"I'm In The Mood For Making MUSIC!"

Today was a great day for participation. Although the class was smaller than usual, everyone was engaged and had a wonderful time making music together! Songs included Mr. Sun, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, Grand Old Duke Of York, I Wake Up My Hands, Hands Together Hands Apart, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum, and Clean-O. The instrument of the week was the Maraca from Cuba. We taught a medley of songs about shaking; Shake Your Sillies Out, Shake It Baby Shake It and I'm In The Mood For Shaking. The last song quickly became a favourite and we starting making up different verses such as "I'm In The Mood For Drumming". I also taught them one of my favourite songs using the Cuban clave rhythm, All De' Nations Like Bananas. I went around the circle and asked each grownup to name a country. This allowed me to connect with the grownups in a new way, and I used this song as a way of encouraging the grownups to focus and engage fully. As expected, it ended the class on a wonderful note!