A Review of Brian Hiller and Don Dupont's "Sing a Song of Aesop," Grades 2-4 (by Patricia Sieckman)

This has been our second year of performing Sing a Song of Aesop with the second grade. Performances both years were very successful, and I’m excited to share some of my experiences with you!

The program CD contains graphics/templates that assist in bringing the story to life. A parent who had a large printer at home made all the various masks on poster board (in color) and a few other moms did the cutting and assembling of the elastic. If you have any parents who do scrap booking, I would suggest getting them involved. One mom used “brads” and thin elastic which worked out much better than those that were stapled (they tend to rip). I must say that the kids looked very cute portraying the various animals!

I used the felt “bibs” described in the directions for the children to wear over their solid color t-shirts (they were very simple and inexpensive). Volunteers also painted large fridge boxes for the sets of the stories. In addition, I added in other props for the stories: table cloths, plastic food, a net to put over the lion, baskets, packages of seeds, etc. A grandmother of one student created a costume for the wolf and the four little sheep that surrounded the boy who cried wolf. Parents of the ant and grasshopper bought hats online and donated them to the music program. I was very thankful to have the help and support that I did!

Each class was assigned one of the stories. I was able to spread out the narrator parts over the five second grade classes. There were also the “main” characters of the story. I communicate with the parents of these children early on to discuss their child’s role and costume. I try not to tax the parents too much, and they always rise to the occasion with flying colors!

During music class I would read various versions of the stories with the children to compare and contrast using thinking maps. YouTube is also a great resource, but I would suggest watching the story yourself first to ensure good quality. We engaged in thought-provoking discussions about the moral of the story in class. Second grade does a unit study on fables and the second grade teachers remarked on many occasions that they felt as though the process in music class (songs, discussion and acting out the stories themselves) facilitated deeper comprehension and understanding of difficult concepts.

The songs were fantastic! There are a wide variety of styles, the arrangements are well done, and they were kid friendly in terms of melody. I also appreciated all of the letter templates for parents that can be personalized, the checklist with a timeline, and the ability to put the recordings and the lyrics on my teacher page for students to practice with at home. These types of resources can’t be taken for granted!

This was my first stab at doing one of Dupont and Hiller's musicals. I would highly recommend this program. Teachers can make it as simple or complex as they want, and it's a wonderful way to engage family members in your program. I'm adding each year to our sets, props, and costumes to help ensure that the fun is increased each year! 

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Trish graduated from Arizona State University in the early 1980s with a bachelor of music. She practiced as a board certified music therapist for 12 years in Arizona, California, and Texas. After starting her family,  she stayed home with her two children for 15 years. During that time she performed with various groups, volunteered at church and schools, taught private lessons, and taught Kindermusik part time at UALR in Arkansas. She has been teaching general music in Arizona for the last nine years, and is a member of the Arizona Orff Association. Trish lives with her husband of 30 years. She enjoys spending time with her two grown children, preparing healthy foods, and biking with her husband in the great state of Arizona.

A Review of Brian Hiller and Don Dupont's "What to Teach When" (by Catherine West)

Grades K-1 and 2-3

 












The names of Brian Hiller and Don Dupont have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and are sure to become more so with the publication of this practical, affordable, yet quite comprehensive curriculum. This three-volume set is modest in size and price compared to a comparable resource, Gameplan: An Active Music Curriculum by Randy DeLelles and Jeff Kriske, but will appeal to the same teacher groups.

Each volume contains repertoire and learning activities for teaching grade-specific elements of rhythm, melody, form, texture and timbre for two grades. The curriculum goals are summarized on one page at the beginning of each grade, and every song or game in the book is referenced back to them. These songs and games are arranged in a suggested order, with brief teaching ideas. Many of these activities reinforce the learning with active movement and instruments (non-pitched used more often than Orff). The visuals for these teaching ideas, available in thumbnails on the page with the music, are included on a CD so they can be printed or projected with ease. Each grade is also provided with a sample assessment tool and a sample lesson which shows how to develop a concept more fully.

  

Many of the materials here are traditional and familiar, but often presented with an imaginative twist (see Wee Willie Winkie below). The series offers a high-quality, affordable, carefully sequenced core music program which could save teachers many hours of preparation. I would suggest augmenting with more listening experiences, creative work, movement, Orff instrument activities, drama, global repertoire and literature. A few examples are provided for all of these, encouraging teachers to go further on their own. The amount of global repertoire improves greatly in the collection for grade three. Whether this is used as a “guide on the side” or the backbone of a music curriculum, it will be useful for many music teachers.

Include the following if you like:

Wee Willie Winkie

The following is an active game from the first volume, suggested for kindergarten. Use the traditional melody (found in M. Murray Ed. Music for Children¸Vol 1).

Lyrics	Movements
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town, Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown. Rapping at the window, crying through the lock, “Are the children in their beds, for it’s eight o’clock?”	Move arms to the beat as if walking. Sway side to side. Imitate knocking on a door. Point to wrist as if looking at a watch.

Teach and play the following game: Have the students stand in self-space and tell them that they are in their houses and have to stay in them until Willie visits. Assign one child to be Willie. Explain how as the class sings the song, Willie will walk around the room. On “Rapping at the window,’ he or she will stop in front of a student and perform the movement. Then he or she will trade places with the student who was standing and sit down on the floor in his or her “house” to pantomime sleeping. The new student will assume the role of Willie. Continue in this manner until all students have had a turn to be Willie (and are seated). The last child to be selected should play the role of Town Crier, tip-toeing through the classroom to make sure that all students are “asleep.”

(From Brian Hiller and Don Dupont, What to Teach When: A Thoughtful and Engaging Music Curriculum, Grades K-1)

This review was first published in the journal of Carl Orff Canada (orffcanada.ca) Ostinato Vol. 41, No. 2 (Winter, 2014). Used by permission.

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Toronto Orff Specialist Catherine West was the Editor of Carl Orff Canada’s national journal, Ostinato, for many years. She is the Director of Orff Teacher Training for the Royal Conservatory of Music, where she is also an instructor for all levels of Orff teacher training. She recently completed a term as Instructional Leader in music with the Toronto District School Board, and now works with Smart Start ™, a RCM research program investigating the use of music to enhance cognitive skill development in early childhood. She has an international reputation as an author, workshop clinician, course instructor and arts-in-education consultant.