We have been working hard to get the new Level B of Singing Lessons for Little Singers (TM) Very Young Beginner Series ready for the September back-to-school season. It will include a number of activities that are new to this level, including a distinct focus on developing early sight-singing skills.
Highlights from Level B
- 11 New Songs for Singing, Sight-Reading, and Percussion Playing: Level B includes 11 new songs (a combination of traditional folk and original songs) that flexibly allow students to practice singing techniques, sight-singing/playing, percussion and piano playing, movements, and creative expression. There are several solo opportunities for students, and two songs also have optional French verses.
- Vocal Technique Review and Diction Instruction: Students will continue to work on proper singing posture and breath support, and effective use of high and low registers. They will also be instructed on basic singing diction including emphasized, crisp consonants and stretched, legato vowels.
- Additions to “Body Scale” Solfege System: Building on Level A’s use of age-appropriate solfege gestures to help internalize melodic structure and pitch placement, Level B introduces Re, Step-Down Do, and Jump-Down So.
- More Advanced “Copy Cat” Melodic and Rhythmic Practice: Building on Level A’s call-and-response practice of common melodic and rhythmic phrases, Level B introduces more challenging sequences to expand students’ musical vocabulary.
- Rhythm Cards Activity to Practice Sight-Reading: Level B includes 16 rhythm cards to generate countless rhythmic combinations to practice reading real rhythm notation in a structured activity/game.
- Pictorially-Notated Songs to Practice Sight-Reading: From the 3rd song on, all songs are notated with appealing picture-symbols for each note, giving students experience in scanning notes and following melodic contour, preparing them for later introduction to standard melodic notation (in Level C). Most songs also include percussion parts to aid in rhythmic sight-reading development.
- Movement and Role-Playing Games and Songs: Creative expression and movements are a part of most songs and activities in Level B. Nearly all songs have a distinct setting that allows for imaginative play. Several songs include a “leader” role for students to take turns playing. Several also include movement games, like for “Ring Around the Rosies” in Level A.
- Percussion and Piano Introduction: Percussion playing in emphasized in Level B primarily for rhythm-learning benefits, though it also will aid coordination development and expand musical skills. Piano-playing is also briefly introduced to expand musical skills and provide another concrete model of the scale.