November-December 1998November-December 1998
By Cathleen Ann Steg
The eighth-grade band had just boarded the chartered bus for a spring trip and music festival. As the student musicians clambered into their seats, bulky instrument bags in hand, I spotted some familiar faces: a trumpeter, four alto saxophones, and a percussionist--all former Webelos Scouts.
Their parents were thrilled that the boys were here. For all six, the trip marked the culmination of years of hard work. Only one had grown up in a "musical family," yet all had managed to stick with their instruments since fifth grade, learning time management, self-discipline, and teamwork through music.
As their former den leader, I was even more pleased to see them board this bus, because I'd been with them four years before, when they took their first step toward this moment, the day they started working on their Webelos Showman activity badge.
Now, a year later, those boys have since scattered to various high schools in the area, and I've just helped my current den of Webelos Scouts earn the same badge.
Over the years, these boys have convinced me that the music in the Showman activity badge can be a highlight of the entire Webelos Scout program. (See the badge's music requirements in the Webelos Scout Book.)
In fact, with careful planning, hands-on activities, and wise use of local resources, this badge can become a favorite among dens and also change the lives of the boys with whom we work.
"No place in the world is better for a kid to be than in a music room," says Band Director Phil Simon, in his 14th year at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Alexandria, Va. "Music is a healthy thing to do; it's intellectually stimulating. Students learn unique skills in here, including a completely new and complex language."
Dr. Margaret Otwell, assistant professor of piano at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., also shares Simon's enthusiasm. She notes that the benefits of music study for children extend even beyond the intellectual and the physical.
"Studying music engages children emotionally," she says, "allowing them to learn to express freely a wide range of emotions in a satisfying and aesthetically pleasing way."
Clearly, there are more good reasons to put a music emphasis on the Showman badge than you can shake a baton at.
An effective way to introduce the program is by organizing the badge work in three stages, building up to performances at the final den meeting of the month. (See details below.)
Always remember that a little wackiness is almost as important as preparedness. Any den leader should be able to approach this badge with a sense of fun and without stage fright on the part of the boys--or you.
To begin this badge, get the boys involved with hands-on activities. Start by blowing on blades of grass held tautly between thumbs and forefingers, blowing across the tops of soft drink bottles, and banging on pieces of plumbing pipe.
Give each boy a tablespoon of unpopped popcorn to pour into a balloon. He would then blow it up and listen to the "thunder" as he shakes it.
Discuss the difference between noise and music. Then, for requirement 5, play some recordings of great American music for the boys. (See end of article for a sampler of boy-pleasing tunes)
For your second den meeting, "take the 'A' train"--or the cars of some den parents--to your local high school band room.
High school musicians love to demonstrate their instruments; the drum major can teach rudimental conducting skills, using different tempos (requirement 7). Most importantly, the Webelos Scouts enjoy the chance to interact with older students and see the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the band.
More than anything else in this program, the band room visit creates a lasting impression in the boys' minds.
That these high school band kids are so willing to give of their time to a bunch of fourth-grade boys is emblematic of why music can be so good for young people. The sense of pride, teamwork, and leadership the students share is clearly transmitted to the Webelos Scouts on a field trip like this.
My own son, Skye Schell, first touched a drum when the high school drummers invited all the boys to try their instruments during our den's visit to the TJHSST band room in 1993.
The thrill of that experience stayed with him; he signed up for percussion when elementary band began in fifth grade, and now he performs as a member of the TJHSST bands and the American Youth Philharmonic.
Skye's buddy Marc Strauss first "met" the saxophone during that same den visit five years ago. Unlike Skye, Marc didn't have the influence of an older sibling in band or a pianist parent. The band visit piqued his interest, nevertheless, and he gave music a try.
Now, like Skye, he plays in the TJHSST bands. And when my new den visited the band room last spring, Marc and Skye welcomed the Webelos Scouts with the same enthusiasm they had received back when they were curious elementary school students.
Through their demonstrations and good-humored competitions among themselves (which instrument is loudest? lowest? most challenging to play?), band students show the Webelos Scouts that performance can be fun.
Reinforce this sense of fun by learning some silly songs (requirement 2) throughout the month and performing them at the next pack meeting.
"My Bonnie" is always a big hit. Invite pack families to sing along, switching from a standing to a sitting position every time they hit a word starting with the letter "b" ("bring back, bring back, oh, bring back my Bonnie to me"). And, of course, speed up the tempo with each repetition.
Suggest to the boys at the first Showman meeting that they complete requirement 1 by being able to perform musical tunes at your final meeting.
Many fourth-grade boys, though boisterous in everyday life, are (surprise!) quite shy about public performance. But given several weeks advance notice, they will appreciate the chance to play in front of the fellow Webelos Scouts in the low-key, stress-free den environment.
(Of course, any boy not yet playing a musical instrument can be invited to prepare a collection of favorite recordings [requirement 3] for the final meeting and share a sample of this collection with the den.)
Educators like Phil Simon and Margaret Otwell recognize that music can build confidence through performance and encourage higher thinking skills (even raising SAT scores). But they also agree that these are not the best reasons to encourage our Webelos Scouts to study music.
"Music can be such fun," Dr. Otwell states. "More than anything else, I hope to see children study music for the sheer joy of it."
When your den of Webelos Scouts leads its song in front of the pack meeting--loud, active (and maybe even on key)--you'll know exactly what Otwell means.
You will have introduced them to a lifelong pleasure, something they can share with family and friends forever.
And they will have earned the Showman badge with a song in their hearts.
Scouter and freelance writer Cathy Steg wrote about the benefits of good uniforming ("It's a Great Fit!") in the October issue of Scouting magazine.
Setting Up the Field TripI encourage visiting a band rather than an orchestra because band programs are the most common school musical ensembles.
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A Boy-Pleasing American PlaylistI'd never expect the boys to sit quietly through a 20-minute symphonic work at a den meeting. Instead, I choose small portions of the selections in advance, keeping my audience in mind. Give them just a taste--always less than a minute--of different types of music, to pique their interest in American music. Remember to introduce them to jazz and swing composers, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Artie Shaw, as well as the American classical greats such as Bernstein and Gershwin. Have them listen for
If you need more ideas, write to me in care of Playlist, Scouting Magazine, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. If you enclose a self-addressed return envelope with one first-class postage stamp affixed, I'll try to tailor a playlist to the needs of your den. --C.A.S. |
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