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Stop-walk

1

Category

vocal
rhythmic
instrumental

Age

10+

Number of participants

5+

Duration

approx. 10 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1  2  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • optional: any type of instrument
Competences
  • attention
  • concentration
  • creativity
  • cooperation
  • quick reaction
  • team cohesion

Stop-walk

A general warm-up exercise that can also use musical sounds
as a command in a more creative form.

AIM

A general movement exercise in which musical commands can be used to direct group members. This is a useful team-building game, icebreaker, in which the participants can get to know music in a new aspect.

Description

The participants are placed randomly in the space.
At the leader’s command, the participants perform certain activities:
„WALK” – to go
„STOP” – to stop

Then you have to do the opposite:
„WALK” – to stop
„STOP” – to go

You can even go back to the original version so that they understand it literally, and you can change it several times.

You can expand the command words:
„JUMP” – to jump
„SQUAT” – to squat
and so on

With these expanded activities, you can also play the opposite, you just have to discuss exactly what each one means.

 

Level up!

Match each command word to general sound effects or music.
These can be imitations of animal sounds, car sounds, ringtones, different rhythms clapped, and of course they can also be musical – e.g. if there are instruments or vocals, the high-low sounds can be given meaning.

Unwrap It

5

Category

vocal

Age

10+

Number of participants

8+

Duration

approx. 10 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1  2  3  4  5  6

 

Competences
  • attention
  • cooperation
  • creativity
  • open minded
  • team cohesion

Unwrap It

Team-building game with cooperative and funny elements.

AIM

The purpose of the game is to play in a fun atmosphere, to strengthen team cohesion, and to develop creativity through the use of sounds.

Description

  1. Everyone close their eyes and make a sound that can be heard, e.g. singing voice, animal imitating voice, sound effect.
  2. Everyone chooses which one they like best. With your eyes closed, find the person who makes the sound you like best and touch that person’s shoulder. It is also possible that one of them has already grabbed someone’s shoulder, but the other is still looking for the real one, so they continue together until then.
  3. It is important to have a leader who sees when everyone has found the target person.
  4. At the end, random blocks are assembled. Open your eyes.
  5. Then take the hands of the two people standing next to you. This creates a tangled line.
  6. Try to make a circle out of it. The circle must be unrolled, even hiding under each other’s arms, but if possible, do not let go of the other.

Little Bird

9

Category

vocal

Age

10+

Number of participants

12-15

Duration

approx. 20 min.

Working method
  • individual
  • group work
Musical abilities of the trainers

1  3 4 5 6

Equipment and instruments
  • roll of paper or pieces of papers (A4)
  • pens
  • envelops
  • music player /app to play the song
Competences
  • cultural/intercultural sensitivity
  • creative writing
  • perception
  • attention
  • text interpretation

Little Bird

Listening and learning a Hungarian song and reading and discussing
the text and practice creative writing inspired by the music.

AIM

The participants get acquainted with a sad Hungarian folk song to widen their horizon in international music. To encourage creativity by writing lyrics for the songs without knowing the original lyrics and with writing a letter they can practise expressing themselves.

Description

Best time to start this session after a tiring task as a relaxing game.
There are a two possible games to play while listening to this song:

1. Before translating the lyrics: participants sit in a circle on the floor, relatively far apart, everyone gets a pen; they write one by one on a cylindrical long roll of paper (and not looking at the text written before) everybody writes in a few words what exactly you think of the song (lyrics, situation, melody); the text should be as short as a twitter message; when you finish writing, pass the roll paper to the next one. They listen to the song until everyone has written something then they read all the text to which they can comment and discuss.

2. After facilitator shares the translation of the lyrics: participants sit in a circle on the ground, relatively far apart; everyone gets a piece of paper and an envelope and writes a short letter based on the mood of the melody (text, story) or they can write a short letter to a person of their choice, to a beloved but distant one (may be a friend, parent, relative or even an unknown) and when they are ready they put their letter to an envelope. They listen to the song so many times while everyone writes their letter. They can hum the melody while writing the letter. The facilitator collects the envelopes, shuffles and distributes them, and then everyone reads the letter they received. All letters can be applaused to encourage the writer.

Lyrics

Madárka, madárka,
Csácsogó madárka,
Vidd el a levelem,
Vidd el a levelem,
Szép magyar hazámba.

Ha kérdi, ki küldte,
Mondjad, hogy az küldte,
Kinek bánatába,
Szíve fájdalmába
Meghasad a szíve.

Translation:
Little bird, little bird,
Chirping liitle bird,
Take my letter, take my letter,
to my beautiful Hungarian homeland.

If he asks who sent it,
Tell him to one sent it,
Whose heart is just ripping because of sedness
and heartache.

comments for facilitators

Listening to and singing (humming) the melody requires a calm, quiet environment without more vigorous movements. It is important that all letters receive praise, applaud each other’s work.

Be Zulu

14

Category

vocal

Age

12+

Number of participants

6-40

Duration

approx. 20 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

12  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • music player / app to play the song
Competences
  • cultural / intercultural sensitivity
  • empathy
  • attention
  • creativity
  • movement coordination
  • cooperation
  • concentration
  • sense of rhythm

Be Zulu

Getting to know the music and dances of a distant culture.

AIM

Initiate movement improvisation through an easy-to-learn Zulu folk song based on the movements of the singers in the video.

Description

With the help of the facilitator or the videos, the participants learn the Zulu tune „Siyahamba”. (With the help of the recordings and sheet music, it can be learned in several parts, but it is also absolutely perfect in unison.)

They watch the videos again and observe the movements the Africans make while singing the song.

They try them out together or in smaller groups.

The participants create their own choreography from the movement elements they like best, which they perform while singing the song or playing the recording.

LYRICS

Siyahamba, ekukanyen’ kwenkos’,
Siyahamba, ekukanyen’ kwenkos’,
Siyahamba, siyahamba, oh,
Siyahamba ekukanyen’ kwenkos’.

We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching, we are marching, ooh,
We are marching in the light of God.

Cooperative Vers(us)e

17

Category

vocal

Age

8+

Number of participants

8-20

Duration

approx. 30 min.

Working method
  • group work
Musical abilities of the trainers

1  3 4 5 6


Competences
  • collaboration
  • creativity
  • attention
  • concentration
  • rhythm recognition
  • sense of rhythm

Cooperative Vers(us)e

Creating lyrics together as a team and singing in canon.

AIM

Helps group dynamics, improves creativity and vocality.

Description

Everybody stands in the circle. The facilitator explains the task.
The participants have to figure out short lyrics.
Possible variations depending on the abilities and motivation of the groups:
– use well known songs – change the lyrics
– use only the lyrics without music, only rhythm like rap
– create your own music as well along with the lyrics

The facilitator divides the group of ~4 small groups.
The lyrics they created has to be singed as follows:
First group starts singing the first verse.
When first group finishes the first line, the second group starts singing the song from the beginning.
When second group finishes the first line, the third group starts singing the song from the beginning.
And so on…

For example:

1st group – La La LA La La     – Le Le LE Le Le       – Lu Lu LU Lu Lu

2nd group                                – La La LA La La      – Le Le LE Le Le

3rd group                                                                  – La La LA La La