Two Easy Musical Crafts And 16 Activities For Cinco De Mayo Fun!

A friend of mine recently did a post for Babble titled: Cinco De Mayo, Beyond Donkeys and Sombreros.  It was a wonderful article offering 16 great ways to get beyond stereotypes about Mexico and Mexican culture and have fun while learning with kids.

The post includes easy outdoor games the require no special supplies such as “Mar y Tierra” (Sea and Earth) as well as simple instructions for making an easy piñata, a woven “God’s Eye” or discovering the works of Mexican artist, Diego Rivera, among others.  All great ways of moving beyond stereotypes to real projects and activities that provide more authentic ways to celebrate culture and discover diversity.

Included in Mari’s post is one of my crafts that shows how to make a homemade guiro.  A guiro can be used to accompany almost any type of music from Mexico or to learn a new song or two from this region such as De Colores or Cielito Lindo.  Along with using recycled materials to create a colorful homemade guiro, you can also collect small water bottles and create an easy, child-safe version of maracas, another instrument heard throughout Mexican, Central America and Latin American music.

Here’s how to find Mari’s activity-filled post as well as detailed instructions on how to make your own maracas and guiros, plus other related links.

Wishing you all a happy 5 de Mayo!

Cinco De Mayo Links

16 Crafts And Activities To Help You Celebrate Cinco De Mayo Beyond Donkeys and Sombreros By Mari Hernandez-Tuten

http://www.babble.com/latina/celebrating-cinco-de-mayo-beyond-sombreros-and-donkeys/

Make Your Own Guiro

http://www.dariamusic.com/make_Guiro.php

Make Your Own Maracas

http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/make-some-marvelous-maracas/

A Silly Video to the Mexican Song – La Cucaracha!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfka9m6NhzE‎

A Video of the Mexican Song – La Bamba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGICzWLJ5Qg&list=UUImOHUJ3bk2yKXh4iaieKVQ&index=7

All About The Song – La Bamba

http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/lets-dance-tola-bamba/

An Instrument from An Armadillo? The Charango!

If you were to travel to the Andes mountains of South America you might hear a small stringed instrument called a charango.  At first glance, it looks a bit like a mandolin, but instead of four sets of double strings like the mandolin, the charango has five sets of double strings for a total of ten strings.  And there’s something else that’s different about it.  If you turn over one of the older style charangos, you’ll see that it is made from the shell of a hairy armadillo!

If that seems like an odd choice for an instrument, it helps to know the background of how this strange and beautiful instrument came to be.  Historians believe that the majority of instruments in the Andes before the Spanish arrived were wind and percussion instruments.  There were an amazing variety of flutes – some several feet long.  There were different sizes and shapes of panpipes as well as rattles and drums that varied from location to location.  When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the 1500’s, they brought guitars, mandolins and the harp.  Many of the records dating back to that time period share how local musicians adopted and integrated these stringed instruments into their culture with great enthusiasm.   Since wood was scarce; especially at altitudes that soared above the tree line, the hard shell of an armadillo became the sounding “bowl” for their new world version of the old world mandolin.

You can hear the unique sound of the charango on many of the songs on DARIA’s new album – Cancioncitas De Los Andes/Little Songs Of The Andes.  You can also color your own version of a charango as well as other instruments from around the world on the craft and activity page of DARIA’s website as listed below.

Cancioncitas De Los Andes / Little Songs Of The Andes – On Itunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cancioncitas-los-andes-little/id602798167

Cancioncitas De Los Andes / Little Songs Of The Andes on Amazon mp3

http://amzn.com/B00BG9ABEE

DARIA’s World Music For Kids – Craft and Activity Page

http://www.dariamusic.com/crafts.php

During the month of March 2013, you can download a free mp3 of the song, El Condor Pasa, at the link below:

http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

Make Your Own African-Style Tongue Rattle

The beautiful, wide and diverse continent of Africa has some truly amazing and clever musical creations. One of my favorites is a small percussion instrument called a tongue rattle.  Generally made from carved wood, the rattle is shaken quickly back and forth and a “tongue” within the two carved sides makes a noise like a person who just can’t stop talking.

It’s loud, funny, clever and a great way to allow kids to explore making rhythms and creating music.

A Few Simple Supplies

To make a homemade version of a tongue rattle, you need two (same size) plastic or styrofoam cups, tape, two twist-ties, yarn or string and some small items for making noise inside the cups. Beads, paper clips, buttons or metal washers all work perfectly for this craft.

Assemble Your Rattle

To make your cups work like a tongue rattle, turn them over and poke two holes in the top.  Next, fold a small twist-tie in half. Then, take a small string or a piece of embroidery thread and string beads, buttons or other noise-makers onto it and tie it into a circle.  Slip the string circle with the noise-makers onto the twist tie and twist that into place, attaching it inside the cup.  Adjust your string for size so that it will rattle about an inch or so from the far end of the cup. Here’s a picture of what that might look like.

Once you’ve assembled both cups, place them together and tape them up.  Now you’re set to move your hand back and forth and get the same kind of sound that’s made by one of these unusual African instruments.

Different Sounds From Different Materials

If you want to make several rattles you can compare how different ones might sound.  A rattle made with two plastic cups using heavier beads or metal washers as noise-makers may be rather loud.  A rattle made with two styrofoam cups and plastic paper clips may be a bit quieter.  You may want to experiment with what’s inside that creates sound or what’s on the outside as decoration for your musical creation.

Play Your Tongue Rattle

To play a tongue rattle, flick your wrist back and forth while holding it.  Play it slowly.  Play it quickly.  Or try something tricky like starting slowly, going faster and faster and then come to a complete stop. Sounds cool – doesn’t it?

After you’ve discovered some of the sounds your rattle can make, put on some of your favorite music and play along.  See if you can play in time with the beat or match the rhythm you’re hearing.  You might be surprised at how this simple instrument can really speak to you!

Win a Carved African Tongue Rattle

During October 2012 we’re giving away a really cool tongue rattle plus two other African instruments.  You can learn more and enter here:

http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

More Crafty Musical Fun From Africa And Around The World

Explore a shekere made from a dried gourd or a recycled milk jug.  Turn bobby pins into a working mbira thumb piano.  Make the type of ceremonial instruments found in the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt. Find all this and more at:

http://www.dariamusic.com/crafts.php

The Sistrum – An Instrument That Dates Back To Ancient Egypt

Illustration by Madcow Designs (www.madcow-designs.com)

Almost every culture in the world has created some form of instrument that will either shake, rattle or roll.  Ancient Egypt is no exception.

If you could travel back in time to the days of the pyramids and pharaohs you might see a special kind of hand-held rattle called a sistrum.  Played mainly by women, it was moved from side to side and the bangles would rock back and forth creating a unique sound and a distinctive rhythm.

What exactly did a sistrum look like?  We’ve created a coloring page based on many of the hieroglyphics and historical data that we’ve found. We’ve also come up with some fun ways that you can make your own sistrum at home.  You can either start with a wire coat hanger or you can take a nature walk and look for a branch shaped like the letter “Y”.  And your bangles?  They can be jingle bells, pop-top tabs, metal washers or even buttons beads or seeds.  Whatever you use, you’re sure to create an amazing sounding instrument that’s both old and new at the same time!

Download – A Sistrum Coloring Page

Download Instructions – How To Make a Recycled Sistrum (With a Clothes Hanger)

Download Instructions – How To Make a Natural Sistrum (With a Tree Branch)

WHAT’S A POW-WOW DRUM ?

It’s big.  It’s beautiful and it has a voice like thunder.  It’s a pow-wow drum!

Seven Cedars Native American Group Women's Drum group perform at the University of Pennsylvania Museum

Have you ever been to a pow-wow or Native American gathering? Some are private and closed to the public, but many are advertised and open to anyone who wishes to come.  Some have wonderful dance contests with big prizes, most have great food and wonderful vendors with beautiful handcrafts and other items.  All of them have music and at the center of the music is a big drum, played in unison by a group of men or women. That’s a pow-wow drum.

One thing that most folks notice right away about the pow-wow drum is that all the drummers are playing together in unison. Although there is a drum leader who usually chooses songs and indicates the beginning and end of a song, all players strike the drum together – creating a powerful beat that sets the stage for singing or dancing to the music.

MAKE YOUR OWN VERSION OF A POW-WOW DRUM

Children in Nazareth, Israel explore their own homemade drum

According to Native American music historian; Tom Bee, the first pow-wow drum played was probably a skin stretched between many hands and played with sticks, mallets or beaters.  A drum like this can be played by many people at the same time and is easy to make and enjoy.

To make the drum, you’ll need a large piece of durable fabric like vinyl, suede, leather or fake skin from a fabric store. Cut your fabric to resemble a large animal skin.

Girls at the Museum of the American Woman in Dallas, Texas decorate their own version of a big drum

You’ll also want to make a beater for each drummer. To make the beaters, start with a wooden dowel or chopsticks or unsharpened pencils. Wrap them with electrical tape to form a “head” that can beat on the drum.

A beautiful drum beater.

PLAYING THE SKIN DRUM
Drummers situate themselves around the drum, holding the skin in one hand and their beater in the other. Then, they strike the drum together – at the same time.  It makes for a powerful sound and shows how any activity can be stronger when it is powered by cooperation and created by the joining of many hearts and minds as one.

DRUMMING TOGETHER
To practice drumming together, you may wish to try a simple song used by DARIA while teaching music and English in the Middle East.  The students wanted to learn the days of the week in English so they drummed to…

(one beat) Sunday,
(one beat) Monday,
(one beat) Tuesday,
(one beat) Wednesday,
(one beat) Thursday,
(one beat) Friday and
(three beats) SAT-UR-DAY (beaters must stop and be raised in the air).

Each drummer can take a chance at leading this short song or any one person can lead the song and then point to another player to have the next chance to lead. It’s a fun way to build the skill of playing together cooperatively!

Here’s hoping you make some beautiful music with this great activity!  Check out some of these links below as well:

Hear a Pow-Wow Drum
http://www.dariamusic.com/drum.php

Hear a Pow-Wow Drum song by Starfeather Native American Group
http://www.dariamusic.com/drum.php

Color a Pow-wow Drum (online)
http://www.dariamusic.com/color_Drum.php

Color a Pow-wow Drum (print-out)
http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/color_drum.pdf

Make A Drum Beater
http://www.dariamusic.com/make_beater.php

All About The Talking Feather
http://wp.me/p1gB0a-3D

Teaching Kids the Wonderful Diversity of American Indians
Excellent article by Bernhard Michaelis of Native Child
http://www.nativechild.com/article.html

Make Some Marvelous Maracas!

Although Cinco De Mayo is celebrated in May and Hispanic heritage is highlighted in the USA from September 15 – October 15th, any time of year is great for making and exploring Latin American culture with this simple musical craft.

Maracas are one of the simplest instruments to play for young children or the beginning musician. They are essentially rattles with handles. They come in pairs. You put one in each hand and you shake, rattle and roll! Of course, if you’ve seen experienced percussionists play maracas, you would be amazed at what they can make them do. So, a pair of maracas are versatile little instruments for “just jamming with the kids” or for exploring rhythms, beats and tempos as a fun way to learn more about music.

Most folks consider maracas to be native to Latin America, however, similar instruments (pairs of rattles) can be found in cultures around the world. Most often associated with the music of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica and Brazil, maracas have been played for centuries. One set of maracas made of clay were found in ruins in present day Columbia. They were used by the indigenous people of that area and dated back to almost 1,500 years ago.

Maracas come in all sorts of sizes, shapes and designs!

What are maracas made of? Most traditional maracas are made from natural materials such as gourds, clay, wood or coconut shells. More modern ones can be made of plastic, leather or other synthetic materials. They are filled with small objects such as seeds, pebbles or dried beans. To create “recycled rattles” you can start with smaller water bottles from the recycling bin and be even more clever with fillings – finding things you can easily use from around the house, garage or in your junk drawer.

Get Out Your Materials !
Although you can use any type of small plastic bottles, the 8 oz (236 mL) size water bottles are just perfect for this project in size and shape. If you’ve sworn off plastic, then ask around. A neighbor, classmate or local store may offer you what they might have sent out as recycling.

You’ll also need two toilet paper rolls and some sturdy tape. Electrical tape works best and colorful electrical tape adds a nice decorative touch to what you are creating.

Then you’ll need some fillings. Remember each filling produces a different sound, so that may also be part of your plan for creating your set of maracas. For instance, sand or salt maracas will be very quiet. Dried beans, macaroni or large bead maracas will be nice and loud. Here are some suggestions that you can find around most every household:

Sand, salt, pebbles, birdseed, rice, beans, small beads, large beads, dried pasta, rice, dried peas or beans, small washers, paper clips, small erasers.

A complete supply list is provided below as well as some suggestions for great sounding maraca combinations.

Make Your Maracas
First take your clean and dried 8 oz water bottle and fill with your chosen contents. Close it up with the cap and then listen to the sound. Once it sounds good to your ears, then you can move to the next step. But first, check out how many professional maracas are made – they are created to be slightly different in sound.

Many sets of maracas are “pitched” differently. In other words, shaking the right hand one will sound different from shaking the left hand one, so you can create some great patterns by playing with the sounds. For instance, if you make my version of rice and beans maracas (described below), the rice will be sound a bit softer and higher in pitch, the beans a bit louder and lower in pitch, so you can build rhythms on those sounds. You can also describe the rhythms in a fun way, such as rice, rice, beans, rice, rice beans or rice, beans, rice, rice beans. Almost anyone can learn new rhythms and even complicated rhythm patterns with this creative approach.

So, now you’ve decided how you want your pair of maracas to sound and you’ve tightened the cap on your two water bottles. The next step is to create the handle. Take your two toilet paper rolls and make a straight cut from one end to the other. Tighten the roll in on itself to about the size of a ¾ inch dowel and then apply your electrical tape. Start wrapping the tape around the bottom part of the rattle on the bottle and move down onto the new handle. Wrap slowly, covering all the cardboard of the toilet paper roll and you will have created a rather sturdy handle for your new instrument.

Now you are ready to play.

Time To Jam
Do you want to just jam? Then simply pick up your instrument and shake, shake, shake. Or dance around, move and groove, and shake things up to your heart’s content. If you want to get into more of the maraca’s musical possibilities, then take some time to check out what they can do.

Aside from shaking them back and forth where the sound comes from the contents striking the sides, you can swoosh them around. By moving your hand in a circular motion, the contents of your maracas won’t hit side to side, but will whoosh a bit around in the bottle, creating a different sound. You can also “crescendo” your maracas. You start by shaking them quietly and slightly and then build little by little to get the loudest sound. It’s a fun way to begin or end a song.

You can also make several pairs and mix and match. What sound patterns can you create? Which maracas sound best to you or sound best as pairs? Does a certain pattern sound like a song you know? Or does a song you know inspire a new pattern? Despite the fact that these are really simple little instruments, they can truly inspire hours of musical fun.

SUPPLIES (for one pair of maracas)
2 eight oz (236 mL) water bottles
2 toilet paper rolls
Electrical tape (colorful, if possible)

Filling for your maracas – any of the following:
Sand, salt, pebbles, birdseed, rice, beans, small beads, large beads, dried pasta, rice, dried peas or beans, small washers, paper clips, small erasers.

GREAT-SOUNDING COMBINATIONS FOR MARACAS
Rice and Beans Maracas
Rice in one maraca, beans in the other. The color and the sound are different, making it really easy to create patterns.

“Back To School” Maracas
Colorful paper clips in one, small extra erasers in the other. A nice difference in the sound between the right and left hand.

Sand and Little Pasta Maracas
These are really quiet and subtle. The sand or salt maraca is softer then the tiny pasta (choose acini de pepe, pastina or orzo pasta) making this a great choice for kids that want to learn to listen, kids with noise sensitivity or for learning some of the aspects of playing a percussion instrument quietly but effectively.

——————-

Celebrate Diversity With Multicultural Instruments To Make and Play At Home

Does your child love music? If so, music is a great way to introduce them to our amazing, beautiful and diverse world by creating some of the very instruments they might find by traveling around the planet. From Australia’s “way too funny” didgeridoo to a box-shaped drum from coastal Peru to recycled rattles, there are a multitude of ways to get creative with music as you shake, rattle and roll. Best of all, these easy-to-make instruments rely on the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle so while you’re exploring world cultures, you’re also consuming less, being green and striking up the band for some excellent family fun.

MEET THE CAJÓN – A DRUM SHAPED LIKE A BOX

Some Cajons Are Made Of Wood And Can Be Sat On…

On the coast of Peru and in a few other Latin American countries you’ll find a drum that is square. Originally made out of dresser drawers or crates used in shipping, this drum has an amazing sound all it’s own. Played like any other drum, you can strike it with your hands, palm, fingers and create wonderful rhythms. All you need to begin this project is an empty box.

MAKE IT!

..And Some Cajons Are Made Of Cardboard That You Hold In Your Lap. Here, Children In Israel Decorate Their Cajons.

A cajón is basically a box with a sound hole. The name comes from the Spanish word for box – “caja”. Traditionally, it is made from a sturdy material like wood so you generally see cajón players sitting on their instruments. With cardboard or smaller boxes, it’s best to play them on your lap or in front of you.

Start by drawing and cutting a circle from your cardboard box. Although most sound holes are round, you could also experiment with various sizes and shapes to see what happens!

If you want to try to create a sturdier version of this project with wood, it isn’t too difficult. You just need an adult with a bit of woodworking skills (to cut the sound hole) and a box discarded from a produce store, purchased from a craft store or assembled from rectangles of wood at home.

DECORATE IT!
Use anything you have handy to decorate it. Try paint, stickers, paper, electrical tape, photos or drawings. You can use markers, sharpie pens or rubber stamps. If you are working with wood, try paint and pens and add a coat of lacquer afterward to keep your designs from fading.

PLAY IT!
Strike the middle of your box with the palm of your hand, for a loud “dum” sound. Tap with the tip of your fingers to the edges for a “bek” sound. Mix the sounds to create patterns or listen and try to match the beat as you play along with your favorite songs. Your cajón will sound great played with any music but especially good when played along with Latin American songs.

CHECK IT OUT:
Hear a cajón here: http://www.dariamusic.com/cajon.php
Hear a cajón song here: http://www.dariamusic.com/cajon.php
Color a cajón online here: http://www.dariamusic.com/color_Cajon.php
Color a cajón, print out: http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/color_cajon.pdf
Make a cajón pdf: http://www.dariamusic.com/make_Cajon.php

SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL with RECYCLED RATTLES

Homemade and Traditional Versions of Rattles and Shakers

Just about every culture in the world uses some sort of rattle. And the cool thing about rattles is that they can be made of practically anything from bottle caps or the toenails of goats to dried gourds, paper cups, milk containers or recycled bottles of any sort.

For this project, you’ll need any cleaned recycled containers and some sort of filling. You can use sand, salt, birdseed, dried peas or beans, gravel, pebbles, dried pasta, marbles or practically any small dry items. These will generate the sound. Try filling, refilling, adding and subtracting from your chosen rattle until you get the sound you like. Smaller fillings will give a softer “whoosh” sound and larger items like macaroni, marbles or pebbles will give a louder, sharper sound. Play around with what you have on hand to create just the sound you are looking for.

Then… decorate! You can add glitter, beads, small buttons or confetti to make the inside of your rattle more appealing. You can decorate the outside using paint, paper, stickers, markers, fabric or even yarn and fabric.

Last, make sure you seal your rattle with electrical tape in order to keep the smaller pieces from being swallowed. You can add a handle made from a pipe cleaner or colorful ribbon, if you like.

PLAYING WITH RATTLES
Rattles sound great with any kind of music. Just shake it up and play along. Even small children begin to hear rhythms when playing along with them. If you make several rattles, your child will begin to hear the difference between each one and it can be fun to explore what sounds best with different types of music. For instance, a sand rattle sounds great with quiet songs and lullabyes. A macaroni rattle can be heard easily while you’re rockin’ out to more upbeat tunes.

If your child has noise sensitivity or is on the Autism/Aspergers spectrum, stick with quieter rattles and allow them to choose what sounds most pleasing to their ears. For autistic children, make sure the contents are visually appealing as they may want to zone into moving colors as well as listen to the repeating sounds they create.

MEET THE DIDGERIDOO

Play Your Own Homemade Didj!

If you’ve ever seen a movie or t.v. program about Australia – you’ve already heard a didgeridoo. It produces a wonderfully odd sound that most kids describe as a cross between a ship’s foghorn and an elephant lost in the jungle. If you have a long tube from giftwrap or a length of pvc piping, you can create a homemade version of a didg that sounds amazingly like the real thing.

MAKE IT!
Start with a long, hollow object. Your best bets are the inner roll from giftwrap or any length of pvc piping (odd lengths can often be found at hardware stores for a dollar or two). Look for a diameter similar to that giftwrap tube as it will work perfectly for the size of a child’s mouth and lips. And speaking of lips, if you are using pvc piping, make sure you use sandpaper to sand both the top and bottom of your didg to avoid sharp edges when playing or holding your instrument. Other choices for homemade didges might include old mailing or photo tubes, toilet paper or paper towel rolls, but the longer the tube the deeper and more authentic the sound.

DECORATE IT!
If you check out most traditional didgeridoos there is elaborate dot-design artwork generally with an animal or reptile theme. It’s said that most traditional didgeridoo makers decorate their instruments with animals that are special to them or that represent their clan. You’ll often see lizards, snakes, turtles and other great creatures crawling up and down the artwork on Australian didgeridoos. You can have fun creating your own animal totem or a putting a favorite design onto your instrument to personalize it.

Traditional Didjs Feature Beautiful Elaborate Dot Patterns Much Like The One Shown Here

PLAYING THE DIDG
A didg is properly played by “blowing raspberries” into the mouth end. The length of the instrument converts that sound into the loud drone that most folks recognize as a didg. Experiment with your new instrument until you find the sound that you like. Serious didg players utilize circular breathing (blowing out the mouth while taking in air through the nose at the same time) and can continue playing for ridiculously long times. However, a small amount of basic practice will have your backyard sounding like the Australian outback in no time.

CHECK IT OUT:
Hear a didg here: http://www.dariamusic.com/didgeridoo.php
Hear a didg song here: http://www.dariamusic.com/didgeridoo.php
Color a didg online here: http://www.dariamusic.com/color_Didg.php
Color a didg, print out: http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/color_didg.pdf
Make a didg pdf: http://www.dariamusic.com/make_Didg.php

Whether you are playing along with your favorite tunes, making up songs or having an informal jam session, playing music is an excellent way of connecting with those you love. Adding instruments; especially ones that are easy to play and personalize, make the experience even more creative and enjoyable.

Who knows – perhaps you’ll find a new favorite song or style of music or discover a hidden talent in a family member! In any event, you’ll be discovering a world of musical fun to enrich and enliven your day.

-Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou

Award-winning children’s performer, DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) has five cd’s that have won national honors. She has the most awesome job of traveling the world to sing for kids and peace. Her website; located at dariamusic.com, was given a 2009 Parents Choice Award for its musical and cultural content.

Easy Musical Crafts To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

September and October are great months to celebrate Hispanic Heritage. One of the easiest ways to share the exciting and diverse Spanish and Latin American cultures is through music and simple instruments that kids can make and play themselves. Check out some of these easy projects that will get your students singing and playing along to a lively Latin beat.

For instance, why not make a simple guiro? You can see a guiro, hear one or color your own version of a guiro at the links below. You can also find a great pdf on how to create your own classroom guiros from water bottles with ridges. Believe it or not, they sound amazing and can be decorated in a variety of different ways, making this an artistic project as well.

3 different types of guiros

What about an instrument from the Afro-Peruvian culture? It’s easy to make a cajón – a box drum – from materials that any student can bring in from home. These square drums; similar to ones you might see on the coast of Peru, are perfect for learning the basics of hand drumming or just having some good old percussion fun! You can see, hear, color or find instructions to make a cajón below.

2 different types of cajons

And then there’s the cajita- a little box instrument. It’s great for exploring sound and developing motor skills at the same time. You can read all about it, see one played and check that instrument out as well at the links below.

A homemade cajita

Lastly, how about a set of maracas? I’ll be giving one away to anyone who signs up for my monthly newsletter. In a few days, I’ll also have a great rice and beans maracas craft ready to share with you. It’s lots of fun and perfect for playing along with Latin American songs that everyone recognizes such as La Cucaracha. If you’d like to check out my bilingual version of La Cucaracha and see a cute little cockroach dance and play a guiro, you can visit my VIMEO site as well. It’s a nice little channel that has a variety of multicultural song animations perfect for the early education classroom.

Sign up for my newsletter for a chance to win these Maracas!

Here’s hoping your month is a fun filled fiesta of music and songs and a real celebration of Hispanic culture!

See, hear or color a guiro:
http://www.dariamusic.com/guiro.php

Make a guiro pdf:
http://www.dariamusic.com/make_Guiro.php

See, hear or color a cajón:
http://www.dariamusic.com/cajon.php

Make a cajón pdf:
http://www.dariamusic.com/make_Cajon.php

Read all about the cajita:
http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/the-cajita-a-little-box-that-is-an-instrument/

Win Some Maracas:
Find the contest on my monthly song page
http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

Watch a Little Cockroach Dance – A Bilingual version of La Cucaracha
www.vimeo.com/dariamusic/la-cucaracha

DARIA’s VIMEO channel of song animations
www.vimeo.com/dariamusic

Check out my Spanish Language Music Blog
Creciendo Con Música
http://creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com/

The Cajita – A Little Box That Is An Instrument

Two wooden cajitas

As you travel around the world you’ll find musical instruments made from unusual items.  For instance, in Peru there is an instrument called the cajita.  That’s the Spanish word for a little box.   A traditional cajita is made from wooden donation boxes used to collect offerings of money in churches.  The box was generally worn around the neck and the top was opened and closed to receive the donations.

Then, when this clever little box was transformed into an instrument, a stick was added that could be used to tap the sides, front or top of the box at the same time the lid was being opened and closed.  In addition to tapping the outside of the box and lifting or closing the lid for sound, you might also see players opening the lid and rapping the stick on the inside walls of the box with a movement that looks like stirring soup.  Sounds confusing?  Once you watch it a time or two – you’ll see exactly how they turned a plain little wooden box into a remarkably fun and clever percussion instrument.

You can check out my simple cajita jam here:

DARIA’S CAJITA JAM

A HOMEMADE CAJITA
Can you make a cajita at home without a small scale woodworking project?  Sure!  You just start with a few simple supplies such as a sturdy box with a lid (cigar boxes are perfect), two dowels or small sticks, a small kitchen cabinet or dresser drawer knob and materials to decorate your spunky little instrument.  A complete supply list is located below.

Once you’ve gotten a hold of a box you can use for this project, begin by decorating it.  Paint it, decoupage it, add stickers, construction paper or glue and yarn and make it unique.   Next, add the knob so you can lift the cajita’s lid up and down.  To do this, get an adult to assist you in hammering a small nail or using an awl to pierce a hole in the lid of the box.  Position that hole in the exact center of the box, about an inch or so away from the edge of the lid that opens up. Once you’ve created the hole, insert your knob in the top of the box with the screw beneath and tighten it into place. Now you should be able to open and close the lid of the box easily.

Next, cut two wooden dowels.  One will weigh down your box so you can play your instrument without the cajita bouncing up and down.  The other will be the playing stick that you use to tap and play your instrument.  If possible, cut the first dowel to a length just a bit short of the inner width of the box.  Glue the dowel in place in the inner front of the box and leave it to dry.  In the meantime, cut and decorate your second dowel. This one can be any length that you find comfortable to hold in your hand when you play.

Once it’s all done -  you can begin to jam!  If you like, make several cajitas and you can play them along with each other or along with other instruments.

SOME CAJITA PLAYING TIPS
If you think you’re ready to dive right in and start playing – then skip this section.   If you want some good starter suggestions, these hints may be helpful in getting the hang of how the cajita is played.

Begin to learn the instrument by tapping the sides and the front and making a pattern.  Notice how the two sounds are different.  Try something like “front, front, side.  Front, front side.” Try something similar with the sides and the top.  Later, add the sound of the lid opening and closing.  Since this can sometimes seem like rubbing your stomach and patting your head, it’s best to start with simpler patterns and then work up to more complicated ones.  If working with younger children, sometimes it’s good to let them explore the instrument so they become familiar with the sounds the cajita can make before asking them to play specific patterns. That way, they are more focused on exploration and discovery and are not so nervous about playing rhythms or beats until they are ready to do so.

After you begin getting the hang of creating rhythms with your cajita, you may want to have one person play a very simple pattern – such as opening and closing the lid. The next person can add another sound, the third and forth, add their own simple parts. This can be a fun way of building rhythm in a group or classroom so each child hears how his/her part makes up part of the overall beat.  If you check out this jam, you’ll see how the rhythm starts on one instrument called a quijana (a donkeys jawbone), the cajita is added next and finally, a large cajón (or box drum) joins in.  How cool!

QUIJANA, CAJITA AND CAJON JAM

DARIA’s HOMEMADE CAJITA PICTURES
Check out some of my homemade cajitas here.

Homemade Cajita

Inside of the Homemade Cajita

SUPPLIES FOR A HOMEMADE CAJITA
Cigar box
Small knob and matching screw (knobs from kitchen cabinets or small dressers work perfectly)
Hammer and nail or awl tool (to make a hole for the knob to be inserted in lid)
Two dowels or sticks – about 8” in length
Materials for decorating such as paint, construction paper, stickers, yarn and glue