Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in your music classroom from September 15th-October 15th. It is so worth it and so easy!
Don't worry if you're not sure how to begin, I'll help you. Let's start with some of the frequent questions about the Do's & Don'ts of celebrating.
Do you have to identify as a member of the Latinx community to celebrate?
No! I appreciate the thought you're putting in, truly. But if we only sang songs from cultures or groups of people to which we personally belong, we're ignoring a HUGE collection of our students.
Do I have to check with my administration?
No. One of the National Core Arts Standards is to use music to connect with other people, cultures, & art forms. A well-balanced music program involves singing & playing songs from around the world, including Latinx countries!
How do you find music?
This is where the work really begins.
- Selecting music takes thought, effort, & help. Just like not all English-speaking countries are the same, no two Spanish-speaking countries are the same. It would be easy to group countries together based on geographic region, but let's not short-change the micro-cultures! Just think about all the unique holidays:
- Carnvial is unique to Brazil
- AgitÁgueda in Portugal
- Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico
- La Tomatina in Spain
- folk songs are a wonderful way to engage elementary musicians because the melodic & rhythmic patterns are quite often easy for wee ones to learn.
- Al Citron de un Fandango comes from Peru & is a wonderful song for playing a circle game
- La Cucaracha is a giggle-inducing song from Mexico that kids often have heard, but never knew the translation! Do you?!
- Chumbara comes from Central America. Kids sit in a circle and keep a steady beat while engaging with peers. It is my #1 requested game in 1st Grade! Mi Cuerpo is a Spanish song that best suits little learners who loved songs like Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes.
- Vamos a La Mar is a Guatemalan folk song in 2/4 time. The repetitive nature allows students to pick up the Sol-Mi-Do pattern quickly. With a vocal range between Middle C and the 3rd space in treble clef, it's great for mini musicians! My upper elementary students were able to play boomwhackers while singing on the 1st day so I'm confident that your kiddos will also be able to sing & play!
- Plan your goals - What is it that you want for your students? Is your goal for them to CREATE, PERFORM, RESPOND, or CONNECT?
- Sing & play.
- Sing songs that allow students to move & dance
- Consider authentic mariachi music
- Instrumental covers
- playlists cultivated by members of the Latinx community
- Play on Orff instruments, play along with maracas, join with claves, strum along on guitar!
- Read - There are so many wonderful books, truly! Some of my favorites are:
- Federico & the Wolf is a Mexican retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. I've paired it with "La Bamba" & provided percussion ostinatos for children to play while singing. My 2nd Graders go nuts for this!
- Just Ask features the diverse & inclusive work of Rafael Lopez, a Latinx artist. It's a fantastic read for the start of the school year & helps encourage kids to ask & learn about others. I love the way that the pictures depict so many different types of people in kid-accessible language.
- Dancing Hands tells the true story of a little girl who fled from Venezuela, learned to play piano, then performed for President Lincoln! I like this lesson because it invites students to compose with Song Maker from Chrome Music Lab. It is a free site with loads of sound experiments!
- Get crafty! While you listen to music from Central America, South America, or Spain, consider coloring or making your own maracas! Plastic eggs, some rice or beans, and voila! There are loads of tutorials that show how maracas can be made with water bottles, spoons, & other household objects.
My last bit of cautionary advice is to be careful to
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