Group lesson singing and playing activities with the folk song “Old Woman”
I wanted to share this video of one possible group activity with a folk song. The idea is that music is ours to do things with. Contrast this with the way music is often taught as a museum piece. So many of the greatest composers were great improvisers. That skill should be taught in modern lessons, too. With this song, we have one student playing the melody in octaves. Another student is playing tonic and dominant chord changes with both hands, and a chorus of three students is also singing those chord changes.
It’s fascinating to me how technical challenges fall away when students have a sound in mind to aim for. And when they have understanding of what they’re doing, as these students do. In other words, they’re audiating.