Materials for the lesson

1. Percussion instruments: small children’s drum, marakas, triangle, sticks, Bulgarian folk drum, bongo, others

2. Videoprojector and screen

3. Internet connection or prepared samples on laptop to be played via videoprojector

Layout of the classroom

The classroom should be prepared as a concert hall – empty in the middle (desks aside), chairs as a sitting row in a concert hall, “stage area”.

Phase 1

The teacher explains what percussions are and gives them examples he/she brought in the class which later on will be played by pupils.

The teacher plays to pupils a 3-5 min sample of percussion music like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNAwt9exir8

Or any other favourite of the teacher.

Phase 2

The teacher and pupils prepare the room as ‘’concert hall’’.

Most of pupils sit on the chairs as an audience. Several pupils are orchestra and the teacher give to them instruments he/she brought in class. He/she shows them different rhythms and the orchestra plays small music piece to the audience. Orchestra and audience behave as such. Orchestra comes and bows to audience, audience is clapping. At the end audience is applauding the orchestra as in real.

The point is not just to make rhythm but also to create habits like going to a real concert and how to behave in such a situation.

Orchestra members change several times so every pupil experience being a ‘’percussionist’’.

Phase 3

The teacher explains to pupils that percussions can be anything you find and convert to a music instrument with your creativity. The teacher plays on projector an example of improvised music like Stomp for instance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US7c9ASVfNc

Or any other he/she finds interesting.

Phase

Pupils help the teacher to put the classroom back to the normal order.