A visit to Mr. James’ Music Room at Biidaaban demonstrates some cool concepts for teaching students about music, reading sheet music/notes, developing an interest in a variety of instruments, and exploring their own personal musical inclinations.
The room is organized in a circular layout. Each instrument has its own station, lettered from A to Z, and students cycle from one instrument to another every ten minutes or so. This allows them a chance to explore the instrument, how it sounds, feels, works, and whether they like it or not. As this rotation takes place, the class learns a song together and each student has their part to play with the various instruments. Everyone contributes to the overall choreography of the music. This helps demonstrate to students, in a non-instructional, purely creative and self-discovery way, how each and every one of us works together to create a harmonious outcome. It is both pleasant and rewarding for all students.
The incredible variety of instruments includes harmonicas, recorders, accordions, violins, guitars, a retro organ, synthesizers, bells, triangles, and even an e-Drum instrument! This is a tool that has the same components as a full-size set of drums and cymbals but only requires the space of one desk to set up! The e-Drum is connected to Wi-Fi and the drummer learns on it the same way they would learn on a full-size set of drums -- same sounds and actions necessary to play – but in more compact and cost-effective setup.
Mr. James also offers opportunities for the children to create artwork that is used to decorate the Music Room. It is a welcoming greeting to any student who walks through its door with an interest in making and exploring music - any time of the day, whether during class time or during recess breaks - students are always invited in to let their inner selves shine through music in this space.
