Submitted by Caryn Mears, Kennewick, Washington

Idea posted April 15, 2011

I made a huge square with four squares across, so it has sixteen squares. I put four students on each side of the square. They each have a rhythm instrument. They start playing at the top, reading left to right from where they are sitting; that gives them a four-bar section to play. Students can play it individually, they can play it together, or they can take turns with partners. I use only quarter notes, paired eighth notes, and quarter note rests to make it easy. You could also make sure that one of the instruments plays quarter notes all the way through on a drum, so that there is someone keeping the steady beat. (That person could be a fifth player of one of the four players.) I actually made six of these so all of my students could participate at the same time!