TEACHING SONGS BY ROTE. There is ‘An open letter to music teachers and clinicians Wiser santas eco approach to teaching a song by rote. We perform the entirety for our class one time to set the contex, then immediately break it up and stat echo singing frst one phrase at atime, then two, etc, unt, ater making corrections along the way, a fast, the st ents are echo singing the enti song, Anybody ready for 3 cup of coffee? Sorry, | fell asleep in the third Fepottion of the thd phrase which they Couldnt quite get the first dey. Just thinking about this process wears me out. The echo approach is use- ful once in 8 while — mare complex songs may benefit by echo singing — but too often is unnecessarily tedious. For singing games, dances ‘and many other songs, the echo approach is not nearly 25 effective or as musical as John Feierabend's whole song assimilation approach. Before you aecuse me of listening to too many conga drums (thats not true, ast is impossible to is ten to too many conga drums}, please read on, Director ofthe Music Education Divison at The Hertt School, University of Hartford, John Feierabend is also Director af the Hartt Koddly Certification Program, and has published many books of music for young people. He advocates that students per Uicipatein some movement activity while actively is ‘ening to 9 song for a few classes before they sing Ate they have heard the song a sufficient number of times, misimum of six to eight, they sing it wthout wach help. Consider that you start using this approach tomorrow. The typeof active listening you ask of your students is determined by the nature and challenge of each song. While you sing and the students listen, they can do body motions, movements or dance steps. For singing games, they cen play the game. Another tact isto ask specific questions before you sing — directed listen. ing! Through this process, they are assimilating the whole song and are musically valved each step of the way. Thoy hear the rhythm, the melody, the tricks ‘or nuances you demonstrate, and the special char teristics within the context ofthe entirety. They I how the sang fits together After students have heard the song a sufiient number oftimes aver afew classes, you challenge them to sing itfor you without your help. In their final stening, ike tohave them “ip synch ike they don T\." They per form without your help from thattime on. The song now bbolongs to them. Feierabend's golden rule is "Sing tor the class, not withthe class ' have been using this approach forthe six years since | saw Feiarabond in a session at the Seattle ASA Conference. Right after! began using it | was struck by my students’ vocal improvement, their increased willingness to take charge ofthe singing andthe musi cality of the process, The impact of this approach is to make 1 ‘more musical and develop vocal independencein your students. Just imagine the interactions you will have with your students once you start using this approach in your classes tomorraw! Your students will star to say, “Can we sing now?" They will lok forward to when they can take aver. They willbe proud of them solves and their independence. Gane will be the days when you have ta urge them to echo you ane more time. By the way, tomorrow happens tobe the best day to start | hope you love as much a | do! slim Soloman is @ National Board Certified Teacher author and national clinician. Among is six books are DRUM, Conga Town, ard Tropical Recorder (co author, Letters published in Reverberations ara intended to provide information only and do nat imply pramation or endorsement by AQSA, + HE WBverberations urs weary 20