THE OWL SONG

Ideas from the Exeter workshop on 30.3.2014 held by Shirley Salmon

The Owl Song (by Gerda Bächli) offers a multitude of possibilities for creative music and movement
activities in inclusive classrooms. The following mind map can help to focus on particular areas when
planning sessions.1 Working on a song or theme can extend over many sessions, choosing difference
focal points.

Sensory awareness
(auditory, tactile, visual, kinaesthetic, vestibular)

Movement Room / Space

Dance Play materials

THE PLAY SONG

(Body-) Instruments Voice / Language

Listening Social forms

Visualisation Story/Music Theatre

Variation: … and the owl flies through the wood.

1
For examples with other songs ee: Salmon, Shirley (2007): Hello Children. A collection of songs and related
activities for children aged 4 -9 with original drawings by Helga Wilberg, Schott Music
MUSICAL FOREST

Focal point: Listening

Participants try out and then choose one instruments from a wide range of instruments and sounding
objects. Each instrument will represent the sound of a tree in the forest. Participants space out in the
room and stay or sit. One person walks through the forest – when he/she is near a tree, the tree
sounds (playing ist own music). When the person is between 2 or 3 trees, they play together. The
music ends when the person leaves the forest or changes place with one oft he trees.

Variation: 2 people walk through the forest listening to the sounds that the other person is initiating.

LEADING AND FOLLOWING

Focal point: Listening and social forms

Participants find a partner and choose one instrument for each pair. One person (the ‚Listener‘) finds
a place, stands or sits still and closes their eyes. The partner moves around the room playing the
instrument but also making pauses. The ‚Listeners‘ stay still but turn to their sound, or point to their
partner and open their eyes when all the sounds have stopped. The pairs change roles.

With the same partner and instrument: one person closes their eyes and follows the sound of their
partner’s instrument when he/she is moving round the room and playing. The ‘Players’ take care that
their partner doesn’t bump into anything. The pairs can change roles when a signal is given or
independently. (It is important that there is a wide range of instruments and that the ‘Players’ make
pauses as well as altering their rhythm, tempo etc.)

MELODY

Focal points: listening and moving

The teacher plays the melody or sings the melody without the words with accompaniment. The
participants listen to the melody with their eyes closed and ‘paint’ the melody in the air (or on the
floor) with one hand, then the other hand and then both hands. The movements with 2 hands can be
parallel or mirror movements.

‘Paint’ the melody with a partner: one person paints a short phrase, the partner takes over. Or: one
paints the melody, the partner mirrors the movements

VOICE

Focal point: listening, experimenting

The participants imagine they are carrying a note around the room (and cup their hands to carry it).
The whole group starts together – each person sings any note they choose (‘na’), staying on the same
note until they need to breathe. When breathing in, participants stand still and can then choose a
different note to sing.
The teacher only plays the accompaniment (without singing the melody). The participants move
around the room carrying and singing different notes to the accompaniment.

ACCOMPANIMENT

Focal point: Instruments, Harmony

Using barred instruments experiment with playing the note E. Find different ways of playing
(dynamically, rhythmically etc.) and let individual people show their idea which is imitated by the
group

Use the note E to accompany the song metrically and with rhythmic variations. The teacher can
accompany with a minor / G major.

Learn accompaniments with different levels complexity (each bar: a minor, G major) e.g. just the
bass, in thirds, the whole chord. Invent new combinations.

Metric/Rhythmical accompaniments can use ostinati based on words from the song

e.g. owl - / church bell / come to me -

Children who cannot yet play rhythmically or melodically can choose instruments to represent parts
of the theme (wind, rustling of leaves, the flying of the owl, animal sounds in the forest, water…..) to
be played either with the accompaniments or as an introduction or interlude.

ROLES IN THE SONG

Focal point: specific tasks (church bell, owl, night music)

A selection of instruments for the ‘night music’ lies in the middle. One person is the ‘owl’. One
person is the ‘church bell’ and chooses the time (4 o’clock, 7 o’clock etc.) – the text is adapted
accordingly. The whole group sings the song (with or without accompaniment). At the end of the
song, the church bell sounds while the ‘owl’ flies around the room choosing (by pointing or touching
the gently) a few people to play the music of the town or forest at night. They sit down in the middle
and improvise the ‘night music’ while the others in the outer circle close their eyes and listen. At the
end the roles are taken over by other participants.
RONDO WITH IMPROVISATIONS

Focal Point: Musical form, accompanying, improvising in a small group

Sing the song with accompaniments. Children who already play instruments may play the melody or
other composed/invented parts.

When the song is finished let the accompaniments continue while 2,3 or more participants improvise
using the notes a, b, c, d, e. Sing the song again etc. and let other participants improvise etc.