Quick win – warm up

I love to start music lessons across the school with an active, fun warm-up to switch off from their previous lesson and switch on to something musical.  I am fortunate in being able to use our hall space for a lot of my teaching, which means these can take various guises such as an action or game song, or a partner routine using a recorded track.  I thought I would share a firm favourite which I teach in Year 3 initially, but it is also an often-requested Choir warmup – even enjoyed by Y6.  I call it the “Totoro Partner Game” because it uses The Village in May from My Neighbour Totoro (Joe Hisaishi) – I use the version found here: https://youtu.be/cjqPt5BWOLQ?si=aUfSgV7gvkK1xQhF 

In principle, this kind of game can be done with any track, but I particularly like this one for its easily-discernible 8-beat phrases and the utter joy it brings (hope that’s not just me, but the children rather take to it too!).  The version shared also includes a middle jazzy section where the pulse and phrasing are slightly less well-defined for more of a challenge.  From a musical learning perspective, it’s great for internalising the pulse, prepping for 8-beat improvisations on instrument or body percussion, talking about phrasing … (Thanks to Chris Andrews of the BKA for introducing me to this piece and sharing an equally entertaining chairs game for much smaller groups).

• Start by sitting and listening to the music whilst clapping 8 beats then “resting” 8 beats

• Teach the partner routine (the first video shows the routine I use first, but further down the line the children will compose their own clapping routines)

• Practise with a partner, performing the routine for 8 beats and “resting” for 8 beats

• Once most are secure with the routine, introduce switching partners during the “resting” 8 count (2nd video illustrates)

The first time the children do this (2nd video is my Y3s learning this for the first time) they are always rather excitable during the switching phrases, but once this becomes more fluent, it’s “game on”: set stricter rules for the switching phrases (eg silence, walking only between partners) and you’re “out” if you break the rules – last Year’s 3s could get through the whole track without anyone being “out”!