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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.

Musical Hot Potato

2

Category

rhythmic

Age

12+

Number of participants

8-12

Duration

approx. 30 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1  2  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • black/whiteboard, papers, crayons
  • optional: music player / app to play the song
Competences
  • attention
  • collaboration
  • cooperation
  • empathy
  • rhythm recognition

Musical Hot Potato

This activity is generally a warming-up exercise, this funny game
is useful as it gives the participants the opportunity
to get to know each other.

AIM

The main goal of this game, designed for making friends, is to introduce the participants to the joy of listening to music and singing together with the help of sharing personal experiences, as well as to give them some knowledge about playing music, understanding and enjoying it.

Description

This activity usually opens the musical sessions. It requires a blackboard or a whiteboard, or carton sheets on which the instructor writes five questions about the students’ music preferences and about the participants. Usually these questions help the participants to learn about each other.

For example:
What is your favourite song?
Do you play any instrument?
What is your favourite band?
What do you like to do in your free time?
Do you have a favourite film music?

The participants sit in a circle, and pass a ball or an egg shaker in a clockwise direction at a steady beat, while the selected music is being played. When the instructor stops the music, the participant who is holding the object has to answer one of the questions on the white/blackboard.

This activity is useful for getting group members to interact with each other at the beginning of a musical session. It can be a singalong activity or music listening session as well.

Sing and Move

8

Category

vocal
rhythmic

Age

12+

Number of participants

10-20

Duration

approx. 30 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1 2 34  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • music player / app to play the song
  • coloured newspaper pages
Competences
  • movement coordination
  • common singing
  • sense of rhythm
  • attention
  • cooperation
  • team cohesion

Sing and Move

Music game to improve focusing skills
and playful learning about the EU.

AIM

With this game, we can promote the development of the participants’ sense of rhythm and movement coordination, and at the same time develop competencies such as mutual attention and cooperation. Singing together not only stimulates the musical memory, but the learning memory in general.
This exercise also gives participants the opportunity to listen to a symphony orchestra playing classical music (Beethoven: Symphony No. 9) while singing the familiar melody with them. It provides an opportunity to discuss general information about the EU.

Description

  1. Preparation: Collect colored newspaper sheets that can be used to make balls (the size of a tennis ball).
  2. First step is for the participants to grab a sheet of newspaper and create a small ball out of it by squeezing (the tighter folded the better).
  3. After that the participants form a circle and everybody puts the newspaper balls in front of them for now. The participants in the circle hold each other’s hands. The facilitator counts 1-2-1-2 at a steady pace and shows what to do next: everybody has to step left and right in a 2/4 pace.
  4. Next play is to go round the circle and one by one everybody says EU member country, or villages, places etc while keeping tempo and steady beat.
  5. When everyone got comfortable with the steps all participants have to put the ball from their right hands to the left hand of the participant on their right – following the beat as facilitator counts. Group practice this exercise.
  6. When the group is ready to pass the balls, it is possible to combine the delivery of the balls with the steps: pass the ball from the right hand to the left hand of the next member (beat 1), move the ball from the left hand to the right hand (beat 2).
  7. You can take a short break and after that the facilitator starts the counting again 1-2-1-2 at a steady tempo, the participants can start the stepping and the facilitator begins to sing the melody (without text, just la-la!). If somebody in the group knows the tune, they can immediately join in and repeat the Ode to Joy until almost the whole team can follow.
  8. Again, you can take a break while the facilitator can tell this is a famous tune asks if anyone knows who wrote it and what it is famous for? If the group hasn’t heard the melody before, the leader will tell them that it is a large piece of orchestral work that ends with a vocal chant written by a composer named Beethoven, chosen by the Council of Europe as its anthem and used by many occasions and countries in the European Union.
  9. After the break, the practice of stepping and passing the ball may continue, but now with the singing. Here, the leader prepare to turn on the music player: the next time they finish the song, the facilitator turns on the music – version with the band and chorus. It is important that this is a surprise for the group (not heard before) and that the recording should be heard properly. After listening to the symphony excerpt, the group may request a repeat, even several times.

Comments for facilitators

The leader must be very sure of the melody; counting with strong, loud volume; care must be taken to maintain a steady pulse, which can be achieved if the first step (1) is slightly more pronounced. It is advisable to listen to the orchestra recording several times in advance and use the same tempo.
If the group is having difficulty following the exercise, it may be slower to practice, but before the music enters, practice at that tempo.

Echo Game

11

Category

vocal
rhythm

Age

10+

Number of participants

10-20

Duration

approx. 40 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1  2  3  4 5 6

Equipment and instruments
  • music player / app to play the song
  • optional: percussion instruments
Competences
  • learning and memory skill
  • cultural sensitivity
  • collaboration
  • attention
  • concentration
  • rhythm recognition

Echo Game

Playful learning of a Japanese children’s song with a possible interpretation with echoing sounds, movements

AIM

The well-known Japanese children’s song offers the participants simple and easy-to-learn singing. Echo play processing requires attention and concentration and creates a special atmosphere, especially with adding instruments (drum), movements or play with lights.

Description

  1. The facilitator talks about the significance of children’s songs in music and poetry in everyday life and in general. After that they listen to the song in Japanese.
  2. Facilitator shares the translation of the Japanese text.
  3. The group sings the song while listening to the recording, they practise till they know the melody with confidence.
  4. The group can try to sing the melody in canon as signed in score (Version 1, Version 2).In version 1, we divide the team into two groups. Thus, the two groups sing the same melody, only shifted in time. The first group starts singing the melody and when they get to number 2, the second group starts over.

The version 2 is much more difficult, there we divide the team into three groups, and they sing the melody by directly entering one after the other.

Simple echo game:
Facilitator starts the eco game with the group: first participants form 2 groups and they stand opposite to each other, not close to each other. On the facilitator’s signal the first group starts to say “ho” or “ho-ho” or “ho-ho-ho” and the other group echo’s this. This game can be combined with movement, drums or flashing lights (this work better in the evening).

Lyrics

Ho ho hotaru koi
atchi-no mizu-wa nigai-zo
kotchi-no mizu-wa amai-zo
ho ho hotaru koi

Translation – Come Firefly
Fly, fly, firefly, come
The water over there tastes bitter
The water over here tastes sweeter
Fly, fly, firefly, come

Storm

13

Category

rhythm

Age

5+

Number of participants

10-80

Duration

approx. 10 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1  2  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • music player / app to play the song
  • optional: ocarina
Competences
  • collaboration
  • attention
  • concentration
  • rhythm recognition

Storm

A play where the sound of raindrops and strom are created
by the participants only using their hands as instruments.

AIM

An energizing group exercise, it develops creativity and an understanding of how easy it is to create powerful sounds without instruments or vocals. The exercise shows the power of rhythm and how extremely effective a common rhythm is in strengthening team cohesion.

Description

Everybody stands in the circle. The facilitator explains the task.
The facilitator shows the movements and the participants have to follow one by one without stopping.

Creating the storm with movements:

  1. rub your palm – represents how the wind blows
  2. snap your finger – represents how the rain drops
  3. clap with your fingers – represents how rain drops heavier
  4. drum on your thigh – represents the storm
  5. stamp your feet – to create the thunder

This is the high point of the rain and storm, now we play how the storm calms down. To do that in reverse: drum on your thigh, clap with your fingers, snap your finger, rub your palm.
At the end it sounds like a rain „from calm to storm” and „from storm to calm”.
This can be also played with rain calming down a bit and then becoming heavier again etc.
Repeat with changing who leads the rhythm of the storm.
Bird and other forest animal sounds can also be added, e.g. with whistling.