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Internalising Rhythm – Building Solid Foundations in Counting and Subdivision (Recording)

Price range: $144.00 through $270.00

  • Dr Tom Pierard
  • 6x1.5-hrs sessions every Monday
  • Completed

Description

This course will provide music instrument teachers with novel and practical approaches to teaching rhythm and subdivision. We will explore innovative rhythm games, online technologies, and creative strategies that can be immediately implemented in your teaching practice. The course emphasizes a deeper understanding of rhythmic concepts and how to foster internalization in students.

Course Objectives:

  • Gain a deeper understanding of rhythmic concepts and their application in music education.
  • Explore innovative rhythm games and activities suitable for various learning styles and age groups.
  • Discover and evaluate online technologies for teaching rhythm and subdivision.
  • Develop strategies to foster rhythmic internalization and musicality in students.
  • Enhance your teaching practice with creative and engaging approaches to rhythm instruction.

Instructor

Tom is a performer, academic and commercial composer. Prior to working at Sunway University he taught extensively in the tertiary sector lecturing in music technology, contemporary performance and music pedagogy. His drumming and production have featured on several notable albums and multimedia collaborations, and he regularly performs in a range of styles from jazz to heavy metal. Recently, his research focus has mainly been on exploring new student centred pedagogies for music technology, exploring the impact of AI generated music on identity development, and agents of change in mainstream drumming and percussion.

Outline

Week 1: Rhythm Fundamentals and the Teacher’s Role

  • (30 mins) Rethinking Rhythm: Challenge existing assumptions about rhythm teaching. Discuss common challenges and how to address them. 
    • Activity: Participants analyze a rhythm they find difficult to teach and brainstorm solutions.
  • (45 mins) Beyond the Metronome: Exploring body percussion, movement, and vocalization as tools for internalizing rhythm. 
    • Activity: Participants learn and practice a rhythmic piece using body percussion and movement.
  • (45 mins) Technology as a Partner: Introduction to online rhythm tools and apps (e.g., Rhythm Trainer, Theta Music Trainer). 
    • Activity: Participants explore and evaluate selected apps, sharing their findings and potential classroom applications.

 

Week 2: Rhythm Games and Gamification

  • (30 mins) The Power of Play: Why games are effective for learning rhythm. Discussion of different game types and their benefits.
  • (60 mins) Rhythm Games Workshop: Participants learn and play a variety of rhythm games suitable for different age groups and skill levels. 
    • Examples: Rhythm Bingo, Flashcard Races, Clapping Games, Composition with Rhythm Dice
  • (30 mins) Designing Your Own Games: Participants brainstorm and design their own rhythm games based on their students’ needs and interests.

 

Week 3: Online Technologies for Rhythm Education

  • (30 mins) Deep Dive into Online Tools: Exploring advanced features of online rhythm tools (e.g., creating custom exercises, analyzing student performance).
  • (45 mins) Interactive Rhythm Websites: Discovering and evaluating websites with interactive rhythm exercises and games (e.g., Musictheory.net, Teoria.com). 
    • Activity: Participants engage in a “website scavenger hunt” to find and share useful resources.
  • (45 mins) Using Technology for Assessment: Discussion of how technology can be used for formative and summative rhythm assessments.

 

Week 4: Developing Rhythmic Independence and Polyrhythms

  • (30 mins) Layering Rhythms: Introduction to polyrhythms and their role in developing rhythmic independence. 
    • Activity: Participants practice clapping simple polyrhythms.
  • (60 mins) Polyrhythm Games and Activities: Exploring games and activities that introduce polyrhythms in a fun and accessible way. 
    • Examples: “Pat and Rub,” “Rhythm Circles,” two-hand coordination exercises on instruments.
  • (30 mins) Applying Polyrhythms in Teaching: Participants discuss how to incorporate polyrhythms into their teaching, considering different instrument families and skill levels.

 

Week 5: Rhythm and Musicality

  • (30 mins) Beyond the Notes: Exploring the connection between rhythm and musical expression (dynamics, phrasing, articulation).
  • (60 mins) Rhythm and Improvisation: Engaging in rhythm-based improvisation activities to develop creativity and musicality. 
    • Activity: Participants improvise rhythmic variations on a given melody or rhythmic pattern.
  • (30 mins) Cultivating Rhythmic Awareness: Discussion of strategies to help students develop a deeper awareness of rhythm in music they listen to and perform.

 

Week 6: Putting it All Together

  • (30 mins) Sharing and Reflection: Participants share their experiences from the course and discuss how they plan to implement new ideas in their teaching.
  • (60 mins) Creating a Rhythm Toolkit: Participants develop a personalized “rhythm toolkit” with resources, games, and activities to use in their teaching.
  • (30 mins) Q&A and Wrap-up: Final questions and discussion. Evaluation of the course and feedback from participants.

Related Course

FAQS

Each course has a planned start date, which may shift slightly depending on participant sign-ups. We will confirm the final schedule with all registered participants once enrollment is finalized.

Yes, they will be made available for participants until 6 months after the completion of each course.

E-certificates will be issued on course completion to Active Participants.

Active Participants will be involved in class participation: interacting with course instructors, receiving feedback on class assignments/submissions, and they will have playing opportunities in class etc. Observers will be observing these segments of the class.

Active Participants will receive an E-certificate of participation, and Observers will receive a certificate of attendance.

5 days before the course commences.

Yes, simply get your friends together and send us an email to request for a second round of the course! If we receive sufficient signups we will repeat the course.

We do not conduct make-up classes. Learners who miss a session can catch up on the class content by watching the session recording thereafter. If there are any class assignments, learners are to contact the instructor directly.

We at the Academy do our utmost to make courses proceed as planned. However, there are times when unforeseen circumstances force a class to be cancelled. When this happens, we are committed to refunding the total amount, in an efficient manner, including any costs of using third-party payment gateways.

Should a participant need to cancel, we will make efforts to accommodate refunds, though costs of using third-party payment gateways will be borne by the participant.

Late cancellations may not be able to be refunded, as they will have been factored into the confirmation of running the course. We will provide a full refund for cancellations up to 2 weeks before the start of a course, following this a 50% refund with up to 1 week of notice. Notifications of fewer than 7 days will most likely not be eligible for a refund. We thank you for your understanding.