Moving and Shaking! Instruments to Excite and Delight!
My students need egg shakers, caxixi rattles, seed rattles, and other shaker instruments to use in rhythm practice and ensembles. We also need ribbon wands to assist with creative movement and dance.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Anyone who loves kids knows that it doesn't take much to get a little body moving and shaking. The rhythm is just part of a kid's soul and they dance at the drop of a hat. But my kiddos don't have the instruments or the supplies that they need to really get the most out of their beat!
I'm fortunate to work with about 700 brilliant, elementary and middle school students on a daily basis.
We go to a large urban school in a fairly low-income neighborhood. Though my students come from a lower SES (socio-economic status) background, they are innovative and creative, not letting boundaries stop them. In all areas of the school day we seek to teach citizenship, community, and moral values and help our students grow into caring people. Music gives my students an outlet to express emotion and ideas and grabs hold of their attention. Their eyes light up when they can take music making into their own hands and create something absolutely new.
My Project
For this project we're asking for a variety of "shaker" instruments and ribbon wands. The egg shakers can be used for nearly any activity and come in fun colors that my students don't often see (they are more accustomed to bright colors instead of these pastels). The seed rattle from Ghana gives us a connection to music in other places of the world and has a bright, distinctive sound. The Caxixi are also from Ghana and create a slightly less bright sound than the seed rattle. Caxixi are great instruments to add into any ensemble from traditional folk songs to pop music. The ribbon wands are perfect for creative movement and expression. We can use the wands for activities that teach expressive movement, song form, partner dances, fast and slow, and so many other concepts.
At our school we don't have many instruments or supplies for music class.
These basic instruments will be utilized for a variety of activities and can be used in all grades, K-8, all year round! They will fill out ensembles, help with rhythm reading, assist in improvisation activities, and aid in creative movement lessons. More than that, they will excite the students and continue to teach them that music is fun and invigorating!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Row and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
