
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Team Rhythm Challenge

Tuesday, July 1, 2025
World Music Performance Pieces: upper elementary
I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my upper elementary grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!
- Akatonbo (students sing the song, first together and then in a round, while playing different triple meter ostinato patterns on various instruments- I use things like finger cymbals, tone blocks, hand drums, and metallophones- along with other color instruments in between sections- I use ocean drums, wind chimes, etc)
- Sakura (students sing the song while some play different ostinato patterns on percussion and barred instruments and some play harmony on recorder- link includes arrangement)
- Tokyo Ondo (students stand in a circle (or two concentric circles if the group is large) and do the Tokyo Ondo dance with this track)
- Arirang (students sing the song, first together and then in a round, while playing different triple meter ostinato patterns on various instruments- I use things like finger cymbals, tone blocks, hand drums, and metallophones- along with other color instruments in between sections- I use ocean drums, wind chimes, etc)
- Buchaechum (students each hold 2 fans and do some basic moves with the linked recording)
- Janggu (students play the introduction and basic janggu drum rhythm pattern with the linked recording, using a mallet and rhythm stick on boxes)
- Timbila (students gradually layer in repeated lines similar to the linked recording on bass, alto, and soprano xylophones)
- Bombela (students sit in a circle and pass beanbags on the beat while singing, each verse the passing pattern gets gradually more difficult)
- Batucada (students stand in rows by instrument and step in place on the beat while playing some characteristic ostinato patterns on guiro, tamborine, tube shaker, tubano drums with the carrying strap, and agogo bells)
- Escatumbararibe (students sit in a circle and do the cup passing game demonstrated in the linked video while singing the song)
- Tambores (students stand in rows facing a partner and sing while doing the clapping game demonstrated in the linked recording, with 3 different versions gradually increasing in difficulty)
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
World Music Performance Pieces: elementary middle grades
I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my middle elementary grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!
- E Papa Waiari (students sit in rows facing a partner and do a different tititorea stick pattern with each verse, stopping to sing the last repeated line with the recording before changing patterns)
- Hine E Hine (students stand spread out, each holding one poi rope, and do some basic repeated moves with the poi with the recording, singing along with the repeated A section)
- Tutira Mai (students stand in rows and sing while doing the motions as shown in the linked video)
- Kochu Poocha (students stand and sing while doing the motions as shown in the linked video. I've also had them sing while doing a clapping pattern facing a partner)
- Chakkardi Bhammardi (students stand in a circle each holding 2 sticks and do the stick game as shown in the video)
- Tinikling (students stand in rows between jump bands and do the basic tinikling step with the music as shown in the video, with one student holds the bands on each end of each pair of bands, sitting on the floor as shown with the poles)
- Bahay Kubo (half of the students sing the chorus while the other half plays a harmony line on recorder, then they swap parts)
- Magtanim Ay Di Biro (students sing the song while doing motions to show the lyrics, similar to the linked video, in the A section, then face a partner and do a simple clapping pattern with the beat for the B section)
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
World Music Performance Pieces: early childhood
- Water Song (students play the steady beat on rhythm sticks and turn each of the 4 directions to sing it 4 times)
- Navajo Happy Song (students sit in rows with their feet under them and their knees touching to do the different patting patterns mentioned in the link while singing)
- Iroquois Ho Ho Watanay (students pretend to rock a baby on the beat while singing)
- Sioux Epanay (students do a basic intertribal step in a circle while a few students play the steady beat on a gathering drum in the middle of the circle)
- Mi Gallito (students face a partner and do a simple 3-beat clapping pattern while they sing- I have them clap their own hands, touch the backs of one hand with their partners', then palms of the same hands, then repeat with the other side)
- La Mariposa (students do a circle dance with a recording while each holding a scarf and singing along on the chorus- the link has a full explanation of the moves that they do with each part of the song as well as links to recordings)
- Carnavalito (students do the dance in rows with a recording)
- Boquita Colorada (I have done this 2 ways- 1) students do the line dance with the recording and sing with the "lai lai" section, or 2) students play simple ostinati on percussion instruments like shakers, rhythm sticks, guiros, and drums)
- Vallenato (students play simple ostinati on percussion instruments like drums, guiros, and ridged rhythm sticks with the linked recording)
- Juguemos en el Bosque (students sing and play the circle game)
- Tiri Tiri Ya-as Fura (non-verbal students do motions to show the lyrics of the song with the steady beat of the recording)
- Fiane Sheschra (students play different ostinati for each section of the music on hand drums with the recording)