What is a Thinking Voice?
Put simply, the Thinking Voice is what we describe as hearing music in our heads. Take the concept of whistling a tune. Our ears will finetune things as we go while we actively play along to the words in our heads. We will maintain pitch and hold a steady pulse as the words find their way to us as we essentially whistle/hum as though we are reading subtitles.
Why use it?
The use of the Thinking Voice in the classroom can bring enormous benefits to young musicians. By hearing music ‘inside’ or ‘in our heads’ we can develop our sense of pulse and augment concentration when working as a team. Transfer this to an ensemble situation, with another key skill in place, the experience will be that much more valuable and beneficial to all involved.
How do I apply it in the classroom?
Take any simple four line phrase, such as:
Lily on the ferry,
Lily in the car,
Lily took the train
She travelled very far.*1
Or:
Fishy, fishy in the brook,
Mummy catch him with a hook
daddy fry him in the pan,
Baby eat him like a man! *2
Teach the rhyme so that the children have internalised it (this will take place over a number of weeks so that the repetition can kick in). Once secure, it's time to set the challenge! The rhyme is to be repeated but with the majority of it in the children's head while they only say the words, ‘ferry’, 'car', ‘train’ and ‘far’ etc. out loud:
Lily on the ferry,
Lily in the car,
Lily took the train
She travelled very far.*1
Or:
Fishy, fishy in the brook,
Mummy catch him with a hook
daddy fry him in the pan,
Baby eat him like a man!*2
The aim is for the group (or individuals) to say the four words at the same time. Remind your pupils that this is not a race; being the first one to finish is not the aim, instead everyone is trying to arrive together, hence my comment earlier about developing ensemble skills.
TOP TIP: Ensure you begin with an accurate ‘Ready? And Off we go!’ so that everyone starts off saying the rhyme at the same time. If this is not achieved, you will struggle to 'land' on the critical words at the same time! See previous Blog about the importance of starting off together for further advice.
Which age-group would benefit the most?
I use this method with children aged 3 upwards. It is particularly effective with Reception-aged children to Year 2 but developing it for a Year 6 pupil with a longer phrase and giving them a number of words (or beats) to say out loud (or perform a specific action) provides an equal level of challenge. What am I saying? Even for a large group of adults, if the challenge is there, it will be both entertaining and educational!
How often should I use it?
Using this concept in any session that you teach is excellent practice. The children love the challenge of completing it accurately and as they become older they will start to internalise phrases and rhymes more quickly. I encourage all practitioners to apply this method into their lessons immediately if they haven't already!
Be brave! Go forth and try it (if you haven't already) as it really will help you to help your children's confidence and skills grow.
*1 ©MylesGranger2022
*2 Taken from NYCOS (National Youth Choir of Scotland) flashcards. See their excellent resources here.
MMM