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In my general music classes, I have been successful with the following management strategies:

  • In our drum circles, we usually have two players per part. Once all of the parts have been learned, we rotate the circle by two seats each time we play the ensemble. This gives everyone the chance to develop their skills and technique on each of the parts in the ensemble.
  • I use body percussion all of the time as we are learning and reviewing parts.
  • I try to create or have the students create body movements that are similar to the technique and movement used to play the instrument. This gives them the chance to develop muscle memory as they learn the parts.
  • It's fun to play the ensembles completely with body percussion, vocalizing the parts, or both.
  • I make sticks for my students from oak dowels. Here's how I do it: Dowel Sticks 101
  • I have Seņor Kelley shakers for the students to use. I love the interchangeable sleeves, but they tended to fly off when the students were playing. I put a strip of tennis racket grip tape on the inside surface of each ring. This creates a more snug fit, but the sleeves can still be interchanged with ease.
  • Here are some patterns and signals I use:
  • For my 2008 project, I created a sample set to use with sequencing software. More information about it is available here.