Radio Waves

School Radio > Music > Join in with Music

A short piece that provides a background framework for pupils to improvise sounds inspired by the history of radio communications.

The video

Radio Waves

This short piece provides a background framework for children to improvise sounds and patterns inspired by the history of radio communications.

Pupils can use their voices and whistling sounds to slide up and down in pitch. Several instruments can achieve similar effects - eg violin and cello can naturally glide between notes, while guitar and ukulele can be played bottleneck style, moving a solid object - such as the back of a spoon - over the fretted area, while plucking the strings as usual.

For blowing instruments, the swanee whistle or slide whistle has a mouthpiece - like a penny whistle - and also a special plunger, which is pulled and pushed to make the pitch higher or lower. With practice, even some bicycle pumps can be played to sound like like a flute that swoops up and down!

Organise the class into distinct groups around the classroom. Here’s a plan of the piece as shown by arrows and swirls on the video, which the children can interpret freely to stimulate their own ideas:

• Part A: The children are invited to start experimenting with up and down sounds…
• Part B: …and to make up their own directions.
• Part C: Some can add percussion and other tickly sounds for interference and crackles.
• Part D: Some say or play short phrases, like voices in different languages.
• Part E: Some can make up short snippets of music at different speeds.
• Part F: To end, some can add a few extraterrestrial sounds joining in from outer space!

Resources

School Radio > Music > Join in with Music