Hannah Brady
Musician/teacher
Saxophone, clarinet, recorder
The Book
In the Gap! is a fantastic music teaching resource to encourage that focuses on creative ideas. It uses simple, fun improvisation and composition in a clear and accessible way. Teachers and students will love it! It has a simple 'How to use this book' page so you can start teaching with confidence straight away. Even those who are completely new to improvisation can use In the Gap!
Click here to purchase in hard copy and digital download via Bandcamp.
Look Inside
The book is laid out clearly and concisely. Each song has a page with teaching points to consider. These are designed as a quick way for teachers to build questions and observations around the musical elements of the song.
The “Improvisation” notes suggest ideas about how to start being creative with a tune and how to continue work. The ideas in In the Gap! can be developed into long term projects or used simply as a fun song. It’s up to you!
There is a “leadsheet” with the song structure and words, a “rhythms” sheet with suggested figures that can be sung, clapped, or played, and an “improvisation” sheet with suggested notes, plus student and teacher examples to get you started! All of the songs appear in concert and Bb transposition, and are suitable for voice, classroom percussion, keyboards, glockenspiels, recorders, and clarinets. The pack also includes transposed audio tracks and lead sheets in suitable keys for young string players.
The book is illustrated throughout with fun characters that children love, created especially by Lisa Maltby.
Every copy of In the Gap! comes with an accompanying CD. As well as a warm up track, each song has three tracks: vocal demonstration, instrumental demonstration, and performance. If you would rather accompany students yourself, the pack also includes simple piano parts written by the fantastic Paul Wilkinson!
Click here to purchase in hard copy and digital download via Bandcamp.
How is it being used?
Teachers are using In the Gap! in their whole class ensemble teaching, small group and individual lessons with wonderful results! It is a flexible resource that can be adapted by you to suit your teaching environment. Primary Music Specialist, Finn Ros, says:
“The activities are suitable for learning purely as a means for encouraging improvisation and building confidence in the classroom or, alternatively, these songs could be built up to be performed as concert pieces.”
Creative activities are a great way to engage your beginner music pupils and the songs in this collection have excellent fundamental principles of music at their core. They are fun for teachers and students and have been developed by music specialists to enable outstanding teaching – give it a go!!
Click here to purchase in hard copy and digital download via Bandcamp.