Submitted by Monica Gelinas and Gretchen Taylor, Tennessee and Illinois

Idea posted February 17, 2004

From Monica Gelinas in Tennessee

I have learned the hard way that the way to keep things calm is to have very definite procedures for getting instruments out, using them, and putting them away. I had total confusion and noise when I started four years ago! This is what I do:


1) The children sit in rows, either on the floor (the best) or on the risers. In either place, they are seated according to the seating chart.

2) I explain and show the route they are to take to the instrument shelves. With K's and 1's, I stand there and handout the instruments. With the others, they go and I watch. For example, I say an instrument name to a student, the student stands up, goes down the piano side of the room, gets the instrument, and returns on the riser side. This means there is very little bumping into someone. I tell then it's "The Great Circle Route."

3) We learn the carrying position. The instrument must be carried down at the side. This means there can't be any sounds being made.

4) We learn the rest position. They know that when they get back to their places, the instrument is immediately laid on the floor or on their laps.

5) We learn ready position. They hold but do not play the instruments.

6) They learn they must wait for me as the leader to start and stop them.

7) If they don't follow the procedures and after I allow a few times for learning to take place, they lose their turn on that instrument. I take it away.

8) To get a turn on another instrument, I have the first person on the first row pass the one just used to the person next to him/her. Each passes the just-used instrument to the person next down the line. The person at the end brings his/her just-used instrument to the person at the beginning of the next row, etc. The very last person brings an instrument up to the very first.

We practice all of that as many times as is necessary at the beginning of the year. It's not always perfect, but I've found having a consistent system helps.

From Gretchen Taylor in Illinois

I'm always trying to get a better handle on managing instruments, but here's what I usually do that works pretty well...

When the kids come in, there is a bucket with enough pairs of sticks for each child in every row sitting under the first chair of each row. The students sitting in these chairs are my "chairpersons" for the week. Here is my procedure leading up to the use of the sticks...

1. Before they enter, I alert them to the buckets with the instructions to not touch the bucket or anything inside until I give permission. Ignoring this instruction will cause the bucket to go under someone else's chair.

2. I have previously introduced the sticks, how to play them, and what happens if "the sticks" misbehave (they go to the time-out can for a while). Here are the misbehaviors:

a) the student makes his/her stick sound before permission has been given,

b) the student tries to play with someone else or someone else's stick,

c) the student tries to make too loud of a sound (are struck too hard),

d) the student tries to make the sticks "fly" (are thrown or leave the player's hands),

d) they refuse to rest when told to do so (rest position). I review this on the day we use them.

3. Passing out the sticks: I instruct a chairperson to take the bucket and stand up. The chairperson is to choose his/hers two sticks first and place them on his/her chair. Then he/she hands two sticks to everyone else in their row, and then return to their chair, pick up their sticks, and place them in rest position. Everyone is to have their sticks in rest position.
4. At this point, I show them play position and allow them to play for a few seconds until I flash the lights, then the students are to immediately go to rest position again. We do this a few times.
5. Then I will give them instructions about playing with the music recording (Hap Palmer's Tap Your Sticks).

Ok, here's what usually happens... because they're so excited, several will start tapping as soon as they are handed their sticks. It's hard to pin point some individuals since several will start tapping at once. For this, I say a sweeping, "If you play before I say, you will put your sticks away!" In spite of this, there will still be some who start tapping away again.

At this point, I nail 'em by sending their sticks to the time out can for a minute or two. I put the misbehavior on the sticks, not the child. When it's time for a second try, I'll ask the child if they think their sticks are ready to behave. During the playing, I watch for wayward movement (large motions that can get out of control). Again, any stick misbehavior and they go to the time out can.

Now, immediately AFTER the playing activity, I lead the group in a quick game of "Conductor" where I announce, "Sticks up!" and then tell them to play as long as I am "conducting" them. As soon as I cut them off they must stop playing. Anyone still playing after the cut off has to put his/her sticks away in the stick box. After a few rounds of this, I instruct my chairpersons to collect the sticks in his/her row and place them in the bucket and put the bucket under their chairs.

This is how I pass out everything... from instruments, crayons, beat buddies, whatever. It works quite well.