Carnegie Hall

Smooth and Bouncy Breath

• Using both hands, have students create an “O” shape by touching index finger to index finger and thumb to thumb.
• Instruct them to put the “O” around their bellybutton and take slow, silent, and deep breaths pushing the “O” out in a smooth motion while keeping their shoulders still.
• Add a “sh” or “th” sound to the breath.

• Taking the “O” from Smooth Breath, have students bounce the “O” in short motions. Add a “sh,” “th,” or “t” sound to the breath.
  • What is different or the same when you add different letter sounds while you exhale?
  • What is happening inside your body as you breathe?
  • Is anything moving? What is moving?

Explore Different Voices

• Lead a discussion with the class about the four different ways they can use their voices—whispering, talking, calling, and singing.
  • Where would we use our whispering voice? (e.g., library or movie theater
  • Where would we use our talking voice? (e.g., classroom, telephone, or dinner table)
  • Where would we use our calling voice? (e.g., baseball game, playing sports, or leading a group)
  • Where would we use our singing voice? (e.g., Musical Explorers concert, car, or shower)
• Have students explore each vocal quality by using the same sentence and pretending they are in some of the places identified above. (e.g., “Hi, my name is …”)

Put Breath, Sound, and Imagination Together

• Look up to the ceiling and imagine a big apple tree.
• Stretch your right hand up and pick the most beautiful apple you can find.
• Clean your apple on your shirt using your breath. Use short, low breaths with a “huh” sound.
• Take a huge bite, and make biting and chewing sounds—the more obnoxious the better.
• Tell me how delicious the apple is by making “mmm” sounds. The higher the sound, the more delicious the apple is!
• Swallow the apple with a gulping sound.
• Look at the apple and exclaim (on a vocal siren from high to low), “Ewww, there’s a worm!”
• Throw the apple and shake your body out to rid yourself of the gross idea of eating a worm.

Repeat the warm-up with the left hand.

Explore Scales and Melodic Contour

• Have students sing the notes of a major scale while touching the corresponding points on their bodies indicated below. This scale can be sung using scale degrees, solfège, or the names of the corresponding body part.

• While the students continue to keep the steady beat with their feet, create simple rhythmic patterns with your hands (e.g., chest patting, clapping, snapping, etc.). Ask the students to echo them back to you.
• Continue to explore other kinds of body percussion (e.g., hissing, clucking, etc.).
• As the students become comfortable with the warm-up, ask for volunteers to act as the leader, creating their own rhythms for the class to echo back.