Here’s how you can make use of all those tuned percussion instruments that are lying around in your classroom

A piece of music that works every time is GOLD for a classroom music teacher, and you can download it today for just $9.95

Dear Music teaching friend,

If your school is anything like many that I have taught in, you’ve got heaps of miscellaneous percussion instruments – there is a couple of orff style xylophones, a few glockenspiels, and a box full of half broken untuned percussion instruments.

The thing is that I understand how you feel – When you’ve been teaching for a while it is hard to get the motivation to get those instruments out with the classes. Half the time you spend trying to get the instruments sorted, and then you have to worry about managing the behavior of the children, particularly when they have sticks and instruments that make sound in their hands.

I did this for years as a teacher, and as a percussion specialist I was often called in to help with the practical classes for the younger students.

Here are a few basic things that I found that made your life a LOT easier and simpler:

• Make sure you know the number of instruments you have well in advance, and that if there are any that you know need repair, then get them out of the classroom and put them away.

• Never let children “choose” their instrument, except in exceptional circumstances. I would always assign children to their instrument, and I would rotate regularly, so that the most popular instruments were shared around.

• ALWAYS have the music prepared well in advance. Know your outcome from the lesson, and know the piece very well yourself, so that you can instantly help every child with every part.

• Use and re-use the same music over and over again. The more effective YOU are at implementing it, the easier and better response the children will have every time. Don’t stop using a piece just because YOU are bored with it – if you find that a particular piece works for a year level, then always do it. You’ll get better and better and the students will have a positive experience. If you know the material, then you can worry about keeping their attention and keeping a positive outcome in the room. If you are worrying about learning the music yourself then you can quickly lose control of the class.

Here is the thing – the music you choose is critically important!

Here are the three factors that are top of my mind when choosing something for a music class using percussion instruments:

1) Is the tune instantly playable, singable and enjoyable?

A piece of music for a music classroom situation has to be able to be implemented in one session, and the class has to be able to make at least some of it sound good straight away. If you can’t get it to sound good immediately, then the class will be quickly turned off and you will be dealing with misbehaving children before you know it! It also has to have elements which will take a few weeks to get together – if they can completely master it in one session they’ll soon get bored.

2) Is there facility in the music for a wide range of abilities?

All children are different. This is never been more so in music classes – as no doubt you have some children who learn musical instruments, and some who don’t. In the past a typical class for me might consist of:

• Two naughty children who need constant attention or they’ll disrupt everything
• Three brilliant children who can play anything you give them
• Seven guitarists who can’t read a note of music
• One grade eight pianist who has learned since she was three
• Ten drummers, only one of whom can actually play
• And the rest somewhere in between!

I’m sure you can relate to this! What is almost certain is that many of them can’t read music, and in your time with them it is your job to at least go some of the way to teaching them and giving them a positive experience with music.

3) Is the music in C MAJOR?

The last factor I always look at for a classroom music piece is the Key. If you are going to use “orff style” xylophones, very likely you have the type that just have the white notes, and sometimes those “interchangeable” F sharps and B flats.

In my opinion these are a complete waste of time. If you want to play anything in F or G Major you’ll spend half the lesson trying to get the instruments with the right notes on, and then you’ll end up with half of them with the wrong notes on next time you play them.

In my classes I took all the F sharps and B flats off the instruments, put them in a box and locked them in a cupboard. I then transposed anything I wanted to learn into C major and went from there.

If the children were advanced enough to be doing multiple keys, then they were advanced enough to be in a band where they should be using proper concert instruments anyway.

That’s just my opinion, because I’ve spent far too long messing around with them, and I’ve found that it is much better to just play everything in C and be done with it!

There was one piece that I used over and over again with classroom music groups. I’ve used it with grade 3-4 students (7-8 years old) right up to junior high school.

Its simple, and it works!

It’s an arrangement of the traditional song

“The lion sleeps tonight”

You might say to yourself…. that’s an easy song – I can write an arrangement of it.

True – you can.

BUT, I can save you the hassle, and you’ll also get something far more valuable as well….. instant experience!

The thing that matters is experience – the experience to know how quickly to go through a piece, what the steps are for each child in learning it, and how to teach each little section.

On this page I’m offering you a SHORT CUT to this experience. It won’t teach it for you, but it will certainly help.

Along with the 21 pages score and parts you’ll also get my 8 page teaching guide, which will guide you step by step through how to implement this with a music class. This will make you feel like you’ve been using the piece for years and make you comfortable with it straight away.

n this music you’ll find tuned percussion parts for each ability level as well as a couple of untuned percussion parts as well (drums, bongos and maracas – but they are adaptable to what you have available – don’t worry the teachers guide shows you how!)

I know that this will be one of your saviors in the classroom – its something you’ll come back to time and time again.

It’s often the most useful things in life are the cheapest, and that’s why I’m offering this to you at the ridiculously affordable price of just $9.95

There are no tricks, no extra or recurring charges – NOTHING!

For around the cost of your lunch you can download it straight away, and be using it in your classroom tomorrow.

This is a piece of music which works every time – I guarantee it. If you don’t find it works, just give me an email and I’ll refund your money.

I’ve never had to refund any money on this or any of my music, simply because I know it works, or I wouldn’t sell it!

Now you have two choices – you can take the idea, which is to use the traditional song “the lion sleeps tonight” and you can spend ten hours writing your own arrangement, and then spend three years getting it refined and correct, working out the best ways to teach it. You can do this of course completely FREE! (unless you value your time, and by my calculation even at minimum wage this arrangement would cost you hundreds of dollars in your valuable time)

OR you can invest the small amount of $9.95 and download the sheet music and my teaching guide right now. Spend fifteen minutes printing it out, have a read, and then settle in for a good nights sleep before your class tomorrow.

I know which I would choose, as I value my time a bit more these days!

The music is in pdf format, so you just need the free Adobe Acrobat reader to view it (most computers already have this installed these days). This format will print consistently, and you just save the file on your computer and you can print out as many copies as you need.

This is an amazing deal – the price should be at least $29.95, and considering how many times I know you will use it in the piece will be priceless!

So go ahead and order right now with my company’s secure online ordering system. Its easy and your details are completely 100% secure all the way. We use the most trusted e-commerce provider on the internet, so you can be assured that your credit card details are completely safe.

You get instant access to the music, and you’ll be able to print it out straight away.

NOT ONLY THAT

I’m so sure that you’ll be able to use this, that I offer free personal support via email. If you are having issues with any of my music, and you need an extra idea on how to implement it, then just send me an email and I’ll send you some personal ideas back.

So go ahead, save yourself those hours and get to bed early!

Have an inspired teaching day,

Kevin Tuck
Composer & C.E.O
The Fun Music Company Pty Ltd

P.S. Click here to secure your copy while it is at this ridiculously cheap price – it may be going up to $19.95 before too long!