Well, here we are: distance learning until at least the first week of May. 
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Maybe this can help: 

I created two videos that teach your students how to play a bucket drumming duet. The duet is called Seven which is a piece I composed last spring. This new duet version has a break down of how to play it and then has students rehearse the piece along with a recording in a virtual duet.

How to use this for distance learning:

Send your students one of the videos and have them learn it. Maybe you could pair students up and after they can play it, have them record themselves and share the video with their partner. They can then play along with their partner's video like an in person duet.

Or take it a step further and challenge students to edit the two videos together to make it look like they are playing together. Maybe edit together an entire class to create a virtual percussion ensemble. Make sure to let me know if you try this!

Recording tip:

​Tell students to wear headphones when they record and to play along with the video or have them play to a click at 120 bpm. That way all the recordings will be at the same tempo.

Below are the two videos along with a link to the parts and a full score. Let me know how else I can help. I plan on posting a full distance bucket drumming unit in the coming weeks, so stay tuned and subscribe to receive email updates.

And don't forget to cross your fingers: maybe you will even get a chance to rehearse them in person sometime soon. ????????????

How to Teach it:

Whether teaching by notation or rote, I have students do a lot of movement and chanting/counting out loud before they begin to play the bucket.

I typically start by teaching the two transitions with students counting "1 2 3 4" or "1 2 3 4 5 6 7" out loud as they play. This is an easy way to start and gets the group playing together in unison before they have to play separate parts.

Transition 1 (Letter D) is most successful when students move their bodies to the beat.

Transition 2 (Letter F) involves dynamics, so it's convenient to talk about how to play at a musical dynamic by using appropriate stick heights, as bucket drumming can get loud if you're not careful.

Some other useful posts:

• Ultimate List of Volume Hacks for Bucket Drumming
• Let this video teach your students a bucket drumming groove
• 2019 Summer Junkyard Percussion Workshop (Registration is now open!)

Ok ok, you'll need to do a little teaching. But that's about all the energy I have left this time of year: a little. You can tell it's spring because the students start acting a little more wild, a little shorter on attention span...a little more squirrely. Add in concerts and grading and it's amazing any of us are still standing.

So you might be in the market for a lesson plan that works in just a single period and one you can use with multiple grade levels. And maybe one where you don't have to sweat too hard.

Maybe this groove can help...Below you'll find a lesson plan, play along track, video and song suggestions.

Turn on the video and have the students play along by watching their part on the screen and playing along. This is great because it's sometimes difficult to model more than one part at a time.

Next, turn on this play along track and have students play along. Download it here (don't forget to download the printable Lesson Plan too!)​

Then find some tunes and have the students play along with the music. They'll love it and offer a bunch of song suggestions. Once you 'safety check' their suggestions, turn on the song and play along.

​The tunes in the video include:

• We Found Love - Rihanna and Calvin Harris
• Hey Boy Hey Girl - Chemical Brothers
• Outside - Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris

All are at 128 bpm, but this groove works at slow, medium, and fast tempo. Here are some other suggestions:

• I Feel Good - James Brown (kind of quick, but fun)
• Happy - Pharrell 
• Oye Como Va - Santana version

To learn more, be sure to check out the Summer Junkyard Percussion Workshop. In 2017, it will be held on June 22nd from 9:00-4:00 pm in Minneapolis, MN. Lesson plans, process, repertoire and more are all covered in a fun, hands-on way. And delicious food! There is more information on the Workshops page. Happy drumming!

Summer is coming. I can feel it. And so can the students...

Teach this Piece: One Bucket Groove - Theme and Variations

Another idea is to only teach the first groove and then have students come up with their own variations. If an Admin walks in the room, explain that you are teaching a "Theme and Variations" lesson with student composition. Smile and give yourself a high five for being awesome in the month of May.  

Why will it work during the final months? 

It only uses one rhythm pattern which:

• simplifies student focus
• reduces the number of things students have to attend to at once
• reduces the number of things the teacher has to attend to 

Learn other survival skills at the Summer Junkyard Percussion Workshop. An all-day professional development workshop that shows you everything you need to teach bucket drumming.