The choice and placement of songs sculpt the energy in a class of beginners. The more attuned you become to the energy of songs, the more you will be able to create effective lesson plans. Play Songs serve to create any kind of energy needed. Art Songs offer musical energy, and Gem Songs offer musical energy plus the delight of a Play Song. You have a palette of many colors to choose from to shape and shade energy throughout every class you teach.

The energy of a song is inherent within each song. You, as a musician, will find the energy of a song, with its appropriate tempo. As you review songs, capture the energy of each in movement, and imagine the effect of that energy on the class dynamic. A song that invites parent-tot interaction will create a different energy than one that brings all together in a circle, which creates a different energy than a song that uses each child’s name, which creates a different energy than an Art Song. The more classes you teach, the more you will experience the energy of each song you choose and the effect of that energy on the class dynamic.

Songs can be placed anywhere in the class to serve whatever energy needs. Each set of Rhythm, Tonal, and Song can be done in whatever order that serves musical goals, with songs placed to either carry out the musical goals or contrast the experience to sustain energy levels throughout. An Art Song can become the musical culmination of an experience in a tonality. A Gem Song can become the musical culmination of an experience in a tonality or in a meter, each song with its own kind of energy. Play Songs serve to frame Rhythm and Tonal Activities, separate one meter from another or one tonality from another, break the intensity of a sustained rhythm or tonal experience, bring parents and children together, encourage independence from parents, entice children to participate, prepare children to let go, increase energy, calm energy.  Lesson planning becomes a process of deciding musical goals, and then framing Rhythm and Tonal Activities with songs, balancing and sculpting energy.

A Tonal Activity while sitting, followed by a Rhythm Activity while standing, might be followed by a calming Play Song while sitting.  A Tonal Activity while standing, followed by a Rhythm Activity while sitting, might be followed by a high energy Play Song with everybody up and moving. Reversing the order, a Rhythm Activity sitting, followed by a Tonal Activity standing, might be followed by an Art Song in the same tonality, standing, which then might be best followed by a Play Song sitting. Or, a Tonal Activity sitting, might be followed by an Art Song in the same tonality sitting, followed by a Rhythm Activity standing, followed by a Play Song sitting. The presentation of a tonality with a recorder, followed by the presentation of a meter with a drum might be followed by a high energy Play Song—or, perhaps the instrumental presentations would be followed by a Play Song with guitar or autoharp accompaniment, creating a longer instrumental “scene” in your “seamless children’s play.” Every choice you make can be balanced by the next, and choices can be different every week. You will begin to favor certain choices and may choose to use an effective series of energy choices weekly with different content.

Developed children will lead you to make a different set of choices. These children might be ready for a Tonal Activity followed by a Resting Tone Activity, followed by an Art Song or Gem Song. If an Art Song, the energy will be quite different than it would be with a Gem Song. The Art Song might be followed by a very active Rhythm Activity, or a very active Play Song.  An active Gem Song, on the other hand, might be best followed by a calming Rhythm Activity or a calming Play Song.

Generally speaking, planning in terms of sets of Rhythm Activity, Tonal Activity, and Song will assure a good balance for music learning, without an overabundance of Play Songs. The proportion of Play Songs, Art Songs, and Gem Songs in any given class is dependent upon musical goals, energy needs, and the ages and stages of children. You may find that one Art Song in a class is so rich and so intense, that just one is sufficient. Similarly, you may find that one lively Gem Song is so musical and so charming that just one is enough. Or, you may find that a couple of Gem Songs of different energies placed at very different points in the class serve well, or that an Art Song early in the class and a Gem Song late in the class serve well. And, you might make different choices each week about how many Art Songs or Gem Songs to include depending upon the age and development of the children, and the props and activities that you choose for the class.  

The more developed children become, the less Play Songs you will need, as energy will be sculpted by the holding power of the increased difficulty of music content with playful activities, Art Songs, Gem Songs, and the greater use of props as “musical instruments” for both solo and ensemble activities. Play Song anchors as opening, closing, and middle activity may be all that is needed. These little 3-5 year old musicians, like professional musicians, find music itself to be sufficiently energizing, playful, and compelling.