[HANASHIR:4595] Re: 6th and 7th graders

[Carol Boyd Leon <cbleon...>]

Yes, Beth, please post your list of songs that work best!  Let's all share 
what works.  I agree that the more involvement from the kids, the better.

About sing-alongs...I think there's typically a big difference between camp 
and religious school.  Camp is a voluntary activity and those who go love 
it.  So they come ready and willing to sing.  It's the same with my Youth 
Choir kids.  It's a self-selected group, so they're always the ones who try 
out for solos in the classes, who help lead rounds, who are enthusiastic 
about just about everything I present.

Today I took Meris' suggestion and played "Name That Tune."  It was a great 
success (although I was more than a little surprised to discover how hard it 
was even for kids who come to services with some regularity to connect any 
words to the melodies I played on the piano).  The kids appreciated not 
being "forced" to sing but instead getting to participate in a fun and 
challenging musical activity.  If I saw these classes with more frequency, 
I'd feel compelled to actually teach songs.  However, if my very occasional 
music class with them causes them to actually look forward to Religious 
School, I feel I've accomplished something. -- Carol

Carol Boyd Leon
Director of Music, Temple B'nai Shalom
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
E-mail:  CBLeon (at) hotmail(dot)com

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