I believe that at least 80% of a child's time in elementary music class needs to be them making music in one way or another, singing, playing, composing, or experimenting.
I did most of my talking during the Golden Hour.
That said, the days when I broke that rule were the days when I told a story.
Kids love and remember stories, especially if they're robust tales with equal parts entertainment, life lessons, humor, and a morale.
What stories do you know? I’m talking about stories that have absolutely nothing to do with the discipline of music per se but have everything to do with the challenges of being a kid in today's world. How could stories impact your teaching?
I would often use a story to give the kids a breather when they were literally out of breath from playing so much or so fast, especially when they were running from xylophones to pianos. Chorus rehearsal after sings a lot of measures was another time when I wanted to give them a breather but didn’t want to give them "go" time or have them engage in talking. It was a time where I just wanted to give them a break and re-set their heads.
As my old principal, Jack Jadach used to say, “They’ve been working hard. Time to call off the dogs and give them a break.”
The majority of talking I did in the school year was during the Golden Hour at the beginning of the school year. After that, I tried to guide it so that I did less talking and the kids did more, and that, more than anything, we were engaged in making music.
Tape your class.
It’s the only way you’ll know for sure.
Study the tape.
Add up how many minutes to the kids are actually making music and how many minutes you're talking.
Is it hitting an eighty-twenty split? I hope so.
Tell a good, memorable story every now and then.
And, by the way, if I haven’t mentioned it lately . . .
Thank you for making music in the company of children.
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