Many students quit band or were afraid to sign up for band during the Corona Pandemic. Some reasons were because of the nature of blowing into a wind instrument. Some reasons were because learning an instrument remotely was a difficult if not impossible task. Many students now are afraid to try new or "hard" things. They want to do activities that come easy with little or no effort. I am now faced with the challenge of rebuilding a band program that has suffered. I am starting with recruiting elementary students.
Drumming can be a tool that not only teaches students to learn about music and rhythm, but can also be used to foster personal expression, relieve stress and anxiety, and build self-respect. I want to start a beginning drumming class to encourage students who may have never taken a music class before to try something new so they can experience how to play a steady beat, how to create rhythms, and how to read music, all while participating with a group, learning team building and cooperation skills. They need to learn listening skills and how to work together.
My advanced percussion students will also be able to use these drum pads as a means to help us work through the difficulties of practicing during the pandemic. Some students have had drum sets at home to practice with, but for students that did not have actual percussion instruments at home, they rely on the school percussion instruments to practice. When we were forced to go to remote learning, many students were left with minimal opportunities to practice at home, especially when other family members were working at home. These practice pads are quiet enough that students quietly practice at home and not disturb others.
About my class
Many students quit band or were afraid to sign up for band during the Corona Pandemic. Some reasons were because of the nature of blowing into a wind instrument. Some reasons were because learning an instrument remotely was a difficult if not impossible task. Many students now are afraid to try new or "hard" things. They want to do activities that come easy with little or no effort. I am now faced with the challenge of rebuilding a band program that has suffered. I am starting with recruiting elementary students.
Drumming can be a tool that not only teaches students to learn about music and rhythm, but can also be used to foster personal expression, relieve stress and anxiety, and build self-respect. I want to start a beginning drumming class to encourage students who may have never taken a music class before to try something new so they can experience how to play a steady beat, how to create rhythms, and how to read music, all while participating with a group, learning team building and cooperation skills. They need to learn listening skills and how to work together.
My advanced percussion students will also be able to use these drum pads as a means to help us work through the difficulties of practicing during the pandemic. Some students have had drum sets at home to practice with, but for students that did not have actual percussion instruments at home, they rely on the school percussion instruments to practice. When we were forced to go to remote learning, many students were left with minimal opportunities to practice at home, especially when other family members were working at home. These practice pads are quiet enough that students quietly practice at home and not disturb others.