Elementary Music Centers

8/10/2019 Elementary Music Centers

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Designing andCreating Music

Centers in theElementaryMusic

ClassroomJennifer Bailey



Music CentersMusic CentersMusic CentersMusic Centers

I LOVE using Music Centers in my classroom. It’s such a great wayto see how students synthesize instruction and make meaning from

our classroom activities. I’ve organized centers in a variety ofways, but on the very first center day, students cycle througheach center. As the students entered into the room, I explained tothem that we were going to do music centers today. I introducethem to each center and the expectation at each center. Then I

group students in small groups (4-6 students, depending on classsize). Each group is assigned a center to begin. Each group is

allowed 5 minutes in each center to explore a variety of musicalskills or concepts taught in class activities. A timer is put on theInteractive White Board (see Timer ppt) so that students knew thetime allotted at each center. As students become more familiarwith the “work” of music centers, they have the choice to self-select centers.

Keyboard Center (grades 1Keyboard Center (grades 1Keyboard Center (grades 1Keyboard Center (grades 1----4)4)4)4)The Keyboard Center is comprised of keyboards with headphones.Each student works independently on a keyboard. There is a“Keyboard Book” to help students navigate all of the differentfeatures of our keyboards. Each student is also given a KeyboardScavenger Hunt Handout to ensure they found different buttonson the keyboard. We are preparing for a basic keyboard unit inclass, and I want students to have an opportunity to explore andbecome familiar with the keyboards.



Computer Center (grades 2Computer Center (grades 2Computer Center (grades 2Computer Center (grades 2----4)4)4)4)The Computer Center is comprised of computers (desktop, laptopor iPads – whatever you have) with headphones. For the firstcenter, each computer is set to my homepage(http://singtokids.wiki.farmington.k12.mi.us). Student are given aComputer Scavenger Hunt Handout to help them navigate toimportant resources and pages on our wiki. Again, we arepreparing for an Improvisation unit using VoiceThreads. I wantstudents to have an opportunity to explore and become familiarwith our online resources. Students may also have opportunities to

work with Super Duper Music Looper, Music Ace, or FinaleNotepad, given the desired outcome of that center day. Click heretoo get a list of iPad apps I LOVE to use in my music classroom.

Instrument Center (grade KInstrument Center (grade KInstrument Center (grade KInstrument Center (grade K----4)4)4)4)The Instrument Center is different for each grade level. Third

graders recently learned “The Canoe Song.” They were givenopportunities to sing and play a tonal ostinato to the melody.Students were provided with the song sheet with notation andcould practice singing the song, play the ostinato, or if they chose,they could discover the melody of the song. Second graders usedhand chimes to practice the minor tonic chord to “Autumn Leaves.”First graders used the Orff instruments to practice instrumental

parts to “Let Us Chase the Squirrel (see Diane Lange’s lesson inTogether in Harmony).



SongSongSongSong----Story Center (grades KStory Center (grades KStory Center (grades KStory Center (grades K----4)4)4)4)The Song-Story Center is a place where students have theopportunity to look at different music books we’ve used in musicclass. Typically, we end class with a song-story a few times eachmonth. The song-stories are a cool-down activity. Students willoften read and sing to one another and cycle through the variousbooks. Seehttps://singtokids.wiki.farmington.k12.mi.us/Song+Stories orhttp://singtokids.wiki.farmington.k12.mi.us/Children%27s+Storybooksfor some of our favorite song-stories.

Notation Station (grades KNotation Station (grades KNotation Station (grades KNotation Station (grades K----4)4)4)4)The Notation Station is an area where students can practice theirreading and writing skills. Typically, I provide 2-3 worksheetsbased on activities we’ve explored in music class, such as readingtonal or rhythm patterns, practice writing patterns within a song,

marking tonic (I) or dominant (V) chord changes, marking phrases,circling the resting tone, etc. Younger children may simply playwith rhythm and tonal flashcards, as well as notation magnetboards. As with written language, young students often “pretend”to read or write patterns. Encourage young students to “read”their notation for you. See my Tonal and Rhythm Notation pageson TeachersPayTeachers.com for your notation station!



Things to observe during music centers:Things to observe during music centers:Things to observe during music centers:Things to observe during music centers:•Watch the level of engagement with students. I rarely havebehavior issues on center days.•Watch who the leaders are within each group. Often leaders will

unexpectedly emerge.•Listen to their conversations as often times they will mimic the thingsteachers will say and do in music.•Watch where students gravitate – when given the choice, somestudents will rotate between all the stations, where others will stay atone station and “practice” for extended periods of time.•Listen to the quality of their singing voice as they sing along or with

others. Do they sing in head voice, or revert back to speaking voicerange?•Listen to the quality of the improvisations. Are they improvisingdifferent patterns each time, or simply the same pattern over andover again.•Listen to students sing their notation work. Is there rhythm and

melodic contour to their notation? Are they assimilating informationlearned in class in their own work?•Observe movement in your students. Is the movement purposefulor random? Is it related to the movement presented in classroomactivities? Are they using props in new, inventive ways?I often times take notes during center days as to the kinds ofinteractions I observe between my students. It gives me vital

information about who they are as musicians, leaders, and humans.

Elementary Music Centers

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