Lead Like the Wind

An on the spot moment I had and implemented while using the Fall Leaves Blow Dryer Box was to have the kids lead the song as if their hand were "blowing" in the wind (in the appropriate time signature pattern, of course).

Pick a Pie

• Prepare pie visual aides that are missing pieces. Secretly, they are the songs you’re singing’s time signatures; 3/4, 4/4, 2/3, 6/8…

• Tape pies on baking sheet.

Wear an apron. Tell the kids that you’ve been baking this week! (show baking sheets with pies taped on). You’ve been baking musical pies!

• Invite a child to pick a pie.

Point out that you already sliced the pie. Show how the pie had four slices. Then explain how you got hungry and ate some of the pie (well, not true for 4 / 4 time - that’s still a whole pie - but this example is 3 / 4 time...). Show how there are 3 slices left. So, this makes it a 3 / 4 (three-fourths) pie. That means that the song we’re going to sing is in 3 / 4 (three four) time!

• Write the time signature on the board. Tape pie next to it. --Or, tape pie by a time sig already written on the board.

• Invite the pie picker’s whole class to help you lead with mixing spoons. Show them how to “stir in the air” the conducting pattern.  (Especially in JR, point out the pie parts every time and go over the leading pattern.) (In SR the rest of the kids sitting down could possibly clap the beat, with the 1st clap being the downbeat.)

• Pick another pie and repeat

see how music can be a pie?
source

Teaching Conducting

Singing Time Fun has "Teaching Conducting in 10 Easy Lessons". Awesome!