet.
7.  Print out Fact Sheet and slip into a sheet protector and plan to give to Child B or the Opponent described above.
8.  Once the materials are done, grab your Bear Paw Creek bean bags, pencil and a paper clip and start having a fantastic time learning new concepts or reviewing!

Remember, all you have to do from here is create a new Fact Sheet to totally change the game!

Thanks: My appreciation to my music teacher colleagues in Anne Arundel County, MD for being such wonderful teachers and collaborators.

I hope you enjoy your bean bags in the classroom or rehearsal all the more for having some new ideas.

Bear Paw Creek has a great selection of bean bags right here on bearpawcreek.com.

Leah Murthy

Leah Murthy is a music educator, performer and military spouse. She is currently a Doctoral candidate in Music Education at Boston University, holds a Master’s in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory, has 15 years experience teaching music and recent contributions to professional journals such as The American Organist and The Chorister. When she is not teaching music in Maryland, or playing with her two little girls, she is in Washington D.C. conducting for The National Children’s Chorus.

The post 12 Ideas to Reimagine Teaching with Beanbags appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

Welcome back from the sometimes lazy days of summer, to an always exciting fall, filled with opportunities to try new activities with your props from Bear Paw Creek! In this installment of “Magical Moments” we will explore the wonders that ribbon streamers and movement scarves can work in your church choir.

In this third blog on making magical moments with music props in church choir rehearsal, I will share activities using scarves and streamers that are tailor-made for your sacred choral ensembles. In addition, I will give you tips on how to acquire a set of scarves or ribbon streamers for your group, no matter your budget, including DIY ideas.

Magical moments are within reach the instant that you take out the scarves and streamers, because they are enjoyable! When the brightly-colored chiffon and satin start making their rounds through the room, the Holy Spirit starts moving singers to smile. This affords you the opportunity to “break the ice”, by having your singers get moving to their anthem, or any song that will get their hearts pumping and their energy for the rehearsal in full gear!

Leah Murthy

Leah Murthy is a music educator, performer and military spouse. She is currently a Doctoral candidate in Music Education at Boston University, holds a Master’s in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory, has 15 years experience teaching music and recent contributions to professional journals such as The American Organist and The Chorister. When she is not teaching music in Maryland, or playing with her two little girls, she is in Washington D.C. conducting for The National Children’s Chorus.

The post Magical Moments with Music Props in Church Choir Rehearsal Part 3 appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

In this second installment of Magical Moments I wanted to build upon the activities and resources I shared with you in the first blog post on stretchy bands. As I mentioned earlier, I noticed there are few places where church choral directors can find music and movement activities, so I decided to develop and collect a set of activities to enhance my choir rehearsals. I also have some fun ideas that can work well with either the stretchy band or the parachute in addition to some ways for you to make your own parachute. These activities will surely either turn you into a great parachute aficionado or get you excited to take out your favorite parachute!

Magical moments with parachutes are revealed when adult and children’s choirs team build together. Last year, I began having both of my choirs perform together. Overcoming their age differences was a concern until I had the inspiration to take out the parachute, then suddenly everyone was smiling, and helping each other. Afterward, the anthems the choirs sang together resounded as one choir rather than two!

The Power of the Parachute

ACTIVITIES for Adults and/or Children–

Popcorn– Add balls and get  the balls off of the parachute without rolling them, balls that roll get tossed back onto the ‘chute.

Round the Universe– The choir members move one medium sized ball around the edge. Once the group gets comfortable going clockwise, change to counter clockwise, you will be surprised by the extra challenge for the ight handed people to go counter clockwise.

Mushroom– (for active adults) Everyone lifts the parachute high overhead and moves the edge behind their back and sit down simultaneously.

The adults enjoy this prop too, especially with the children. The children like the parachute even more with grown-ups because the adults lift it higher! For the adult choir the primary benefit of the parachute comes from working as a team. When considering making a parachute, keep in mind that creating a strong parachute is important for the adults, since they are stronger and will put more wear and tear on the prop.

Magical moments with parachutes are revealed when adult and children’s choirs teambuild together… Afterward, the anthems the choirs sing together will resound as one choir rather than two!

Activities- Children

He’s Got the Whole World– Have students run under the parachute by the calling out color they are holding, and the other students try to catch them by bringing the parachute down on the runner on the phrase “in His hands”.

Genesis 3 Snakes– Put one individual-sized jump rope on the parachute and have choristers flutter the ‘chute while trying not to get bitten by the “serpent”! If they do get “bitten” (touched), they have to go underneath the parachute. While shaking the parachute the students can sing this call and  response song to the tune of Old John the Rabbit: O sneaky serpent, oh yes, Has a mighty habit, oh yes, of coming to Eden garden, oh yes, and tempting down the apples, Oh yes, and causing lots of troubles, Oh yes and if I live, to see next fall, there ain’t gonna be no garden at all.

God Made the Stars– Ball up 10 pieces of paper and have the choristers flutter the parachute while trying to keep the stars in the parachute. Here is a rhyme they can chant:  God made the stars and God made me, whether I am here or there, He is close to me.    I’ve Got Peace like a River– Students can shake the parachute on each repetition of “River” in the song.

Current Repertoire Run– Have students take turns dancing in place in the middle of the parachute while the group shakes the parachute up and down trying to knock them down.  The duration of the child’s turn in the parachute can be judged by the choristers singing the chorus of a recent anthem. Change the song for each turn or use the game to assist learning or memorizing a particular section by repeating the same section.

 

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Church Choir rehearsal with a parachute or stretchy band for engaging, learning, and fun.
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Activities for Stretchy Band or Parachute

Hymn Singing– Lift and lower the band or parachute as a group, showing a visual of the hymn’s melody line ascending and descending.

Solfege– Lift and lower the band or parachute up and down according to the pitch of the solfege syllables being sung.

Steady Beat– Bounce the band or parachute to the steady beat of a song, recording or rhyme.

Pitch Matching– The choir director sings and moves stretchy band or parachute and choir members echo and mimic.

How to Create a Parachute

Here are some guidelines for the size of parachute you will require: 12 adults/children will need at least a 12 foot parachute, for a group of 24 students a minimum of a 24 foot parachute or for 24 adults a 30 foot parachute would be best.

For Makers on a Smaller Budget- On her blog “And Next Comes L”, Dyan Robson has a tutorial on how to make a small parachute using dollar store shower curtains that could cost as little as $5 and two hours of time.

For Maker with No Budget- Have someone donate a king sized sheet and sewing skills to alter it to a round shape.

I hope you have found some terrific ways to create magical, musically meaningful moments in your church choirs with parachutes and stretchy bands in this post! For my next blog post, I am looking forward to offering you some activities that will utilize scarves and ribbons to increase your groups’ understanding of their anthems.

Leah Murthy

Leah Murthy is a music educator, performer and military spouse. She is currently a Doctoral candidate in Music Education at Boston University, holds a Master’s in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory, has 15 years experience teaching music and recent contributions to professional journals such as The American Organist and The Chorister. When she is not teaching music in Maryland, or playing with her two little girls, she is in Washington D.C. conducting for The National Children’s Chorus.

The post Magical Moments with Music Props in Church Choir Rehearsal Part 2 appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

Now that we are in the New Year, it is time to begin afresh, and make some magical moments with those wonderful props you have from Bear Paw Creek. But, have you noticed there aren’t a lot of resources out there for church choral directors to draw upon when searching for music and movement activities?

I did notice the lack of resources, and certainly very few mentions of activities for more mature adults as well. So I set out to create some new activities and share some resources with you Bear Paw Creek fans and church choir directors to maximize the props you have.

If you do not yet have the budget to purchase the high quality props the BPC has to offer, then I will give you some alternative ideas for until your funding comes through. In addition, if you are like Janet and I and enjoy being makers, I am providing ideas, instructions and resources for you to make away!

Leah Murthy

Leah Murthy is a music educator, performer and military spouse. She is currently a Doctoral candidate in Music Education at Boston University, holds a Master’s in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory, has 15 years experience teaching music and recent contributions to professional journals such as The American Organist and The Chorister. When she is not teaching music in Maryland, or playing with her two little girls, she is in Washington D.C. conducting for The National Children’s Chorus.

The post Magical Moments With Music Props in Church Choir Rehearsal appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.