Every Wednesday, the médiathèque organizes various programs for children. The children’s department asked my colleague A and me to create a workshop introducing musical instruments. We called it “À vous de jouer: un atelier d’initiation à la musique,” and we aimed to make it simple and fun.
The event took place on June 12, and we held two one-hour sessions. We divided the workshop into different parts.
The first part focused on rhythm, starting with the body and then moving to instruments. We explained the concepts of rhythm and tempo, and then we clapped and used our bodies as instruments. Next, it was time for the instruments. We prepared a table with various percussion instruments (bongos, tambourines, shekere, mini djembe, musical washboard, octoblock, sticks). We let the children explore, touch, and play the instruments. After the experimentation, we tried to play the rhythm of the song “We Will Rock You” by Queen all together.
The second part was about using the voice as an instrument. We asked the children if they liked to sing and if they had a favorite song. I explained to them that there are songs made only with voices, and as an example, I sang “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. They had never heard that song before, and we had a great time jamming to it.
The third part was about melody and instruments. We explained the concept of melody using an electric piano, vibraphone, synthesizer, and kazoo. I also brought a guitar, and my colleague played “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. We gave the children a chance to touch and play these instruments. After that, I introduced them to the kazoo, an instrument that makes it easy for anyone to become a musician. I played “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and then handed out kazoos to everyone, asking them to repeat. We were very noisy, but it was so much fun, and the kids were great 😊.
After that, we gave the kids free time to play whichever instrument they wanted. It was a pleasure seeing them play and enjoy themselves. Some kids played the piano or synthesizer, while others were into percussion instruments. A few kids had a blast on the vibraphone. The energy was amazing, and we were very, very loud.
I was video recording parts of the whole session. Some kids asked if I could record them singing their favorite songs. They were great! One girl came up to me and said she likes to sing, but not in front of a crowd, and asked if she could sing a song just for me. I was happy to hear this because it means they feel safe at this event, their creativity is stimulated, and they trust us. They want to make music, and that’s what this event is all about. If we inspire children to make music, we are successful.
At the end, we offered the kids a small concert. A and I played “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles. A played bass guitar, and I played guitar and sang. We invited the children to clap or play percussion instruments with us if they felt like it. It was a great jam session, and we were all happy and energized.
This was my first musical workshop ever, and I think it went well. I edited and created a small promo video, with the faces blurred. When I look at it, I can see how much the kids enjoyed the workshop. 😊 For the future, I believe we should only do one session because two sessions in a row were too much for two reasons. Even though we planned for a one-hour session, it took a little longer, and we needed a break. By the second session, we were tired and a bit less performative. So, maybe in the future, it’s important to consider creating a one-and-a-half-hour workshop to maintain quality and energy levels.
Another thing to think about is the noise. Even though we were organized, the children loved playing the instruments, but since they didn’t know how to play, there were moments of chaos. Also, even though we tried to make the jam session as good as possible, it feels impossible to teach children to play perfectly or to fully understand the concept of rhythm. This added to the noise and chaos. However, it’s important to remember that perfection is not the objective. The objective is to experiment, teach, inspire, and have fun! And that’s exactly what we did—a massive music party! 😊