Jelly Beans + Rhythm Cups + Kids = Motivated Students!

The ideas for new and creative ways  to use Rhythm Cup Explorations are just pouring in and filling my email inbox! Please keep them coming we’ll continue to add to the “8 New Ways to Make Rhythm Cups Explode in Your Studio!”  My post title is going to be wrong from here on out because there are lots more than 8 ways to use it.

Yet Another Super Fun Way to Use Rhythm Cup Explorations

rhythm cup explorations

Here’s yet another way to use Rhythm Cup Explorations, sent to me by a piano teaching friend of mine Patricia Neufeldt. She gave me permission to share this and would love for any of you to use the idea in your studio! It’s super easy, super cheap, and super fun!

She explains it this way:

I decided to create a summer activity & challenge based on your Rhythm Cups Explorations to shake things up in my studio during summer lessons. I usually run a pretty low-key, low-tech operation in the summer weeks that I do teach. I don’t have the facilities or the personal capacity to run group lessons or summer camps, so I look for fun & interesting activities that we don’t usually have time for during the year.

Shake things up Patty SmallHow does the jelly bean rhythm challenge work?

Patty has it all outlined here and on the handout that you can use for your students:

  1. Choose a colored cup and write your name on it:
    ★ Blue for Level 1
    ★ Green for Level 2
    ★ Orange for Level 3
    ★ Red for Level 4
  2. Put 1 jellybean [or M&Ms if you have chocolate loving kids] in your cup for each of the following challenges you conquer. You must be able to do it flawlessly!
    Rhythm expert: perform a rhythm while counting out loud with the metronome set at 60+
    Dueling duets: perform a rhythm while your teacher performs a different rhythm at the same time
    Speed demon: perform a rhythm with the metronome set at 120+
    Groove master: perform a rhythm while your teacher plays an accompaniment
    Creative genius: make up your own moves to a rhythm
    NOTE: Minimum requirement is that you must be able to perform each line while counting out loud with the metronome set at 60+ before moving on.
  3. Rhythm Cup Explorations jelly bean
    Print this for your students!

    When you meet the minimum requirements for each level:
    ➡ Take your jellybeans home
    ➡ Choose another cup and begin the next level

Why is the jelly bean rhythm challenge fun?

It’s easy to see why this is going to be fun for her students! It contains everything a kid and teenager loves:

  • Being good at something
  • Playing music with others
  • Performing FAST!
  • Experimenting with new beats that sound like the pop music they are listening to
  • Being creative and being allowed to be free to be creative!

How’s it working for her?

Patricia told me how it’s going even though it’s just the first week:

So far, I haven’t even made it through Week One of this new Rhythm Cup Explorations challenge, but I have already tested things out with a beginner, an advanced student, and 2 intermediate-level kids. With very little effort on my part, they are all enjoying it in equal measure

Regarding where to start each student, Patricia also says:

I have everyone starting off with “Blue Cups” regardless of their ability, and still they had fun!

Want even more ideas?

I’m frantically writing blog posts full of all the ideas that teachers are sending my way. So be sure to join the email newsletter so you don’t miss any of them! If you still need to purchase Rhythm Cup Explorations you can do it below or go to the Rhythm Cup Explorations page where you’ll see samples and a video to tell you more.

READ MORE:

3 thoughts on “Jelly Beans + Rhythm Cups + Kids = Motivated Students!”

  1. Hi Anna,
    Yes indeed. Just click on the little image and it pulls up a PDF that you can print for your students!

  2. What a perfect idea for hungry players! I intend to use a version of this game for my summer camp with always hungry string players.

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