Setting up your classroom so half the group sings and the other half plays – with the option to swap – ensures everyone stays engaged and adds a new dimension to singing lessons.

This plan, from Sing Up and Drums for Schools, can be delivered in one session or several shorter ones.

Begin by registering for free as a Sing Up Friend at singup.org/friends, then download the song Big Sing Up mambo, along with scores and percussion guides, here.

You’ll need a selection of percussion instruments for half the class.

What they’ll learn

• Improved awareness of pulse (keeping a steady beat), pitch (echo singing), rhythm (layering rhythmic patterns over a pulse) and structure (call-and-response patterns)
• Motor skills and instrument handling
• Singing (tuning, expression, diction)
• Listening and ensemble skills (maintaining a part within a group)

Shelly Ambury is head of learning at Sing Up. Andy Gleadhill is head of training at Drums for Schools. Find out about Drums for Schools’ percussion packs at drumsforschools.com.

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