Surviving Tuned Percussion in schools

Surviving Tuned Percussion in schools
Tuned Percussion can be a wonderful teaching tool for
elementary school - but its also a potential minefield for
music teachers

This article is to give you some hints and tricks on how to
maintain and look after the instruments, plus the types of
music to play which have the greatest chances of success.

1)Organization is the key

With tuned percussion instruments in a music class you have
to be totally organized.

Each instrument needs a shelf where it lives permanently -
so that students know where it goes back after it has been
used. You've got to establish these places early in the
routine and have ordering about how the students go about
picking them out and playing them.

2) Go All Diatonic or All Chromatic

One of the big problems is that many orff style tuned
percussion instruments are sold in two bits - the main
"diatonic" part of the instrument, plus they offer a
"chromatic extension" which is simply the black notes on a
separate box resonator.

In my experience these things are far more hassle than they
are worth, particularly for elementary school classes. You
are much better off with just a diatonic instrument that
isn't in "two bits"

Organizing a class so that everyone has to get the main
instrument, and then get the chromatic extension and put it
in front is far too difficult for most elementary classes.

In theory of course the elementary class can use just the
diatonic bit, and the more advanced can use the full
chromatic.. but it rarely works that way!

The only schools where I've seen those chromatic extensions
they are generally put away into a cupboard and never used!

Still, if you have more advanced or older students then you
should get fully chromatic instruments to start with!

3) Play everything in C Major

One of the big "time wasters" is those substitute F sharp
and B flat bars that are included with many of the diatonic
instruments. These have to be a complete waste of time for
teachers. Often you can spend half the class making sure
that all the students have the right notes on their
instruments, and then you'll still hear something funny
going on whenever you hear an "F" because one student has
an F# on their instrument!

The best tip I have for this is to simply take those
substitute bars, put them into a box and lock them away!

The best solution is to simply find music, transpose music
or write music that is only in C MAJOR. This way you'll
never have to worry about changing notes around, and you
can concentrate on music making!

4) Go for Wood - Not Metal - and get them all at once!

I've seen more broken "Metallophones" at schools than any
other instrument. For some reason they always seem to have
gotten lost bars and damaged rubber strips under the bars
which result in a loud "clunk" whenever you try to play
them!

Glockenspiels are very challenging for young children - the
bars are really small... and piercing on the ears as well.

My advice... go for WOOD every time. Simple, diatonic box
resonated xylophones.

You should really take ALL your budget in one year and
dedicate it to this - don't buy one or two at once.. that
won't suffice for an entire class. Get a full class set of
10-20 identical xylohones and they'll last you years and
years.

Get one or two at a time and you'll find that they get
mixed up and no-one knows what bars and bits go with what
instrument!

5) Mallets all identical - all in one place

One simple thing you can do is get a full set of mallets,
and make them all identical!

If you get a box or a large jar and dedicate it to this
purpose then students will know that they have to get and
return the mallets to this location and they'll get used to
this procedure.

If you only have wooden xylophones then you won't have to
worry about different mallets for the glockenspiels and
metallophones.

Of course I'm talking about ideals here - and I know that
its very rare that you get the budget to go out and get a
full class set of new orff tuned percussion instruments for
your elementary school.

Hopefully whatever instruments you have you'll be able to
use some ideas from this article to make tuned percussion
more enjoyable in your classroom

----------------------------------------------------
Kevin Tuck is an ex-music teacher and percussion educator.
Kevin has a great passion for drums and percussion,
particularly how they are utilized within a school setting.
Kevin has loads of free resources for percussion education
at his percussion blog at
http://www.percussioneducationonline.com

Nature Photography: Great Photos On A Cloudy Day

Nature Photography: Great Photos On A Cloudy Day
Great nature photography relies on good natural light above
all else. Even a beginner soon learns that for most
landscape photos, the best results are usually early in the
morning and late in the afternoon, when the sun is low, and
the light is soft and colourful. This is a terrific rule to
follow in most situations, but busy lifestyles do not
always allow us to choose the perfect conditions for our
nature photography.

Have you ever planned and set aside a day to get out and
practice your nature photography, only to wake up to grey,
cloudy skies? You are not alone, this happens to us all;
professional and beginner alike. And of course when you are
traveling, you often only have one chance to take your
photos before moving on, so you have to make the best of
the situation as you find it.

Photographers, don't despair. There are many situations
that suit cloudy skies just fine; in fact, some subjects
need overcast weather to create great photos. Here are just
a few situations that you could explore when cloudy weather
threatens to derail your photography outing.

#1. Rainforest Photography. When the sun shines through the
trees in the forest, it creates a patchwork of light and
shade that makes correct exposure almost impossible. You
simply can't manage the contrast in these conditions.
Cloudy weather is actually the best way to take good
rainforest photos. Some would say the cloudier the better,
because if your rainforest is high enough to be in the
clouds, you can capture some very atmospheric misty effects
in the forest.

I live in South East Queensland, so I am close to both the
beach and some fabulous rainforest. My rule is: If it's
sunny, go to the beach. If it's cloudy, take your camera to
the rainforest.

#2. Wildlife Photography (Pets and People Too). Bright
sunlight can be a problem when shooting wildlife. In the
middle part of the day, the sun can create heavy shadows
which make exposure difficult, and rob your photo of
essential colour and detail that gives the subject its
character. Worst of all, sunlight can create shadows on the
face of your subject. As you know, the most important
element of a good wildlife photo is the eyes. If the eyes
in your photo are lost in shadow, the personal connection
with the subject is lost.

Animals do not like looking into the sun any more than you
do, so even early in the morning and late in the afternoon,
when the light is softer, photography can be difficult.
More often than not, you will probably find your subject
turning away from the light.

If you take your photo on a cloudy day, you can capture
your wildlife subject in soft, even light that allows
perfect exposure without ugly shadows. There will also be
less glare reflecting off shiny surfaces (a snake's skin, a
bird's feathers etc.) so your picture can actually appear
more colourful.

#3. Sunset Photography. Clouds create a much more
interesting sunset photo than clear skies. All you need is
for the sun to break through the clouds as they cross the
horizon. A good nature photographer learns to read the sky
and try to predict what is coming. Often on a grey, cloudy
day you will notice that the only patch of clear sky is far
away near the horizon. If that is the case, you can go
looking for a good location and set up for your sunset
photo.

With a bit of luck, there will be several breaks in the
clouds before the sun goes down. If so, you may be in place
to capture some majestic sunbeams, one of the truly great
natural effects that every nature photographer treasures.

Like all things in nature photography, all the planning in
the world means nothing without a bit of luck. You may get
your photo all set up, only to see the gap in the clouds
close and your chance of a good photo disappear.
Persistence wins in the end, so keep trying and from time
to time you will end up with some breathtaking sunset
photos.

I hope these tips encourage you to get out and enjoy your
photography, no matter what the weather is like. As your
experience grows, you will find it easier to read the light
and know what sort of photography suits the conditions.
Until then, practice, practice, practice!

----------------------------------------------------
Andrew Goodall has made his living from nature photography
for over 20 years. See his images at
http://www.naturesimage.com.au Andrew's ebooks "Photography
in Plain English" and "Every Picture Tells A Story" have
helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of
nature photography. Find them at
http://www.naturesimage.com.au/page/25/default.asp

The Do and Don't of Scream Singing

The Do and Don't of Scream Singing
Scream singing may seem like noise to some, but it is
really a very complicated process. If you are into death
metal singing, you need to learn to scream properly.

The first key to scream singing properly is to be patient.
It can't be done overnight. It can take months or even
years to perfect. Don't become impatient and scream more
than you are capable of. You could seriously damage your
vocal chords doing that. Also, when you do scream singing,
don't use all of your air up at once. It will hurt.
Remember that everything is good, in moderation.

You should also learn about head resonance, before you
learn to scream. Melissa Cross uses a good method for
that. She recommends that you put a pencil in your mouth
and then sing both over and under it. That should give you
a good example of head resonance.

You should also learn to scream nasally, when you are
scream singing. That basically means that you should
picture the sound coming out your nose. This is a
healthier and easier option than singing from deep in your
throat. You can also add small "yeh" sounds to vowels that
are within words, as you learn to scream properly. That
can help you to achieve a comfortable scream sound.

If you are skilled at death metal singing, it can also be a
big help. Death metal singing is a good precursor to
learning to scream sing properly.

Also, remember that a good singing warm up goes a long way.
Treat scream singing as an athletic event. All athletes
both warm up and cool down, if they are smart. You should
do the same, by practicing some basic vocal exercises, such
as scales, before you perform.

Vocal strain is no laughing matter, so if anything hurts,
when you are scream singing, stop! Rest for a while. In
fact, if your voice feels strained you should not talk at
all for a while. However, if you must talk, don't make the
mistake of whispering, as many people do. All that does is
block off your vocal chords and cause more damage. Use
your normal speaking voice if you absolutely need to.

Learn to scream best by staying well hydrated. Drink
plenty of water. Also, before a performance, you can drink
cola, since it coats your throat and causes better
reverberation. If you really don't want plain water, you
can try some diluted squash juice for more flavors.
However, water is really a better option. Staying well
hydrated can improve your scream singing voice, as well as
your general health.

In Melissa Cross's DVD, The Zen of Screaming, she explains
that supporting your diaphragm is also important, during
scream singing. You need balanced air pressure.
Otherwise, your performance will suffer.

So follow these simple scream singing tips, if you want to
learn to scream properly. Whether you do death metal
singing or any other sort, proper screaming is important.
You should be able to enjoy scream singing safely, after
all.

----------------------------------------------------
Find out more at http://www.singinglikepro.com