This is the first part of another antiphonal story (call and response) I wrote for my preschool music students. Antiphonal stories shared with your children or students teach them listening skills, cooperation, and focus. Look for the second part of this story, soon coming to this blog!
The
horses were in the barn and Farmer Joe was busy putting each horse into their
own stall for the night. He was just
putting the last horse away in her stall when he heard a sound. What was it?
The noise sounded like this: The teacher sings quietly on the word Oooh--use any musical pitches you would care to use. (Ask your children/students, "Can you make that sound?")
As
Farmer Joe led the last horse to her stall, the horses in the barn became very
quiet so they could listen, too. The
sound, which had started to sound like singing, became a little louder and
sounded like this: The teacher sings the Oooh pitches a little louder. (Ask your children/students, "Can you
sing just a little louder?")
Well, even though Farmer Joe was hungry for his dinner and wanted to go into his
house to eat, he could hardly wait to walk outside the barn to see where that
singing was coming from!
As
Farmer Joe walked from the barn door to the corn field toward his house, he saw
a great flock of birds had landed to eat the leftover corn left from the
harvest. They were the ones singing!
The
huge flock of blackbirds was happily eating the leftover corn and they were singing,
“We are grateful”. (The teacher sings the same musical pitches for the words, "We are grateful") (Ask your children/students, "Can you sing those words?")
Farmer
Joe could hardly believe what he was seeing and hearing! Could blackbirds really sing?
