Cup News!

Weird blog post title, I know! But, since so many of you own and are using Rhythm Cup Explorations, I wanted to share some exciting things about cups with you!

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Rhythm Cup Explorations News – Issue 1

Where is Rhythm Cup Explorations?

Students in Tanzania Africa learning English and Rhythm Cup Explorations!
Students in Tanzania Africa learning English and Rhythm Cup Explorations!

It seems like this reproducible PDF rhythm book is everywhere these days, but the other day I received an email from a teacher that told me it is in Tanzania, Africa!

I know Rhythm Cup Explorations is already in India, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and all over Canada, and the U.S.. But international orders keep coming in and I’d love to know where else it’s landing! Maybe you think I should know, but I don’t always look at the address of those that order…I like to focus instead on getting to know you all personally and making sure you get what you ordered!

So do tell…anyone else using it in another place not mentioned?

Cup Beats

So many of you have asked where to get the backbeats that you’ve heard other teachers are using when students practice and perform Rhythm Cup Explorations. I wanted to tell you that I’m working on a developing a set of fun beats for each page that your kids will love! I’ll keep you posted when they are ready!

Cup Music

While you are waiting for those beats to get finished, you might find it fun to practice rhythm cups with some music. Try:

  • Slow practice: A Sousa March (or do it twice as fast)
  • Medium tempo: Everything is Awesome from The Lego Movie
  • Medium to fast tempo: Let it Go from Frozen (Yes I know we want to let this one go, but your kids will appreciate it)

giant cup Giant Cups

My kids and I were at Walmart the other day (yes, we survived!) and my son begged me to buy this cup! It was a giant, insulated solo cup! Right now they are on clearance at Walmart, and it would be pretty expensive to buy enough of these for your studio, but it was fun nonetheless!

Kamp Keyboard Cup Stomp

If you don’t read anything, at least watch what Melissa Johansen did with the Rhythm Cup Explorations book recently at the Central Oklahoma MTA’s camp! This is AMAZING!

Here’s how Melissa Johansen did this with Rhythm Cup Explorations:

RCE has been a great addition to my private studio and to our local association. I have been teaching rhythm cup activities and games for 20 years and this resource is the best I’ve used!  The rhythms progress so nicely that I’ve used them all summer with kids from 2nd grade- 12th grade! The most exciting use was at our local association Kamp Keyboard event, a week-long day camp designed for piano students 6th-11th grades. I was able to take several of the rhythms in the RCE book and use them immediately for our “Stomp!” class. We set our routine to the popular song “The Best Day of My Life” by American Authors; its rhythmic melody and uptempo beat were perfect! On the last day of our Kamp, the students perform the “Stomp!” routine for parents; so, I wanted to jazz up a few of the moves. I took one of the patterns in the RCE book and decided that a crossover tap to your neighbors cup would be incredibly fun (instead of just tapping your own cup). We also decided we wanted to pass the cups in both directions; so, making use of the more legato section of the song, I planned a motion that had the students slide the cup on the table from the RH to the LH and then a LH pass! This quickly became our favorite move! We also made sure to make use of our natural instruments (hand claps) to give us one more timbre to include in our performance. Thanks so much, Wendy, for this amazing resource! It’s perfect as is and it is wonderful to ignite creativity in teachers and students!

Glow-in-the Dark Cup Rhythms

Glow-in-the-dark Cups!

If you are looking for something really interesting to do, what about making glow in the dark plastic cups and practiced Rhythm Cup Explorations in the dark (of course, you’d have to learn the beat first). Wouldn’t that be a blast for kids!

Well, you can make glow in the dark plastic cups with just a few supplies. Here’s the site where you can get instructions. I haven’t tried it with my students yet…but it might be good for a group lesson in the winter time when it gets dark early! Let me know if you try it!

 

I’d love to know what you are doing with Rhythm Cup Explorations! Feel free to share in the comments below!

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3 thoughts on “Cup News!”

  1. Wendy,

    Thanks for sharing the STOMP camp activities based on your Rhythm Cup Explorations. Inside excited to use your program in my classes this fall. I’ll be watching for your beat tracks but appreciate your suggestions if songs to use in the meantime.

  2. Hi Wendy,
    I attended your sessions at the NFMC conference in Portland a few weeks ago. (Loved them!) One of the teachers asked for suggestions of recordings to use to back up the Rhythm Cup activities. Now your blog post has jogged my memory, so I’ll share some of my favorites. These have all been well received by my students:

    Pachelbel– Canon in D, Haydn– Surprise Symphony (2nd movement), Mozart– Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Délibes– Pizzicato from the Sylvia Ballet, Mendelssohn–Spring Song, Tchaikovsky– March, Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy, Trepak, Chinese Dance (Nutcracker Suite), Bizet– Toreador Song (Carmen), Mouret– Rondeau (theme from PBS Masterpiece Theater), Rossini– William Tell Overture, Greig– In the Hall of the Mountain King (Peer Gynt), Mancini– Theme from The Pink Panther, Norman– James Bond Theme, Joplin–The Entertainer and other rags…

    Since all of the Rhythm Cup Explorations are in 4/4, my students and I write others in 3/4, 6/8, even 5/4. Writing original Cup exercises really motivates them to work on rhythmic notation. Here are a few suggestions for backing music other than 4/4:

    For 3/4: Bach– Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (1st movement), Tchaikovsky– Waltz of the Flowers (Nutcracker Suite), Ravel– Bolero, Bizet– Danse Bohème (Carmen)

    For 6/8: Offenbach– Barcarolle (Tales of Hoffmann), Gounod– Funeral March of a Marionette

    For 5/4: Schifrin– Theme from Mission Impossible, Brubeck– Take Five

    OK, I’ll stop here, but really the possibilities are endless!

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