Note: A different version of this material was first published in Reverberations ​on AOSA's website. Re-used with permission.

Movement is critical to student rhythmic development. The coordination of gross motor skills builds both steady beat skills and establishes the foundation for audiating meter. The Rhythmische Ubung by Gunild Keetman is an excellent source for movement development.

The 78 pieces for body percussion cover a wide variety of meters, phrase lengths, and orchestrations and many of the pieces can be adapted for junkyard percussion. 
​
For example, #51 utilizes gross-motor movement and looks like this:

Taping sticks make them more durable, safer, and slightly quieter. They also look cooler. 

​Junkyard percussion is an extremely practical and musical performance ensemble for your students.

Unfortunately, some teachers who want to teach bucket drumming don’t feel comfortable enough to get started. Others just don’t know where to begin.

​Here are some solutions to those common problems.


1. “It’s too loud."  

It’s true: bucket drumming has a higher volume ceiling than other ensembles. But that should not deter you from teaching bucket drumming. Earlier this year, I described three simple/quick/cheap ways to reduce the volume of your classroom. With a little care, nobody should ever worry about hearing damage when teaching bucket drumming. ​
​

2. “I don’t know where to get the instruments."

Don’t worry, I do! Just use this shopping list to gather the instruments you need. The list explains what, where, and how much stuff you need. If you are looking for buckets on the cheap (or free) take a look at this list of bucket sources. ​

A common hurdle for music teachers new to bucket drumming is where to get the buckets. While buckets are very affordable ($3ish) from large hardware stores like Home Depot (the bright orange ones are my favorite), it's possible to gather them for free with a little leg work.

Below are all the places that I've heard music teachers say they've found buckets for bucket drumming.  Some are donations, others are simply used and then tossed by the original owners. Feel free to post other sources in the comments.

Click here to download a pdf version of this list.

If you already have buckets and they get stuck together a lot, try some of the preventative measures in this post. 

Buckets sometimes get stuck together, especially after they've been stacked for a prolonged period of time. This happens due to heat, too many buckets stacked together (too heavy) or just plain bad luck. A couple buckets may even get irreparably stuck together for good.

Below are some prevention ideas, later I'll talk about how to unstick buckets once they are stuck. 
​
1. Toss a stick in each bucket before you stack it.​

I'm excited to announce the 2016 Summer Junkyard Percussion Workshop! This all-day workshop will cover everything you could possible need to know about bucket drumming: what instruments you need, where to get them, how to use them, and much more.

If you are a music teacher and love to drum, this is the professional development opportunity for you! We'll spend the day performing and learning how to teach your students to drum with musicianship. You will leave will materials, lesson plans, and most importantly the confidence you need to teach your students.

And we'll have great food too! A delicious catered lunch will be provided along with breakfast and snacks throughout the day. The workshop will take place Tuesday, July 26th from 9:00-4:00 p.m. at Breck School in Golden Valley, MN. The school is easy to get to and parking is free. Registration is $110. Contact me with any questions and I hope to see you there. Full info on the Workshop page.