Journal Week #2 Reflection

This week in class I learned many important concepts. First, I learned what steady beat and rhythm are, and how to tell the differences between them. I also learned how to play a song on the recorder called Hot Cross Buns.

We learned about steady beat and rhythm by the use of our poems that we wrote about ourselves. We wrote a four line poem about ourselves and them clapped or used instruments using a steady beam while singing the poem and then by clapping the poem to its rhythm. Before we learned the song on the recorder we were shown where to place our hands on the recorder and how much pressure to put on the instrument using our mouths. We were then shown how to play the notes A, B, and G and we then imitated those notes and using those three notes, we were taught the melody of Hot Cross Buns (or Three Blind Mice)! We then played the song again and again so we could remember it better.

I think it is very important to learn these concepts. Steady beat and rhythm are used in our everyday lives, and not just in music either. There is a rhythm to everything we do in life, (like walking or talking) whether we think about it or not. Most importantly however, I think learning these concepts help us to better understand music and ways of teaching using music, which is kind of the whole point of the class. To further help us remember these concepts, we were taught to use these concepts by playing musical instruments, whether they be a drum, musical sticks, or a recorder. Using the recorder especially was important to us because it shows that we ourselves can make a steady beat and rhythm in music.

This is important for children to learn at an early age because it allows them to be creative and shows them that learning can be fun if you make it fun. It is also easier for children to learn musical concepts when they are younger as opposed to when they are older... they are more apt to remember it the younger they are. It also helps to develop cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills.

10 children's songs that I am most familiar with include Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, You Are My Sunshine, BINGO, Farmer in the Dell, Itsy Bitsy Spider, I'm a Little Teapot, If You're Happy and You Know It, Rock-a-bye-baby, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Old McDonald.

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