Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: Cheer to a Brand New Year
(Call-and-Response)
Upper Elementary (3-5)
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about listening, cheering, and informal syncopation (i.e., playing it without labeling it). It goes with “Happy Days Ahead (60s)” because of its title (lol) and its perfect instrumental groove that supports a call-and-response game.
The 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
Do you know there is an entire field of study around positive psychology? I’m not a psychologist, nor am I planning to unpack positive psychology in this post; rather I want to reflect on the idea of glass half full and glass half empty mindsets—especially as we go back to the classroom after a winter break and begin a new calendar year. What am I talking about? Let me explain…
Glass half full is positive with the ability to see hope and optimism. I love a full glass (lol)! On the other hand, the concept of glass half empty represents uncertainty and doubt—the negative.
I believe our mindsets matter in the music classroom (and beyond). How we approach demonstrating/modeling, inviting, asking, etc. as teachers is grounded in our (conscious or unconscious) mindset. Are we sending messages to students that tell them they can and will be successful? Stated another way, how we engage students contributes to their mindset of participation (i.e., How does our teaching contribute to students feeling prepared, safe, and eager to try?).
Mindset is particularly important in the classroom when someone (could be the teacher or students) approaches a task knowing they can’t, it won’t, they don’t want to, etc. In my view, it’s always challenging to begin with a half empty mindset.
Here’s a quick example of possible mindset impacting the music classroom:
Someone is performing in music class. They approach their music making thinking (or saying): “I just know I’m not going to be able to play the piece well today.” And to no surprise, they play without confidence, without high-level engagement, and without enthusiasm—not great.
On the flip side, if the performer approaches music making thinking (or saying) “I’m so excited to GET to play this song today… I love this song!” it’s pretty much guaranteed to sound like different music.
The idea of mindset contributing to how we do something isn’t new or novel. In my view, the main challenge here is—recognizing our mindset—and the mindsets of our students. Most people (me included) typically navigate the world in a state of “auto-pilot” not really thinking about current mindset (lol). We come to the table and make things happen as they will. Seems natural. But what would happen if we recognized any negative mindset and kicked it to the curb (lol)?
At the start of 2026, I encourage you to try this:
Focus on positive mindset (for you and for students)—maybe frame this as the “we GET to do” rather than have to do idea;
Find ways to create joy, fun, and educational success in every music class (for you and for students); and
Remember that ALL students deserve an education filled with rich content, experiences that are both attainable and stretch their knowledge and abilities, with time to cheer!
Here’s to a 2026 filled with beautiful music making, lot’s of educational “ah-ha” moments, and rewarding teaching. Happy New Year, Everyone!
Today’s teaching strategy (“Cheer to a Brand New Year”) includes instrument play and the opportunity to let loose and hoot, woot, and cheer (of course all within a structured learning experience — lol)! I hope you give it a try with your students. But first, let me remind you who I am:
Hi! I’m Darla, an experienced PK-12 music educator, college professor, and former Berklee College of Music Dean looking to connect with teachers, parents/caregivers, and others seeking to advance creative music making for today’s students—and their teachers. In Darla Hanley’s Music Room you will find teaching strategies, advice and teaching tips, playlists, and more.
Today we are going to perform a call-and-response game with instruments. You will play a rhythmic response as a group.
Distribute rhythm instruments and teach the response pattern (video provided to make it easy!).
ProTIP: Perform the “New Year” vocal at the end with lots of animation and cheer as a model for students.
Now let’s put it together! I will speak the call and you will play the rhythmic pattern following the words “time to cheer”. Listen closely and be ready to come in.
Speak the call and lead students to play the response (without the track).
ProTIP: This call-and-response works beautifully with AND without a track; however, the accompaniment brings excitement and provides a rhythmic anchor.
Now we will add music. Play the recording of “Happy Days Ahead (60s)”, speak the call, and invite students to play (and vocally cheer) the response.
ProTIP: Begin the call at 0.8 following a brief introduction.
Use the —last line only— (i.e., Time to play and time to cheer!) as the call to provide more playing time! Create a “starting line” with blue painter’s tape on the floor.
Invite students to line up behind the starting line and play the response individually when their toes are on the line (playing in solo and then moving to the back of the line until everyone has a turn).*
ProTIP: Form multiple shorter lines to allow more students to play—more turns. Have all students play the steady beat during the call to keep them engaged throughout the activity.
Materials/Set Up
A Variety of Rhythm Instruments
Blue Painter’s Tape
🎵 Audiosphere "Happy Days Ahead (60s)” Link to Track on Spotify
Video
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
Cheer to a Brand New Year
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
Step on up oh friends of mine
We are on the starting line
New beginning
Brand new year
Time to play and time to cheer!
INSERT: Play Rhythmic Pattern (see video)
CHEER: New Year!
EXTEND the Learning:
Invite students to trade instruments and perform the call-and-response with the track.
Ask students to create a new “cheer” for the end of the response (e.g., Oh Yeah!, Hooray! Let’s Go!, Yippee!).
Learning Targets
Play
Learning Outcomes
Respond with voices and instruments
Create personal interpretations
Perform a rhythmic pattern response to a call
Assessment
Informal Observation/Formative Assessment
Formal Observation/Summative Assessment*
*This assessment only happens in the EXTEND the Learning part of this teaching strategy.
Thanks for checking this out. If you use this teaching strategy, be sure to leave a comment to let me know how it resonates with your students!