Looking for a high-energy play-along that instantly hooks your students? This one starts with something your students will immediately recognize…

👉 “What were… in the 90s?”

That familiar trend pulls students in right away—and before they know it, they’re stepping into the world of MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” (1990) with instruments in hand and ready to play.

Inspired by a fantastic idea from music educator Vicky Suárez, this play-along blends nostalgia, humor, and solid musical learning into one engaging classroom experience.

🎥 What Makes This Play-Along So Engaging?

This isn’t just another play-along—it’s an experience.

The video opens with the trending “What were… in the 90s?” prompt to instantly grab attention
A cartoon hammer conductor leads the ensemble (yes… wearing hammer pants!)
A dance break featuring MC Hammer adds humor and energy
Backup dancers are tastefully blurred to keep everything classroom-appropriate
The song leaves out lyrics that might not be suitable for an elementary music class
Students stay actively involved the entire time through playing, listening, and moving

It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia, engagement, and musical learning.

🎵 Instrumentation & Flexibility

This play-along was designed with:

Recorders
Boomwhackers

…but it works beautifully with any pitched instrument you have in your classroom (xylophones, glockenspiels, keyboards, etc.).

That flexibility makes it easy to adapt for:

Whole-class instruction
Centers
Small group work
Mixed-instrument ensembles

🎼 The Musical Concepts (Simple & Effective!)

🎶 Riff #1 (Main Groove)

Students play:
D – C – B – A – G

This riff repeats throughout the song, making it perfect for:

Reinforcing descending pitch patterns
Developing finger fluency (especially on recorder)
Building confidence through repetition

🥁 Riff #2 (Boomwhackers Feature)

Boomwhackers take the spotlight with:
A – C – (half rest)

This section is great for:

Practicing rhythmic precision
Reinforcing rest awareness
Giving a contrasting texture to the arrangement

💃 Built-In Movement = Instant Engagement

Because… it’s MC Hammer—movement is a MUST.

During the dance break:

Students can follow along
Or create their own moves inspired by the beat

This is a perfect opportunity to:

Reinforce steady beat through movement
Add a quick brain break
Let students express themselves musically

🧠 Scaffold Student Success with Manipulatives

To help students feel confident before jumping into the full tempo, I’ve created manipulatives that focus on:

Practicing both riffs
Isolating pitch patterns
Preparing students for success

These are especially helpful for:

Differentiation
Centers or small group work
Quick formative assessment

⏱️ Teaching Tip: Adjust the Tempo!

If the tempo feels fast (and it might at first!), don’t forget:

👉 Use YouTube’s playback settings to slow the tempo down

This allows students to:

Build accuracy first
Develop muscle memory
Gradually work up to full speed

Success first—speed later!

🎯 Why This Works So Well

This play-along hits multiple goals at once:

Reinforces pitch and rhythm concepts
Encourages active music-making
Builds confidence through repetition
Keeps students highly engaged
Adds a little humor and joy to your lesson

☕ Grab the Resources

You can find the manipulatives (PPT + PDF) to support this activity here:
👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras

💬 Final Thought

Sometimes the best lessons are the ones where students don’t even realize how much they’re learning—because they’re too busy having fun.

This play-along is one of those moments.

So turn it on, grab your instruments, and enjoy the energy in your classroom…

Because when it comes to this lesson—your students are going to say… “STOP! 🎤”

If you try this with your students, I’d love to hear how it goes!

My Favorite Play-Along This School Year...