Explore, learn and create music without any instruments. Really?
Continue reading and learn how to make it possible!
Your first thought may be ok, create music without instruments, l’ll focus on singing, nice try! Thats not the angle of this article. Singing is an excellent option, its clearly a favoured way to teach and learn about music. However have you explored body percussion? The act of using your body and limbs as an instrument.
World famous acts like Stomp, have shown that body percussion is an art form requiring skill, practise and determination, much like any other musical instrument. Here is a clip of a piece composed by some of our pupils, for your inspiration! #Bodypercussion.
Most musicians and teachers I know see body percussion in a humorous light. It’s quirky, not really music, just a game or something along those lines, is generally the impression given. Being a drummer I am used to this type of jibe coming my way. Did you know there is an international body percussion competition. So there!
While watching Stomp live in theatre I was amazed and perplexed at the complexity, musicality and ingenuity of their songs. Being a trained percussion and educator I am well versed in musical concepts like time, meter and polyphony.
I quickly realised that body percussion is an excellent means to teach all three of these and many more musical principles. So I created a simple 6 week syllabus which I plan to share this with you via our free resources platform.
The video tagged in this post shows how engaged pupils were, the sophistication of the composition and the musical skills developed. In coming articles I would like to share some best practise and ideas to get your body percussion slamming!
Mr O.