Swingin’ on the Bars

Swingin’ on the Bars was written to afford middle school general music students the opportunity to learn about America’s original brand of classical music –jazz– by participating in hands-on, performance-based activities. The barred instruments, as found in music classrooms where the pedagogy of Carl Orff is used, provide a means for students with minimal formal instrumental training to experience jazz firsthand through direct experience and participation in performing the music. Teachers can help their students learn about the idioms of jazz in the way that young people best enjoy learning: through active participation and exploration. Presenting a variety of music arranged for Orff instrumentation in a swingin’ style, this delightful collection is sure to engage your students’ creativity while building musical skills. The sequence of tunes in this book represents difficulty levels in terms of mallet technique requirements and challenges resulting from more or less harmonic complexity. Each piece is preceded by a suggested teaching sequence and listening resources. Get your students Swingin’ on the Bars today!