Dr. Amanda Capote, PhD
This school year, the music room at North Plains has been full of creativity, energy, and some very unexpected instruments. Students have been exploring rhythm, beat, and musical expression through hands-on activities that turn everyday objects into exciting musical tools.
One of the most popular rhythm activities involved something students already love–fidget spinners. By spinning them on different surfaces and using them to keep a steady beat, students practiced timing and rhythm while discovering how movement and sound can work together in music.
Students also dove into the exciting world of bucket drumming. Using buckets as drums, classes learned how to keep a steady beat, follow rhythm patterns, and perform together as an ensemble. The classroom quickly transformed into a percussion stage filled with coordinated rhythms and enthusiastic performers.
Second graders added a delicious twist to learning rhythm with a Rhythm Restaurant. Students created their own menus filled with “food rhythms,” using foods like pizza, taco, and spaghetti to represent different rhythmic patterns. Classmates then “ordered” items from the menu and performed the rhythms, turning music class into a fun and interactive music cafe.
Students also explored melody by playing xylophones, recorders, bells and boomwhackers, colorful tubes that create musical notes when struck. These instruments helped students learn about pitch, patterns, and how different notes work together to make music.
Creativity did not stop there! Students had the chance to build their own instruments, experimenting with materials to discover how sound is created. They also learned traditional and folk-inspired rhythm techniques like playing spoons and cup rhythms, which challenged their coordination and timing.
To keep the fun going, students are currently participating in Music Madness, a lively board-style game where Disney Heroes battle Disney Villains for the ultimate championship!
Throughout the year, the focus in music class has been simple: learning by doing. Whether students are drumming on buckets, spinning rhythms, or performing with colorful instruments, they are building important musical skills while having fun and working together. With more music-making still ahead this year, North Plains’ music room will continue to be a place where creativity, rhythm, and learning come together in exciting ways!
