Theme Weeks for Orchestra Classes

 

Need an idea to liven things up in your orchestra class?  I've been having a lot of fun with weekly themes to get my students focusing on improving certains areas of their playing.  A few of my favorite are:  Rhythm Week, Intonation Week, Listening Week, Performance Week, Slow-Mo Week, Go Pro Week, Practice Week, Ear Training Week.

Here's a post which includes ideas for doing RHYTHM WEEK as a theme:

RHYTHM WEEK

Focus on mastering:  steady beat, the difference between beat and rhythm, clapping/plucking/air-bowing rhythms, figuring out rhythm by ear.

Ideas for daily activities:

• Practicing a quick 'rhythm of the day' as part of warm-ups.

• Rhythm clapping game:  teacher claps a rhythm, students echo.  To make it hard, the teacher begins clapping the next rhythm while students are still echoing the previous rhythm.

• Around the World Rhythm Game - presentation where students take turns clapping rhythms on screen.  Use THIS LINK to access this free resource! 

• Practice rhythms with party blowers or kazoos.  Or any rhythm instrument.

• Practice making/sharing rhythms in class- students create rhythms and trade to play different rhythms.

• Give students notes to a popular tune and let them figure out the rhythm.  I did this with Cheap Thrills and my students LOVED IT.  Many students practiced a TON to get this tune down.  It really helped my beginners progress quickly.  Get FREE Cheap Thrills resources HERE.

• Have students practice playing notes to a steady beat to the tune of Andy Grammer's 'Keep Your Head Up.'  Resource HERE.

• Compose rhythm tracks online:  

  https://splice.com/sounds/beatmaker (Links to an external site.)

  https://music-grid.surge.sh/#0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-3072-&200&pentatonic (Links to an external site.)

  http://808cube.com/ (Links to an external site.)

  https://dotpiano.com/

VIDEOS IDEAS TO USE in class for Rhythm Week:

Putting sounds together with cool rhythm - Among Us Rhythm:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5LS4kqJjKo

Is mayonaise an instrument? Making a song with rhythm:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5jnftBQw2U&list=PLdKxs7i55u4G0yccywfuwwdc6UlEOSlUU&index=202

Syncronized walking - importance of timing/staying together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p0DsVPkyZg&list=PLdKxs7i55u4G0yccywfuwwdc6UlEOSlUU&index=175&t=137s

Kevin Osula - beatbox and cello- rhythm is cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gBjDEiBGFY&list=PLdKxs7i55u4G0yccywfuwwdc6UlEOSlUU&index=174

Rhythm sounds cool - Rob Landes with Veserium:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76kmZ9ivQOo&list=PLdKxs7i55u4G0yccywfuwwdc6UlEOSlUU&index=173

Voice Activated video game - timing is crucial for rhythm:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBNjz_2f6Pc&list=PLdKxs7i55u4G0yccywfuwwdc6UlEOSlUU&index=180