Here is another module created for the Mr. Noteman Music Is for Kids workshop. This one is for teaching small kids the basics of piano playing.
Free e-book!
Archive for Music Workshops for Kids
Mr. Noteman Puppet Character Sketch
Hmm, so who exactly is this Mr. Noteman, anyhow?
Age: Young adult, early 20s.
Gender: Male
Personality Profile: High C/Melancholy (Intelligent, Curious, Thinker), I/Sanguine (People person, Flamboyant) – C/S/I pattern.
Voice: Medium pitch, faux English accent, sophisticated, yet kind.
Likes:
- Fast 3-Wheeled cars (his car is called the Triad)
- Fast notes
- Musical instruments that play fast (piccolo, trumpet, piano, banjo)
- Concert orchestras
- Bible stories about music (David playing for Saul, Paul and Silas, Jehoshaphat’s choir, etc.)
- Singing
- Teaching (makes him happy!)
- All music instruments, including homemade ones!
Listens to: Patch the Pirate CD’s, Bible Songs for Kids
Favorite Foods: Tune-a Fish, Drumsticks, Hummmus, Hi-C
Favorite Composer: Bach, the church musician
Pet: Dot – sometimes follows him around, makes him go a bit slower; name: “Mm”
Dislikes:
- Things that move slow (“Don’t be pokey, keep things moving quickly!”)
- Boring things (“Learning is ALWAYS interesting”)
- Uncalled for silliness (“Music is serious business!”)
Wears: Red when casual, all black when dressing up for a concert.
Lives In: Staff House
Family:
- Grandpa/Grandma Whole Note
- Uncle/Aunt Half Note
- Dad/Mom Quarter Note
- Twin Brother Eighth Note (when they appear together in concert, they put their flags on each others shoulders)
- Little Sister Sixteenth Note (she’s a bit annoying because she runs around faster than he does!).
Friends: Mrs. (G) Treble Clef, Mr. (F) Bass Clef, Sharp, Flat, Natural
Instruments: Plays the kazoo, harmonica and bugle (because he has no arms, hands or fingers)
Favorite Word: Vivace! (Italian tempo word meaning lively and fast)
Other Notes (pun intended):
- When he goes to a concert, he always sits on a music stand
- His flag makes him go fast
- He loves kids
- He sometimes gets annoyed with “Uncle Curtis” because he does silly things, like juggle, ride unicycles, balance things, tells bad elephant jokes.
Mr. Noteman Pillow Box
Here’s something new — a Mr. Noteman pillow box!
Perfect for containing small musical items like kazoos or manipulatives, and interesting to look at. It can be printed out on a letter size piece of card stock.
Check it out!
More Music Funny Money
I’ve had a lot of fun creating these cool motivational tools!
Here’s the eighth note music funny money coin:
And, here’s the sixteenth note coin.
You also really need to check out the Music Funny Money card stock wallet that can be printed out, cut out and glued together to make a personal funny money holder! It is the perfect size to contain the funny money bills and coins.
Music Funny Money
I’ve been working feverishly to prepare materials for the Music Is For Kids Workshop. To motivate good learning and to reward good behavior, I have developed our own Mr. Noteman currency.
Music play money is not a new concept for me. Years ago I created some simple music money for use in my elementary music education classes. The files for printing these older money bills and coins can be purchased on my Music Teacher’s Resource CD.
Here’s an example of the new whole note bill–it’s worth 4 beats.
I also have half note and quarter note bills. I created some funny little half-width bills for the eighth note and sixteenth notes, but I think I’ll probably end up going with coins. What do you think?
Funny music money, for sure! I think the kids will love them.
Mr. Noteman Coloring Book, Ver. 1
Mr. Noteman, by Eugene Hollembeak
I have been developing a music workbook/coloring book to go along with the 4 week music theory workshop for kids. I think it is turning out great! I was able to talk my dad into helping with the artwork for it — he’s really good at whipping up cartoonish figures based on different shapes.
Here’s the file for you to download and print out:
Music for Kids, Workshop 1
My head is full of all sorts of ideas for creating meaningful music experiences for kids. Children love music and are great students, because they still retain a tremendous curiosity and desire to know more about everything. If we can simply put music on a level that they can understand, it is amazing what they can learn.
I am working on a 4 week workshop series, consisting of an hour and a half workshop each week. Each workshop will be broken down into 3 half hour sessions consisting of (1) teaching and games, (2) activity time, (3) teaching, games and singing. The material will be targeted towards kids in K5-4th grade.
Mr. Noteman loves to teach the parts of a note, as well as introduce children to his friends, Whole Note, Half Note, Quarter Note, and Sixteenth Note (Mr. Noteman’s first name is, of course, Eighth).
By the end of the workshops, each of the children will have accomplished the following goals:
- Enjoy singing and making music
- Sing on pitch
- Identify the parts of a note
- Identify the 5 different notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth)
- Know the musical alphabet, A-G, and know how it relates to the keyboard and staff
- Recognize the “G” clef, and know that it identifies the G line
- Able to read simple rhythms using half, quarter, & eighth notes
- Able to sight sing simple melodies that move by step or stay on the same pitch
- Perform a song from memory, with the children’s choir, demonstrating good singing technique
Mr. Noteman’s Music for Kids should be a real help to children and their families!
Here’s a tentative outline: Workshop 1 – Mr. Noteman Music for Kids
Check it out and let me know what you think!
