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TEACHING TIPS AND PREP:
Jingle, Jingle is a song that is super simple and easy to teach. It’s a great “first song” for your Christmas Program. Free downloads, previews and other goodies are at: www.PraiseInMotion.net.
Before I get started on the tutorial, I have to tell you something that will make you VERY happy! We have split-track/stereo Performance Tracks of all of our songs available for program purposes–not just for the Christmas songs, but for all 72 of our songs that will get you through Mother’s Day, Graduation, and any other performances you will be doing throughout the year. The split-track feature allows you to tune down the voices on the track to let your own children’s voices come to the front. It’s usually nice to leave a little of the track voices in the mix for support and cues…but the choice is yours! After you’ve had a chance to check this song out, go to the site and see what we have that you could use.
Repetition is the best way to teach this song. The words to the chorus repeat a few times. The two verses give the message of what Christmas is all about.
PROPS:
Jingle bell props create the “motions” for this song. You can prepare the props in just a few minutes. All you need is large red pipe cleaners, wire tinsel, yarn, or cord and some medium to large-sized jingle bells or a few small ones for each prop. If you use pipe cleaners or tinsel, be sure to wrap them tightly around and around, so that there are no sharp wire ends protruding and also so that they can’t be untwisted by the children. Of course you can use yarn, ribbon or cord or any other idea you have for creating a handle for the bells. We even used popsicle sticks to wrap the pipe cleaners around one year. The pipe cleaner circles were less likely to unravel, and hanging the bells around the neck help make sure the bells won’t get dropped, but go ahead and use your imagination. Children will be interested in trying to put the pipe cleaner or tinsel circles on their wrists as bracelets, but they will have more ability to make the bells ring if they hold the circle with their fingers.
I would recommend watching the video preview first and then having a look at the additional frames which display the words and motions.
PERFORMANCE TIPS:
If you have the children enter the room where the program will be from the back and proceed down the aisle to the platform or performance area, they can be ringing their bells all the way.
Children are often shy when they first enter a room filled with family and friends and this song doesn’t require much from them as they transition into the area to start their program. If it’s not convenient for them to enter the room in a processional, it’s still a great song to start a program with, for the same reasons. The attendees love the happy sounds of the bells and all of the great approval the children will instantly feel will get things rolling in a good way.
If you decide to have the children enter the room processional style, it will probably work best if you are the leader and you have a couple of helpers on either side of the doorway to keep the children coming along. It’s cute to have the children come down the aisle “in twos”. Having a partner to walk in with can help to make the children feel more secure than single file. When they get to the front, another helper can assist you to have them split and go on separate sides to fill the front–whether you’re using risers or just having them stand in a single line across the front. If you don’t have enough teachers involved in the program to have that many assistants, try asking some of the parents who might be available to give you help with the program.
If you want to have the children exit the performance area to return to their classroom for parent pick-up, you could repeat this song and use it as the recessional.
Even though the motions to this song are simply making the jingle bell ring, I decided to go ahead and prepare line by line pictures for your reference.
The introduction is a short instrumental segment. During this time, display a big smile to set the tone of happiness. Be sure to remember the power of your own attitude. Music programs can be pressure packed. Expectations are high! You, as the music teacher, must rise above any conflicts or negative circumstances and be a HAPPY PERSON! The children will are also feeling LOTS of pressure! Especially if this is their first public performance. Your upbeat attitude is what can turn the tide if a child is feeling overwhelmed or other stressful situations have occurred. Just shake it all off and determine to have a good time!
Repeat: Christmas time is here
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