MUED 380

Music Night
Lexi Johnson and Erin Dixon

Summary/Overview
Essentially, this experience is a drum circle that will expand student’s knowledge of
certain rhythms by encouraging spontaneous creation of music in general. Depending
on the size of the group, there should be enough drums for about every other student.
Students that do not have a drum in the circle will have the opportunity to choose
another instrument that is available to them (these would be sitting in the middle of the
circle). The experience will first begin with encouraging everyone to “jump in, grab an
instrument, and start playing.” From here, facilitators will demonstrate a few rhythms
that will serve as the base of the drum circle. Then, students will have the opportunity
to layer over these rhythms by creating their own. Depending on the amount of time
available, each student will have the opportunity to “go” at least once. Students will also
have the opportunity to rotate the circle so that everyone has the chance to try multiple
instruments by the end of the experience.
Rationale:
Through this activity, students will participate in an interactive drum circle. They have
the opportunity to play a different song with their peers based on rhythms that the
facilitators create. In addition, in the end, they will have the opportunity to create their
own rhythms over a predetermined rhythm that their peers are playing. After this
experience, students will be able to play and match different rhythms that we provide.
Students will be able to keep a steady beat and play rhythms that are different from
what their peers are playing. Lastly, students will have the opportunity to solo, or play in
pairs, on their instrument to demonstrate to everyone what they’ve learned.
Standards:
-Anchor standard #5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
-Anchor standard #9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
I Can Statements:
-I can create my own rhythm and demonstrate it on a drum by using rhythms that were
created throughout the experience.
-I can create my own “beat” by using a combination of instruments that are available to
me.
-I can discuss what makes my rhythm different from someone else’s based on rhythm
durations and intent behind drumming.
Materials and Visual Aids​:
-10 Djembes
MUED 380
Music Night
Lexi Johnson and Erin Dixon

-5 talking drums OR other drum that is available

-Boomwhackers
-Other instruments available for taking in B71 (wooden frog, tambourine, maracas, etc.)

Detailed process​:
Begin my making music​ (5 min)
-”Hello everyone, grab a seat in the circle! If your seat doesn’t have a drum in front of it,
please grab one instrument from the middle of the circle.”
-Facilitators will start playing. Observe here: if student’s take a bit too long to start
playing, encourage them by motioning with eye contact or simply saying, “start playing
whenever you’re ready.”
-Stop after about three minutes of jamming
Facilitators will demonstrate and teach the following rhythms​ (5 min)
1​. Ta - ta - ta - ta ti ​2​. Ta ki da - ta - ta ki da - ta ti ​3​. Ta ti - ta ka di mi - ta - ta di mi
-“Listen to this rhythm” Demonstrate the rhythm 4 times then say, “Repeat after me”,
perform the rhythm again and listen to how students copy. “This is rhythm one”.
(repeat the process for rhythm two and rhythm three as well)
-After each rhythm has been taught quickly review by saying “play rhythm two, rhythm
one, etc”. Review if necessary. (Improv time can be taken away later if this takes up
longer than 5 minutes)
Improvisation layered over taught rhythms, part I ​(10 min)
-”Before we get started let's go ahead and rotate our circle clockwise”
-Explain the next part of the experience. “We’re going to play rhythm one for four beats
like so: demonstrate. Then, once we stop (insert student’s name) will have the
opportunity to create their own rhythmic pattern like so: demonstrate. I’ll start, then
we’ll move clockwise” start playing and begin...observe if students are confused and
review instructions again if necessary.
-As the experience is happening, call out change in rhythms “switch to rhythm two”
pause a bit after each change to ensure students are confident in the new rhythm.
-Stop by saying “and 5, 6, 7, and stop”
Improvisation layered over taught rhythms, part II (
MUED 380
Music Night
Lexi Johnson and Erin Dixon

Assessment:
● As students are playing, the facilitators can look around and see what students
are having trouble with the different rhythms we are all playing.
● Have students play the beats by themselves or in pairs.
● Have students create their own rhythms and play them to assess their
understanding of rhythm.

Extensions:
● You can layer different rhythms on top of each other, so different students are
playing different things at the same time
● You can have everyone in the circle keep a beat, or play one of the rhythms, and
then call out different people to improvise
● You can add a Melody on top of the rhythms that students have already learned
Adaptations:
○ Size: ​You can alter the length of the rhythms taught, You can have
students just give the beat instead of rhythms.
○ Color: ​You can assign each different rhythm a color and have them play
out the rhythms as you call out the different colors
○ Pacing: ​You can adjust the pacing of the lesson based on how students
are responding (You can make rhythms more complex, or easier based on
the student)
○ Modality:
■ Aural: ​Students can sing rhythms as they play it.
● Use call and response to teach rhythms
■ Visual: ​We can write out the rhythms for students who are having
trouble hearing it.
■ Kinesthetic: ​Have students walk around and keep the beat.