Caribbean music: calypso and found percussion  (Page 5/6)

Materials and preparation

• Review the rhythms below. If you are not a musician, listen to the recordings and make sure you can demonstrate the rhythms accurately.
• Decide how many, and which ones, you will teach to the class. Plan to teach younger, musically inexperienced students only a single rhythm. Plan to teach older, musically experienced students a variety of rhythms.
• Decide what will be used to play the rhythms. Some possibilities: They may use instruments they have made, assembled, (see above ), or been given, or body percussion (see Percussion Fast and Cheap ). Arrange for the desired instruments to be available during the class period, and plan for a noisy activity.
• Decide what the final performance experience will be. Some possibilities: They may play the rhythms alone, to accompany a recording, or to accompany a song that they sing (see below ), either in class, or as part of a formal performance.

Procedure

1. If they are going to make their own percussion instruments , do that activity first.
2. Demonstrate one of the rhythms. Have the students echo the rhythm, either individually or as a group. (To help groups start together, count crisply and steadily, "One, two three, go...")
3. If the students learn the rhythm easily, introduce a new one.
4. If the students learn more than one rhythm easily and accurately, divide them into groups, assigning one rhythm to each group, and see if the class can play different rhythms simultaneously.
5. After an appropriate amount of practice time, have the class use the rhythms) to accompany a recording, or to accompany a song that they have learned. Younger or musically inexperienced students may need to be divided into "singers" and "rhythm section". If so, give each student a chance to do both.

Calypso rhythms

If you can't read music, you may find these audio clips useful. a metronome in the background keeps the basic beat to help you get oriented:

• Rhythm 1 being played by shaking a plastic container (of the sort that margarine or sour cream are sold in) filled half-way with dry beans
• Rhythm 2 being played by hitting the bottom of an empty box of oats (the cylinder-shaped cardboard type of box)
• Rhythm 3 being played by beating an empty cardboard tube (this one had had wrapping paper on it) against the heel of a hand.
• Rhythm 4 being played by shaking a can of nuts.
• Rhythm 5 being played by beating with a pen on the lids of three different sizes of empty plastic containers.
• Rhythm 6 being played by tapping on the lid of a plastic container with dry beans in it, for a sort of snare effect.

Songs with calypso rhythms

Goals and standards

• Goals - Students will sing a song using calypso-style rhythms.
• Objectives - Students will learn either a traditional Caribbean tune or a tune that has calypso-style rhythms, and will sing it as a group.
• Grade Level - K-12 (adaptable)
• Student Prerequisites - none
• Teacher Expertise - The teacher or an assistant should be able both to lead the singing and to provide or lead the accompaniment. Note that a rhythm-only accompaniment, or rhythm and guitar, would be very appropriate. If you feel you cannot lead singing-with-percussion, you may simply have the students sing (and play) along with a recording.
• Time Requirements - Because of rhythmic complexity, it may take students longer to learn these tunes than standard children's songs.
• Evaluation - Evaluate students on participation as well as accurate pitch and rhythm.
• Music Standards Addressed - National Standards for Music Education standards 1 (singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music), and 9 (understanding music in relation to history and culture).
• Other Subjects Addressed - The activity also addresses National Council for the Social Studies standard 1 (culture).