 Jean Louis Daniel and student make music at a program-wide event at the Haitian Multi-Service Center
Music
Throughout the Managing
Stress project we made a conscious effort to explore places in the classroom where music could be used appropriately. Some of these efforts were small but had a big impact: playing carefully selected music as students entered class in the morning provided a calming transition from a hectic schedule into a place of learning. Playing more lively music for evening classes helped provide a boost of energy after a day of work. Playing music during class was trickier; some students enjoyed this while others complained that it interfered with their concentration, so teachers needed to negotiate solutions with the class.
We also used music during our training institutes and in the workshops we facilitated throughout New England. Responses from participants were immediate and positive. One woman said, "Oh, how nice to come in and hear lovely music while we are waiting for others to get started!"
Maybe the Hokey Pokey IS What It’s All About!
Musical YouTube videos proved popular with many classes. Most YouTube videos are short and can be used to end a class, to boost energy during a lagging class, to teach vocabulary and facilitate language acquisition in an ESOL class. The Hokey Pokey became a favorite of the project, and many YouTube versions of this can be found on YouTube. Doing the Hokey Pokey certainly seemed to release tension, promote laughter, encourage lightness, and allow students to transition to learning tasks a little easier. Check out the following versions:
Other Fun Dances
Multi-Cultural Music
To encourage community building, we also researched music and dance from a variety of countries represented by students in our project, hoping this would encourage “experts” - the students - to share their knowledge of these traditions with the class. Here is a short list of single songs available inexpensively from iTunes and YouTube videos. We suggest asking students if these selections are appropriate or interesting to them before sharing them. Better yet, ask your students about recommendations for favorite music from their home countries. Chances are, if you get a title and artist, you can find a version on iTunes.
Haiti
L'Arevois Plus Belle (3:08)
Ti Band L'Avenir
Haiti Cherie
1989 Discos Corazon
Party by the Sea (3:51)
Jean Wyclef
Welcome to Haiti – Creole 101
2004 Koch Entertainment
Donnez Moi La Main (3:31)
Ensemble Aux Calebasses
Meringue!
2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings/Cook Records
Latin America/Caribbean
Hot Meringue
Tony Camarro (3:32)
Trumpet Holidays in Latin America
Trompelle Latino
2009 Successif
Hot, Hot, Hot (3:25)
The Countdown Singers
Caribbean Fun in the Sun
2005 Madacy Special Products
Macerena (3:53)
The Countdown Singers
Caribbean Fun in the Sun
2005 Madacy Special Products
Somalia
Somali Ramadan Celebration (1:10)
Various Artists and Jean Jenkins
Music From Ethiopia
1994
Topic
Iraq
Folks music of Iraq
Traditional dance of Iraq
Rwanda
Mwari Sigaramahoro (2:22)
Isonga
Hotel Rwanda Soundtrack
2007 Commotion Records
Nepal
Nepali Folk Music
Cambodia
Traditional Cambodian Music
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Music from the North Kivu province
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Music and Images
Albania
Albanian Folk Dance
Every week I have been increasingly including music into the daily agenda. Some days I play music from the CD selection on my computer as students come into class and sign in. I can see the students instantly relaxing and smiling. Sometimes they will start to dance together and often they sing along. I have been using primarily classic Haitian songs like Choucounne, Haiti Cherie, Bon Anniversaire, Ayiti Peyi-mwen and No Woman No Cry. This makes the classroom more inviting and welcoming.
- Jean-Louis Daniel, Haitian Multi-Service Center
 The Haitian Center worked for over a year to put together a songbook of Haitian Creole and North American songs, complete with lyrics and CDs. In the introduction to the songbook, Alice explains:
This Songbook for Singing, Spreading Joy and Laughter and Learning English is a product of our work with the Managing Stress to Improve Learning project. This songbook includes a CD and DVD of songs to be used in classroom instruction. Our goal was to compile songs that reflect our shared cultures (Haitian and North American), the struggles of life, the value of friends and faith, and the strength of community. We hope that through music and dance in the classroom, we can help students and staff reduce the stresses of life, create bridges of cultural understanding, and inspire the tired in heart to persevere.
Click here for a downloadable pdf version of the Songbook for Singing, Spreading Joy and Laughter. |
