Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: Try, Oh My!
(Instrument Play)
Lower Elementary (PK-K)
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about encouraging our youngest students to participate in music class—with drums. It goes with “The In Crowd” by the Ramsey Lewis Trio because of its fresh/hip interpretation of a 1960s hit and its driving techno beat.
This track is available on multiple streaming audio platforms. (Like many of my teaching strategies, you should feel free to find other audio tracks to anchor the learning experience using music that works in your setting or new tracks to simply “mix it up.”)
Pedagogical Foundations
Encouraging young students to participate, take a turn, and/or simply try something new can be a big first step in music teaching and learning. Young students are naturally curious and are exploring the world around them, yet can be super shy when asked to do something in class. This is natural.
We all know how challenging it can be when we are trying to engage a group of students at the same time and keep them on task during music class. In my view, some of the best ways to draw young students into an activity include using dramatic play, an animated (but not over-the-top) engagement, fun instruments and props—and a willingness to be silly (lol). We need to remember that children play; that’s their job (to learn, grow, and develop). And as teachers we need to be creative and playful right back at them!
I learned from my mentor, Dr. Edwin Gordon, that very young children are absolutely ready to make music, and it’s up to a teacher (and the child’s caregivers) to help them make that happen. For a few years I got to co-teach music classes for 18-month-old children with Dr. Gordon. In that setting, we harnessed the power of using simple rhythmic and melodic patterns, duple and triple meter, modes, and LOTS of singing, chanting, playing, and moving to engage our students. Additionally, we used recordings and exposed students to a wide variety of musical examples in every class. (Note: These were classes of about 10 toddlers each with an accompanying adult—20 people plus us in the room.)
Here are a few tips and take-a-ways I gained from that teaching experience:
Never limit students. It’s easy to assume that young students can’t do something and inappropriately limit them. Don’t assume… ask them to sing, chant, play, and move! You’ll be amazed at what happens.
Be a strong role model. Young students must see and hear what they are being asked to do in order to understand the request. Demonstrate with your best singing, chanting, playing, movement, and energy—every time.
Observe facial expressions (and be ready for the audiation stare, which is Dr. Gordon’s term for when a student locks in musically). These are the “ah ha” moments we seek as teachers.
Structure classes with a hello and good-bye song or chant so young students know it’s time for music to begin and end. Routines are essential.
Keep the pace of the instruction fast with no gaps between activities, and have a million things planned (lol) in case you need them to keep students engaged.
It’s OKAY for young students to wander. Their attention spans are short and they are only learning how things go in an educational environment. Let them be kids and draw them back with amazing music.
Today’s teaching strategy “Try, Oh My!” includes a chant to prompt instrument play—and is all about encouraging young students to try something new (or take a turn if they’ve played before).
Teaching Strategy
Have students seated in a circle on the floor.
Begin chanting “Strawberry Shortcake: Body Percussion” and invite students to clap the macrobeat rhythmic pattern.
ProTIP: Repetition is essential for young learners. Keep chanting and clapping (lol), and when appropriate change to other body percussion moves (e.g., patsch, stomp).
ProTIP: Beginning with body percussion will prepare students for playing drums as the chant and rhythmic pattern will be familiar when the instrument is added.
Now I am going to add a drum! Instead of clapping, whoever I come up to will play the rhythm on the drum. Be ready! When I come to you it’s your turn to play! And keep clapping until it’s your turn to play the drum.
Perform the chant (drum version) and have 1 student at a time play the macrobeat rhythmic pattern on the drum.
ProTIP: If you go around the circle, in turn, students will know when their turn is coming. This is good or not so good.
It’s good because they can anticipate, but not so good as they may “check out” until the drum gets close (lol). Another approach is to move randomly around the circle choosing students next to each other, across, 3 over, etc. so students need to stay in it and focus because who knows—they may be next!
Now we will perform the chant with drums along with a recording! Play “The In Crowd” and engage students to play the drum in turn (continuing to clap, as before).
ProTIP: The melody begins at 0.23. Model grooving to the beat during the intro and start chanting when the melody enters.
Video
Materials/Set Up
Room to Sit in a Circle on the Floor
Hand Drums
Strawberry Shortcake: Body Percussion
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
Strawberry shortcake, huckleberry pie
Clap your hands, give it a try
[Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta; Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta]
My oh, me oh, my oh, my
Clap your hands, give it a try!
[Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta; Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta]
Strawberry Shortcake: Drums
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
Strawberry shortcake, huckleberry pie
Play the drum, give it a try!
[Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta; Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta]
My oh, me oh, my oh, my
Play the drum, give it a try!
[Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta; Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta]
EXTEND the Learning:
Perform the chant with these alternate verses (adding body percussion… you get it):