Since the Michigan Music Conference has been eating my life the last few weeks, I thought I’d give you a quick preview of what I’ve got coming up at my sessions at the Michigan Music Conference later this week. For those of you not in Michigan, I hope you can grab a few things out of this post to have in your back pocket!

Session 1: American Singing Games and Multicultural Counterparts

As we as educators talk about multicultural music, I thought it would be a fun way to take a look at how songs from other cultures can add to, or replace a ‘standard’ American song. Songs from other cultures have similar themes, games, and purposes. For this session I’ll talk about a ‘standard’ American song, and then a song from another culture that pairs with it.

Here’s one of the pairs I’ll talk about:

Mouse Mousie is a great DMS song, and has an easy ta ti-ti rhythm. While the “replacement” song has a very different rhythmic pattern and is a chant, I would replace the game for Mouse Mousie with El Ronda del Gato y El Ratón. I can’t publish the sheet music here because of copyright but it is in El Patio De Mi Casa Copyright © 2008 GIA Publications, INC. 7404 S. Mason Avenue Chicago IL 60638. (They gave me permission for my session!)

You can see the game here:

Session 2: Repertoire Bonanza 3: Musical Playtime! Games for K-5

I’ll be presenting this session with my good friend Zach VanderGraaff. I just have to say really quickly how lucky I am that I have a friend I can trust to present with often, and well. We’ve been presenting together since 2017 and there is no one else I feel more comfortable standing up with to talk.

For this session we thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite games so you can take back to your classrooms. Here’s one of the ones I’ll be talking about:

Rhythm: ta, ta rest, ta-a, ti, tim-ka
Solfege: l, drm (r tonal center)

This really fun game I learned in levels is from Japan. While singing, students tape the beat in their palms and balancing on one foot. On “Hoi”, each student shows rock, paper, scissors. The lower and anyone who loses their balance must fold their paper in half. The game ends when students can no longer fold their paper. For a fun mix up, have students move to new partners each time.

Session 3: Harmony in the Hyphen: Embracing Filipino-American Heritage Through Music, Dance, and Identity

This session with my friend Melissa Fuller Flores (Instagram: @MelodiesAndMoves) and generally awesome person. We are both half Filipino. (Yup – two half Filipino music teachers named Melissa but there is actually a third — Missy Strong!)

We thought a session on our shared heritage would be informative, and good for our souls. We’ll be sharing some music, games, dances, and resources.

Here’s one of the things I’ll be sharing. This is a short little finger play game that I’m itching to teach my toddler, but can easily translate to the classroom for the concept of steady beat.

A partner game where the first player tries to tap their finger into the second player’s open hand (like a bowl) or both hands together to create a bowl. and the second player will then try to catch the first player’s finger after “taya”. 

This simulates dipping food into vinegar. (Sawsaw suka – Dip it into the vinegar)

Here’s the game in practice.

Session 4: Folk Dance Frenzy 5: Dances for Five Year-olds

This one is the MIKE board presenting dances for the 5th time! It’s become one of my favorite parts of MMC and I love seeing what dances my friends bring.

This dance is one of my favorites for Kindergarten because it doesn’t need to focus on a formation. It can be done even at the very beginning of the year and is a great way to get kids to line up, enter the room, or get into a formation like a circle if you need. New England Dance Master’s has it on their YouTube for you to preview and it’s in their I’m Growing Up book.

I hope this has given you some ideas!
PLUS…..

The Music Crew will be there! My friends Sally Utley, Chrissy Hutzel, and Jennifer Bailey (also from Michigan!) also have presentations. Here’s the info on their sessions! AND Michigan Kodaly who sponsors free SCECHS for The Music Crew’s Summer Conference is presenting. 🙂

AND you can shop educational resources, snag a staff towel, some stickers or a copy of my folk dance posters in our booth in the Exhibit Hall.

Hope to see you there!

Melissa Stouffer-1

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