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Dynamics: Call and Response



Goal: To develop nuance and fluidity with getting louder and softer in a social context.


Out of Tempo

Teacher and students trade who leads and who follows using the name game.

Beginning

  1. Teacher spells out the letters of their name softly.
  2. Students repeat.
  3. Teacher spells out the letters of their name starting softly and then slowly gets louder.
  4. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher spells out the letters of their name loudly.
  2. Students repeat.
  3. Teacher spells out the letters of their name loudly and slowly gets softer.
  4. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher spells out the letters of their name softly then louder then softly again.
  2. Students repeat.
  3. Teacher spells out the letters of their name at different levels of loud and soft.
  4. Students repeat as spoken by the teacher.

In Tempo

Teacher sets up a slow tempo in simple or compound meter using one note per measure or in individual beats (quarter notes, etc.) per measure. Teacher and students ‘trade’ who leads and who follows.

Speaking, singing, playing, clapping.

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up a tempo.
  2. Students repeat.
  3. Teacher performs a crescendo.
  4. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up a tempo.
  2. Students repeat.
  3. Teacher performs a decrescendo.
  4. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up a tempo.
  2. Students repeat.
  3. Teacher performs a variety of dynamic fluctuations.
  4. Students repeat.