Overview

The idea for this lesson is for the learner to have experience with Orff instruments using the
American folk song “Wayfaring Stranger”. The melodic emphasis is the use of a minor scale
using both te and ti while the rhythmic accent on this piece is the use of the dotted quarter
note. The learners will have the ability to hear the context of more than one instrument to
determine how their own performance and other’s performance fits into the entire song and
meaning behind it. The learners will receive the opportunity to speak about their
interpretations of this piece.

I Can Statements (learning goals)

• I can sing music in unison and also play an instrument that uses simple harmony
alongside it (VA SOL 6.2.3)
• I can perform rhythmic patterns that include a variety of note durations (VA SOL 6.4)
• I can describe the culture that this piece came from to explain the reason behind the
lyrics (VA SOL 6.7.1)

Materials

• Bongos
• Metallophone
• Alto Xylophone
• Glockenspiel (optional)
• Walk Band for Android
• Printed out scores for all of these parts

Detailed Process

Time
Required 1. Introduce the Walk-Band’s rhythm by clapping and encouraging the group
30 mins to follow along. This is the simplest rhythm going “one and-and three
four”. The rhythm fits with the whole piece so when it appears the group
as a whole generally understands the rhythm, sing the whole piece for the
class. While singing, if some of the learners appear bored, beginning the
rhythm for the bongos by using the right and left leg as the two sides of
the bongos and patting “left right-right left left right right” in the rhythmic
pattern “one-and a two and three four.” The hands you use for easiest
demonstration doesn’t matter. I do prefer to play as “left right left right left
right right” because that works for me, but I am not the one teaching this.
(3 minutes)

2. Invite the learners to discuss in a group of two or three what they heard in
the lyrics. This includes if there were any repeated phrases, any key
words they found important, what the lyrics could mean or where they
 think they come from. While this is happening, be going around from each
group to the next talking with them and giving an idea of the context of
this piece. This piece is a song sung by protestants coming from Europe
to America in search of religious freedom. Another context of this piece
could be the peace and relief they found in their trials where even if they
were prosecuted or jailed, they could find peace in heaven. (3 minutes)

3. Bring the group together and hear each group’s responses. Use key
words or phrases to teach the lyrics and the song to the learners through
call and response by phrase. After teaching through call and response,
get the group to sing through the whole piece without you. (4 minutes)

4. Ask the group to show you the rhythm(s) they used at the beginning of
class. Assign key phrases to each. For example: the rhythm for the
bongos could be “See I am going home. Oh,” and the rhythm for the
phone application could be “Wayfar-ing stra-nger.” Split the group into
two. One half using one rhythm and the other using the other. Pass
around some bongos and places where the application can occur (at least
one) to some students that look like they are having trouble, as they can
continue working on that while the rest of the group can move on. Have
the group sing through several phrases. Stop the piece after about two
lines of lyrics. (4 minutes)

5. Suggest that something is missing. Invite some of the learners to sit at

either a Metallophone or an Alto Xylophone. There should be scores in
front of each instrument. Ask those in front of the Metallophone to place
their mallets over both the B in their right hand and the E in their left hand.
Those in front of a Metallophone will play from the phrase left off from
(that is, again, your choice in the moment). When the end of the phrase
occurs, it would be good to stop the ensemble and ask what sounds
funny. Hopefully the group will be able to say that the Metallophone
doesn’t fit the piece in that moment. Suggest that they try playing one
note down-where the right hand is over the A and the left hand is over the
D. Try that phrase again. Stop right before the chorus and ask them to
play one half of the first pattern and one half of the second pattern-pattern
being which two notes. Announce that that is what the chorus will sound
like for them. Another option is to have them use the two chords they
have been playing to figure out how the chorus will go while the group of
learners sing it to them. (7 minutes)

6. Try the chorus one time with the whole class. During this, sing the melodic
ostinato to the Alto Xylophones. The lyrics that will help with the rhythm
and with helping the group remember the notes and order will be “go-ing
o-ver home” in the rhythm “one and two and three”. Learners on the Alto
Xylophone should be the learners that have appeared bored or too
advanced for the instruction after one explanation of each. When the song
is over that time around, ask the whole group to sing the melodic ostinato
 to you line by line through call and response “b-e-e-d-e” and so forth. (6
minutes)

7. Ask each group to remind you of their part one by one. When all of the
parts are playing together, encourage the learners that aren’t focusing too
hard anymore on their instrument to sing with the accompaniment they
created and played. (3 minutes)

Assessments

I can sing music in unison and also play an instrument that uses simple harmony
alongside it
Meets standards: The learner is attentive and can play along with at the very least their own
part and the song while learning and performing the piece.
F: The learner is able to play another person’s part while that section is learning it and also
can play their own part while singing the melody. There is also the option for that learner to
play the melody on the glockenspiel while they sing another person’s part.
B: The learner is able to play or sing their own part, sing another person’s part, but may not
be able to play their own part on the instrument provided.

I can perform rhythmic patterns that include a variety of note durations

Meets standards: The learner can sing the piece with rhythmic accuracy and also play their
own part with the same level of rhythmic accuracy.
F: This learner can begin to improvise rhythms on their instrument that work with the piece
while continuing to sing the piece.
B: The learner can play the steady beat that the Alto Xylophone provides, whether or not they
can sing the piece with rhythmic accuracy.

I can describe the culture that this piece came from to explain the reason behind the
lyrics
Meets Standards: The learner can identify key terms that shows the mood of the piece that fit
into what the instructor described the historical context to be.
F: The learner can use the key terms and what the instructor said to describe the mood of the
piece. This learner can also connect that mood to a real-world event or personal experience
for the piece.
B: The learner can say what the instructor stated about the historical context of the piece.

Extensions:

• There may be a learner that can play the melody on the glockenspiel.
• The learners as a whole may have the opportunity to talk about how they would
orchestrate the piece using instruments they had played before or how they would
change the parts they are playing themselves. That second option can be shown
through performing the piece one more time and allowing all the learners to either
improvise or stay on their own part that would fit into the piece.
• Music theory can be explored through asking each learner to write out what it is they
are playing so they could remember it in the future. Explore and ask questions that will
 help the learners explain their thought process behind their individualized scores. Tie it
into what the staff notation would look like for each part.

Adaptations

Size • If the group is larger, there may be more opportunity for body percussion
and part singing rather than instrumental exploration. This can help with
orchestration as the group can be invited to show what they believe each
body percussion section should look like or sound like and they can
explain to the group and the instructor why they chose that.
• If a group is smaller, they will have the opportunity to play multiple
instruments and they can describe to the group and the instructor the
differences in playing and their opinions of each part and instrument.
• If the learner using the phone app has a difficult time seeing on a phone
or tablet, there is a computer version of the application that can be put on
the smart board.

Color • Sides of the bongos can be given colors to avoid a left and right situation.
So instead of “left right right left left right right” it would be something like
“blue red red blue blue red red.”
• Bars on the Orff instruments can have colored stickers which would be
more vibrant and require less searching than the letters engraved into
them. Then the score given can also be written in colors rather than
letters or the letters can be written in those colors so that there can be
that extra level of thinking and applying.

Pacing • If a student shows deep frustration/confusion with a certain part, it would

benefit them to play that instrument or part more to develop it.
• On the other hand, if a learner develops boredom with one part, it would
be advantageous to bring them to the glockenspiel to play the melody
while singing another part. These learners can also be invited to
improvise a new rhythm or melodic part to go alongside the song as well.

Modality • The instrumental parts could also be taught before the lyrics if that would
suit the learners better, if they need to be playing something or
multitasking in order to learn.
• The musical scores for each part could be in either the manner provided
or in staff notation depending on what level the learners are on or how
they are able to piece together the piece the most accurately.