Beautiful Day Rhythm Play-Along

Hello, fellow music educators! It's mid-October, and that means it's time to get ready for our December concert! In my classroom, this means gathering music, creating manipulatives, and coming up with ways to help my students dive deeper into the melodic and rhythmic patterns of the songs we’ll be performing. I’ve found that tactile and visual aids are perfect for making learning stick, and they also make our rehearsals more fun!

This year, we’re adding a special touch with a light routine to U2's Beautiful Day. To get the younger students (PreK-Kindergarten) familiar with the song, we’ll be doing a fun body percussion activity. For my older elementary students (Grades 1-5), I’ve designed a rhythm-reading play-along activity to accompany the song, which I’m excited to share with you. You can find the video and free downloadable manipulatives on my BuyMeaCoffee Extras Page (https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras). These resources are perfect for reinforcing rhythm skills while having fun with the music!

Rhythms to Explore with Articulation, Dynamics, and Alternative Patterns

For the older elementary students, the rhythm patterns we’re focusing on will help them understand both the mechanics and the expressive side of music. Here’s what we’ll be working with:

• Quarter Notes (Crotchets)

• Quarter Rest

• Eighth Notes (Quavers)

• Whole Notes (Semibreves)

• Accents

• Dynamics (Piano and Forte)

• Fermata

• Alternate Rhythms: Dotted quarter notes, a single eighth note, and half notes (Minims)

Free Manipulatives for Your Classroom

To make it easier for your students to engage with these concepts, I’ve created manipulatives that you can use in class. These manipulatives feature the rhythm patterns from the play-along video and also include five fun facts about U2. Plus, the video showcases beautiful scenes from Ireland that will surely capture your students’ imaginations.

You can download the manipulatives in both PowerPoint and PDF formats, so you can choose the best format for your classroom setup. Just head over to my BuyMeaCoffee Extras Page (https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras).

What’s Coming Soon?

Stay tuned! I’ll soon be sharing the body percussion play-along video, designed for the younger students. It’s a great way to get them moving while reinforcing rhythm in a fun, active way.

I hope you find these resources helpful and fun to use with your students. Whether you're preparing for a concert or just looking to engage your students with exciting rhythm activities, this play-along is a great way to do it!

Enjoy, and happy teaching!