SongWorks is built on the premise that students should be at the center of and actively involved in the study at hand.

 

Singing activities, often in the form of singing games, provide the context for student immersion in social interaction, movement, language, thinking, listening, and music. Singing activities are designed to be engaging and enjoyable, and at the same time they provide groundwork for serious progressive study and skill development.

 

Challenges that elicit maximum responsiveness from students are constructed by the teacher and provided through singing games.

 

Learning to respond to student responsiveness is a key challenge for teachers as they help students explore the breadth of possible meaning and solutions to any given task. See SongWorks I: Singing the Education of Children, SongWorks II: Singing from Sound to Symbol written by Drs. Peggy Bennett of Oberlin Conservatory and Dr. Douglas Bartholomew of Montana State University. or The Right Answer Game also written by Dr. Bartholomew.

Antiphonning	Antiphonning is a way of performing a song in which a leader and responder(s) alternate performing successive parts of the song; it is a fill-in-the-blank activity for singing a song. Details
Chinning	Chinning is the act of singing a song on a neutral syllable such as "loo", "la", or "doo". Details
Solfege	Solfa (solfege) is a set of syllables that represent pitch or relationships between pitches in music. The syllables are: DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI and then to DO one octave above the original DO. Details
Song Mapping	A music map is a line that represents the flow or movement of music. Drawn while a song or an instrumental work is being sung or heard. Details
Movement	Movement and singing...... are almost inseparable activities. Details
Secret Songs	Presenting a song as a “Secret Song” entails performance of a song in other than in whole form. Details
Song Dots	Song Dots are made by tapping the rhythm of a pattern or a whole song with chalk or a marker, leaving a visual record of this movement. Details
Singing in the Education of Children	Singing together is a vital component of effective education, one that should be experienced everyday. Details
Stress Patterns in the English Language	Word accents (stresses) are especially important connections between song and language because they give shape, expression, and meaning to both. Details
Vocal Productions Within the Songworks	Vocal production within the SongWorks framework refers to the “lifted voice”, a voice that is well supported by breath energy and often using head resonance. Details
Singing for Every Child	Some children enter school having had little experience in singing. Quite a few children sing in a speaking or shouting voice. When I suggest helping children find the singing voice, I refer to a light, high, head voice often associated with the sound of an excellent children’s choir. Details

 

There are various courses of study throughout Canada, the United States, and Japan where those interested can study SongWorks. If you would like to have a course in your area, see the contacts page.