Crooning Kids and Crazy Critters

Sorry about the K.

Today was music/drama class #2 with the 6th graders. It went really well. We talked about drinking in air through the bottom of your feet, like a tree, and it also turned into a posture cue "like a tree!" The best part is we experimented with singing using talking voices and singing voices. When they used their singing voices, they sounded so good! I kept applauding every time I had them sing something.

They were also very excited to sing things in small groups. I'm trying to teach them this 3-part warm-up, but actually they will only learn 2 parts. It's not working at all. They know each part separately, but when I have two groups sing different parts, they all compromise and end up singing the same thing. But they all sang the different parts individually in groups of 4 or 5. I was so proud.

Tomorrow is my first time with the high-schoolers. We'll see. I don't remember which class I get to start with. Either 10th or 11th. We'll see. The 6th grade class is easy because no one has hit their voice change yet. I have no clue what to expect from the high school. Ah well, just another adventure.

On another note, yesterday there were two animals apprehended on the school premises. One cute little cattle bird who was missing some of his flight feathers. The kids were attacking him during recess, but Keith (an American teacher from MLC who's been here for 5 years but used to work in a zoo and loves animals) rescued it. He also rescued the second visitor, a rosy tarantula the boys found in their bathroom. Keith claims it's the biggest he's ever seen, but Amy says it's not as big as the ones she saw in the rainforest in Ecuador. Right now it's living in an aquarium in the science lab. The bird is living in the spare room in Keith's apartment.