We're Making Music!

This song is the opening song of the all-school musical revue which is also called We're Making Music! By the time you receive your first three issues of Music K-8 this year, you will have the complete revue in your hands. You will find songs that feature various musical styles and opportunities for performance by all kinds of musicians - singers, percussionists, keyboard players, recorder players, and so on. This revue is all about music for its own sake. And of course, for the joy of it.

This first song is a lively, upbeat Latin/jazz piece that is loaded with excitement from the very beginning. Within the song, students are invited to demonstrate the music they are making. This begins first at measure 26. This four measure section is played four times for a total of 16 bars. The first time, a cowbell is introduced playing the rhythm indicated on percussion 1 on the piano/vocal. The second time, a guiro (fish) is added with a simple rake on beat 4, as indicated on percussion 2. The third time, shakers enter with a steady eighth note pattern (percussion 3). The fourth time through, agogo bells, or a large and small cowbell, enter playing the rhythm shown on percussion 4.

If you are using this song in performance, as each percussion instrument is introduced, make a big deal of it. Have players step forward and really show that they are the new hot thing that's happening now. A spotlight would be great for this, but since most schools don't have spotlights, you may have to make do with grand gestures. Tell the players to move their arms in exaggerated manners to show off their entrances. Put the instruments right out front. Body language can help - let them ham it up!

Of course, the rhythms and instruments that we have suggested are not necessarily the only ones you can use. Indeed, change any instrument or rhythmic pattern you like. Use one player or many for each one! For example, have four cowbell players step forward and give a showy performance for their four measures of fame. Do likewise with the other instruments. Maybe even have a group of kids doing claps or body percussion join in as well. If you have Orff instruments, Boomwhackers® or other mallet instruments, let them join in on the punctuated D's that the background instrumentalists on the Performance/Accompaniment CD are playing. These are indicated on the piano/vocal, too. (Note that the pitch center changes to A in the fourth ending.) You've got 16 bars here to showcase rhythmic percussion. What you do with it is up to you and your students.

If you do follow the music as written, once an instrument is in, it stays in for the rest of the song. Though it is important to note that once it is in, it needs to honor the entrance of the others by not upstaging them. Same thing goes for the vocals that enter at measure 31. While the percussion continues here, the emphasis is now on the vocalists who are making their own music, too.

The section at measure 31 is played six times. The first four times each introduce a new vocal line. These lines are doubled in the instrumental background on the recording for reinforcement. Each line is simple and if your students pull it off, it sounds very neat! The tough part is standing your ground as the other parts enter, but it's an excellent way to introduce part singing. As with the percussion entrances, consider having each vocal entrance highlighted somehow. For example, the first group of singers step forward to sing part 1. Then they step back (or stay where they are) while a second group of singers steps forward to sing part 2, and so on.

To help students keep track of the six times through, on the CD they will hear an eighth note moving line in the trumpets the fifth time through. This is cued on the piano/vocal part. The sixth time through, this same line is played an octave higher (also by trumpets) and is quite audible, giving a good cue that the section is about to end.

After this cumulative section, there is a brief percussion break again and the song goes back into the original chorus with gusto! This time, the Latin orchestra on the CD joins in with a creative counterpoint playing behind the vocal lines. The combination is lots of fun and moves the song nicely toward the big ending.

There is an optional divisi at the end of the chorus in measures 23 through 25 and in the coda as well. If you prefer to do these in unison, just have students sing the upper notes.

Be sure to let students listen to the exciting instrumental tracks to this song as they are learning it. The percussion is also particularly nice, featuring some wild timbale playing by percussionist Kevin Kaiser. We defy anyone to hold still!

Online extras - To help your students learn the four vocal parts at measure 31, we have isolated them and put them online as rehearsal tracks. You will find these under the "Graphics and Extras" for Volume 16, No. 1 at MusicK8.com