Music: That's What You Are Game

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At Regional Conference last year,  I bought a great book that I haven't really been able to look through until recently.  It is called "101 More Music Games for Children".  This book is amazing for school groups of any age!  It is fantastic because it splits up categories by type such as listening, improvisation, rhythm, relaxation, etc.  It also has an index that shows the age group that the activity is best for.  These activities can be used with children preschool age all the way up to high school and any age.  There are even some great games such as musical card games that would be great for adults in the geriatric setting or medical setting.

Today I want to highlight one game that would be great for middle school, high school,  or adults.  This game is called "Music:  That's What You Are".

Common Goal Areas:  Emotional expression, Leadership, Eye Contact, Unity, Listening, Attention

Objective: Given Instruments or a sound of choosing, clients will watch the conductor for their cues when to play within the activity.

Method:

1. Put instruments in the middle of the circle.
2. Clients will stand in a circle around instruments.
3. Clients will choose to make a sound of their choosing (body percussion, voice, etc.) or pick an instrument in the circle.
4. Explain that you will be the conductor first and point to the client when you want them to play, and show them specific gestures for continuous play while you choose others to play along.
5. Begin by pointing to one person and make a gesture for them to continue and add on more players.
6. Stop some players and choose others.
7. Continue this process for a minute or two adding 2-4 people at a time.
8. Stop all play and choose a new conductor.
9. If time allows, let each student have a turn to conduct the whole group.

This intervention can be varied in many different ways.  You can choose just to have them use everyday items for their instruments, just their voices, instruments, or a combination of everything.  Also, you can choose how many people you want to play at a time.  You could have 2-22 people playing, make up your own gestures for specific meanings, and design the group to your liking.  With adults in a geriatric or rehab setting, you could have them all sitting and keep the same process.  Have fun making this activity your own!