Crafting Music Programs Using MusicPlay Online

• Kati Shelton
• Posted 4/4/22
• 0 comments

New Approach to Music Programs

Teaching these days is full of ups and downs and unknowns. While planning for performances this year, I found that simple is better. The previous tradition in my school was to have every grade perform full musicals with choreography, speaking parts, and stage decorations. While I still think this type of performance has its place, I found that I could make a more effective music program using resources from my subscription to Musicplay online.  

Using the songs from Musicplay for performances makes teaching and learning the songs more manageable. The songs are shorter than the traditional elementary musical songs and are more accessible for students to remember. Quarantine has increased absences, and potential shutdowns require that we teach songs that are easy to remember and reduce rehearsal time and teacher stress.   

I used at least eight rehearsals in previous years to teach a musical to my students, but I only need 5 or 6 rehearsals with this approach. The songs may be simple, but song arrangements are perfect for public performances.  

What is Musicplay Online? 

Musicplay Online is a subscription website that gives music teachers access to over 1,287 song arrangements, videos, worksheets, interactive games, and complete lesson plans (Themes & Variations, 2021). The subscription for teachers in the United States is $174.95 yearly. Previously, I was purchasing four musicals a year at around $70 each, making my total spent on musicals for the year to be about $280. By ditching the musical approach, I save money that I can use elsewhere in my music classroom.  

How to Plan a Performance 

While planning my performances for this school year, I decided to give each concert a theme. My community is accustomed to traditional musicals. Using a theme provided the bridge between old traditions and this new format.  

I used the search feature of Musicplay to find songs for my themes. I decided to use water for my theme and used the search terms “water, “fish,” “ocean,” etc. Once I found songs that I thought would fit well, the website provided lesson plans and additional ideas for each song.  

Each song has a downloadable accompaniment track and a lyric video to help teach students the songs, a notation video for teachers and older students, song activities, teaching suggestions, a piano arrangement, and more. Many songs also include ukulele, Orff, and bucket drumming arrangements. All the provided resources make it easy for a teacher to make the song their own. Accompaniment tracks can easily be swapped out for a live accompanist if you have that option for your program.  

Rhymes

Many traditional musicals involve individual student speaking parts. Speaking parts allow us to feature individual students and practice speaking with expression. However, they can also monopolize valuable rehearsal time, especially with young students.  

Instead, I assigned students rhymes to speak some of our songs. Rhymes are more accessible for young students and are already part of the elementary music curriculum. Rhymes allow students to practice high and low using different voices in our chants. We can also talk about rhyme, meter, and rhythm through rhymes. Rhymes are also easy to memorize. 

I taught several rhymes to all my classes and then picked two or three students who could perform each rhyme very well for the night of the program. If any students are absent on the performance night, I have many students who already know the part and could fill in. I found this to be less stressful because I had people to fill in as backups since I had taught the rhymes to all the classes. 

Sample Programs

Here are two themed concerts and links to the songs found on Musicplay. The links will only work if you are currently logged in to a Musicplay account. Musicplay offers a free trial for 14 days if you would be interested in checking out their website. These program ideas work best for younger grades. I teach preschool through second grade and have found that these songs fit our regular curriculum well.  

“Wonderful Water” Early Elementary Program

1) When I Was One
2) Row Row Row Your Boat
Rhyme 1- Three Little Fishies
3) My Bonnie
4) Charlie Over the Ocean 
Rhyme 2 – Once I Caught a Fish Alive 
5) Lukey’s Boat 
6) Fin the Fish 
Rhyme 3 – Five Little Fishies 
7) Listen to the Water 

“Amazing Animals” Early Elementary Program

1) Old MacDonald
2) The Old Gray Cat
3) Morgan the Monkey
Rhyme 1- Five Little Kittens
4) Down by the Bay
5) Here Comes a Bluebird
Rhyme 2- There Was a Little Turtle
6) Bought Me a Cat
7) Elephants Have Wrinkles

References

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Bought Me a Cat. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/bought-me-a-cat-2/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Charlie over the Ocean. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/charlie-over-the-ocean/   

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Down by the Bay. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/down-by-the-bay__trashed/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Elephants Have Wrinkles. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/elephants-have-wrinkles__trashed/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Fin the Fish. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/f-fin-the-fish/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Five Little Fishies. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/five-little-fishies/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Five Little Kittens. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/five-little-kitties/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Here Comes a Bluebird. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/here-comes-a-bluebird__trashed/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, November 10). Home. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Listen to the Water. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/listen-to-the-water-2/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Lukey’s Boat. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/lukeys-boat-2/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). My Bonnie. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/my-bonnie__trashed/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Morgan the Monkey. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/m-morgan-the-monkey/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). The Old Gray Cat. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/the-old-gray-cat/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). There Was a Little Turtle. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/there-was-a-little-turtle/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Three Little Fishies. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/three-little-fishies__trashed/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Old MacDonald. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/old-macdonald/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Once I Caught a Fish Alive. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/once-i-caught-a-fish-alive/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). Row Row Row Your Boat. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 19, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/row-row-row/  

Themes & Variations. (2021, December 8). When I Was One. MusicplayOnline. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://musicplayonline.com/songs/when-i-was-one__trashed/