Add Actions

Many of the lyrics in this song refer to directions (up, down, left right. fast, slow, etc.).

Add actions that correspond with the words to create visual interest and to assist the students with remembering what to sing.

Include scarves in the performance for a colourful addition to highlight the actions.

Ask classroom teachers to review and reinforce the lyrics and the actions with the students. Even if they are not singing the song, daily review helps young students to learn the lyrics. This is particularly helpful if French is not their first language.

Expressive Singing

It is never too soon to start talking about expressive singing with young singers.

Use clear diction, facial expression, dynamics, and simple actions to bring the story to life.

Talk with students about what they think should be added to the performance. This allows young singers to take ownership of their performance and to make thoughtful decisions through guided discussion about the options they might consider.

Encourage students to think about the overall effect and audience appeal when they are making their choices.

Keep in mind that too much and too little can both detract from a musical performance!

Discussion

Discuss with students the traditions they observe for holidays or special occasions.

Are there any unique activities or traditions observed by the student’s family?

      What are the student’s favourite parts of these traditions?

Invite students who celebrate Diwali to share some of the activities that are meaningful to them that are connected with this important part of their culture.

Read aloud the lyrics of Celebrate Diwali

• Discuss the four activities that are presented in the lyrics (one per verse).
• Do any of the students take part in these same kinds of activities even if they celebrate a different holiday that is not Diwali?

Add instruments

Add instruments to the performance of Celebrate Diwali.

Choose an instrument to play every time you sing the word celebrate.

Use a triangle, finger cymbal, vibraslap or other similar instrument.

Choose another word in the song. Add a different instrument to be played on this word.

Play the different instruments on one selected word per verse, or use a combination of all the different instruments playing all of the selected words. Make a musical decision regarding how you will add the instruments to your performance.  

• Is it too busy to include all the instruments in every verse?
• What words do you want to accent by adding an instrument?

Be sure that the instruments do not detract from the most important part of the song – the singing!

Performance suggestion

Add scarves to the performance for visual interest.

Have students wave their scarves every time they sing, “Celebrate Diwali”.

Two scarf options: 

1. For the final verse have students gently throw their scarves into the air and let them fall to the ground (without interfering with their descent!) to simulate the fireworks.
2. Divide the class into three groups. Have one group throw their scarves the first time “fireworks” is sung. The second group will wait until the second time “fireworks” is sung. The third group will throw their scarves on the final beat of the song.

The voice of experience when dealing with falling scarves. This works best if all students know that they are NOT to impede the falling scarves, and to let them lie where they fall. At the end of the song, a designated scarf collector can quickly manage the scattered scarves more safely than to have a scrambling group of children trying to accomplish that task!

Have fun singing the song

Sometimes a song is just “cute”. No big teaching points., no need to work on the rhythm or the melody, no dissecting the elements that have been meshed together to create the song. The Giraffe is like that! Just sweet and fun. Simple, with a bit of humour. The lyrics include a few “plays on words” such as when the giraffe is “short on complaining” even while being a tall giraffe. And isn’t it amusing to think about the giraffe, being such a quiet animal, not complaining about anything? I think so!

The Giraffe is a great choice for a young solo singer who needs a song to perform that enables them to gain confidence and performing experience. It also works well with elementary classroom singers. It is simple and well within the skill set of grade 2-3 students and it makes a sweet spring concert number (or an early fall performance as well).

There ARE always musical elements to examine and extract. There are also ways to introduce a song and a few hints and tips might help get the creative ideas flowing. If you want to include other elements in addition to singing just for fun, read on….

Introduce the song

Initiate a discussion with the students asking them to share some facts about their favourite animals.

• Ask the students to name some large animals.
• What small animals can they name?
• What animals are loud?
• What animals are quiet?
• What do they know about giraffes?

Expressive Singing

• Some phrases in The Giraffe are smooth and legato and some have short, staccato words to sing. Use the difference between the legato and staccato phrases to create an expressive performance.
• Read the lyrics aloud.
• Highlight words that have similar sounds and/or that rhyme. How can these words be emphasized to create an expressive performance when speaking and singing? (“spotty, dotty body in between” and “chooses what to chew with care”).
• Use clear diction to be sure the audience can understand what you are singing.

Score Study

• Many passages in The Giraffe are written using step-wise patterns. Find the patterns that are ascending. Find the patterns that are descending.
• Use your hand to show the ascending and descending patterns of the melody as you sing.