Making Music

In the classroom, we encourage children to follow their interests. Some children feel uncomfortable with the unknown and like more direction from us. We invite this group of children to create something they are familiar with to share with others. One day early in the school year, I talked to a child and invited them to create something. At first, the child was not sure what to make. I told the child to “take your time and let me know when you have an idea.”

Some of the children have a tough time starting new work. Some children wait for adult instructions before beginning to create something new. I like to bridge the gap for this group of children and offer them an opportunity to create something familiar.

The next day I observed the children play. The child to who I made the invitation to came over and said, “I want to make a harmonica.” “Cool,” I said. I followed with the question, “What do you need to make a harmonica?” The child replied, “It’s easy. You need popsicle sticks, paper, and rubber bands.” We continued our conversation about the specifics of the materials. Then I attempted to gather the materials from our storage closet. I could not find any rubber bands. I told the child I would get some rubber bands by tomorrow. I added, “you can show the other children how to make a harmonica.”

As educators, we strive to have all the materials children need, but sometimes we do not have certain materials. When this happens, I ask the children to wait one day to get what they need. Not having materials disrupt workflow, but we must accept it and move forward.

The next day, all the materials were ready. The child suggested we make a harmonica together to ensure it worked and that we had suitable materials. We assembled our sticks, paper, and rubber bands. Now it was time to try and make music. We both took a deep breath and breathed into our harmonica. Out came, Nothing!

We looked at each other with surprise. Next, we shared some ideas on how to make the harmonica work. We adjusted the rubber bands. No sound. We tried different papers, no sound. We changed the size of the popsicle sticks. Yes! Sound! Next, we made minor adjustments to the paper to create an excellent kazoo-type sound. We both laughed as we walked around the room, making kazoo noises. After a few minutes, other children noticed the noise and started asking questions.

Art and science often blend in project work. As we tried to make noise with our harmonicas, it took many iterations to make a sound. The best part of this project was that we had fun and kept trying until we created sound. The moment when the first sound came out shocked us both. After many failed attempts, we were not expecting it. Soon other children discovered we were onto something and wanted to make a harmonica.

One child started teaching other children how to make a harmonica. The children used rubber bands and paper spacer combinations to create unique sounds. During construction, a discussion began about musical chords. The children shared a theory that how a person blew air into the harmonica changed the chord. The children kept experimenting with paper, sticks, and rubber bands to perfect the sounds they wanted to create.

After finishing all the harmonicas, the children formed a band. Together they marched around the room, playing in unison. The high-pitched sound traveled throughout the school. The children played with the harmonicas for several days. The child who created the harmonica project offered to teach other children new projects and fostered a wonderful connection in our learning community.