Songs and Stories with Mary and Mike
Let’s Use Our Hands
Episode 12 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Mary and Mike explore ways we use our hands to tell the stories of our imaginations!
Let’s explore how we use our hands to make music and art! Mary shares a poem about five little ducks, and Mike creates a sound story about the little ducklings. We meet the kalimba, and explore keeping a steady beat to several different musical styles. And we meet Andrew, an amazing creator, artist, and maker who inspires us to use our hands to make all kinds of art out of paper.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Songs and Stories with Mary and Mike is a local public television program presented by VPM
Songs and Stories with Mary and Mike
Let’s Use Our Hands
Episode 12 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Let’s explore how we use our hands to make music and art! Mary shares a poem about five little ducks, and Mike creates a sound story about the little ducklings. We meet the kalimba, and explore keeping a steady beat to several different musical styles. And we meet Andrew, an amazing creator, artist, and maker who inspires us to use our hands to make all kinds of art out of paper.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>>Hi friends.
>>We're so glad you joined us today.
>>Today, we're going to be learning all about how we use our hands to create music and art.
>>So come on, come play with us.
>>Come on.
>>Funding our songs and stories with Mary and Mike is made possible by.
(calming kalimba music) ♪ Come play with me ♪ ♪ Won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪ ♪ Come play music with me ♪ >>Yeah.
Are you ready?
Let's get up.
♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time to get up ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time to get up ♪ ♪ There's so much to do ♪ ♪ There's so much to see ♪ ♪ There's so much to learn about ♪ ♪ So I can be the me ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time to get up ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time to get up ♪ Welcome to songs and stories.
>>With Mary and Mike >>Where we tell the stories of music.
>>And we share the music of all people.
So what are we doing today?
>>(chuckles) Today, we're going to be exploring different ways that we use our hands to create.
>>Okay, so we can create art with our hands?
We can make music with our hands.
>>Mm, we can use our hands to tell the stories of our imaginations.
>>Well, this sounds like a lot of fun.
Let's get to it.
>>Let's get to it.
(peaceful kalimba music) I have a story to share with you called Five Little Ducks.
And to help me tell the story, I'm going to use my hands as the characters in the story.
I would love for you to join me by using your hands to tell the story.
So you need a mother duck.
Quack, Quack, Quack!
And you need five little ducks.
Are you ready?
Let's do it.
Five little ducks went out to play over the field and far away.
Mother duck called quack, quack, quack, and four little ducks came waddling back.
Four little ducks?
Oh dear, we lost one, didn't we?
Hmm, I wonder what that duck is doing.
Four little ducks went out to play over the field and far away.
Mother duck called quack, quack, quack, and three little ducks came waddling back.
Three little ducks?
My goodness, we're missing some ducks.
How many ducks are still over the field and far away?
We started with five and now we have three.
Do you know how many ducks are still over the field and far away?
Two.
Nice job.
Let's do it again.
Here we go.
Three little ducks went out to play over the field and far away.
Mother duck called quack, quack, quack, and two little ducks came waddling back.
Two little ducks?
We are missing another duck.
Hm, are you seeing a pattern here?
If we do it again, how many ducks do you think we'll come back next time?
Let's do it and find out.
Two little ducks went out to play over the field and far away.
Mother duck called quack, quack, quack, and one little duck came waddling back.
Did you know that it would just be that one?
I do wonder where those other four ducks are.
Hmm, one little duck went out to play over the field and far away.
Mother duck called quack, quack, quack and no waddle ducks came waddling back.
Hm, please, please, please come back, and five little ducks came waddling back.
Oh, mother duck was so happy to have all five of her little ducks back.
Friends, were you able to use your hands as mother duck and the five little ducks to help tell this story?
I hope that you will take this story and share it with someone today.
(ambient music) Let's make music.
>>I love making music.
>>I do too.
Friends today, we're going to be exploring ways that we use our hands to make music.
>>So how do we use our hands to make music?
>>One of the simplest ways is to use your hands patting your lap to the steady beat.
Let's try it all together.
>>Let's do it, all right.
One, two, ready play.
(hands patting) >>I like how a steady beat fields.
I can feel the impact in my hands.
I can feel the groove.
>>Oh, what are you noticing while you keep this steady beat?
Kinda feels nice to get in a groove with somebody else.
>>Well, how about I try an instrument while you keep the steady beat?
>>I love that idea.
So friends, keep this beat with me right here.
>>All right, and I'm gonna try this kalimba.
>>Okay.
(kalimba music) Oh, nice job playing the kalimba.
>>Thank you.
Yeah, and you did a great job with a steady beat.
>>Yeah.
Friends, are you able to keep this beat with me still?
(laughs) >>Well, how about I try another instrument?
Could I try the piano?
>>Oh, I love that idea.
And friends, why don't we switch the way we're keeping the steady beat.
So we're going to do it one hand at a time.
(piano music) Wow, friends, were you able to keep this steady beat with me through that beautiful piano playing?
>>Oh, thank you.
That's a great piece by CPE Bach called "Solfeggietto."
>>All right, well friends, are you still keeping this beat?
>>Well, how about I play one more instrument?
Could I try something on the guitar while you keep the beat?
>>I love that idea, but let's see friends can we change this up a little bit?
Let's try a steady beat pattern.
So make sure you're watching my hands and moving your hands where mine go.
(uplifting guitar music) Switch.
Switch again.
To your head.
(Mary laughs) Back to your lap.
(laughs) Nice job.
Did you notice the pattern?
We went from our knees, to our hips, to our shoulders, to our head.
And then we started all over again, right back on our laps.
>>And I think it's so neat how you can play different instruments, and play different types of music but the beat stays the same.
>>The beat stayed the same, and you did a fantastic job keeping that steady beat with me that whole time.
Nice job.
(peaceful kalimba music) Well, I'm excited to share these instruments with you today.
You've already heard this instrument a couple of times.
This is the kalimba.
The kalimba is from a family of instruments called sansa or lamellaphones.
And this family of instruments originated mostly from Africa.
What makes them such a unique group of instruments is how they're constructed and how they make sound.
So this instrument is so neat, because it has this piece of wood and sometimes it's wooden box like this with the hole.
But sometimes it's also just a flat piece of wood like this one.
And what happens is attached to the wood are these metal keys called tongues, and you take your thumb and you pluck the tongue, (kalimba music) the metal vibrates.
But since it's attached to the wood the wood makes the vibration louder, so you can hear it really well.
(kalimba music) I really liked this one because look at the back.
I think it was a gourd that somebody cut in half, and then took a piece of wood, and cut the wood to the right shape to fit on top of it.
What shape does that remind you of?
I think it looks a little like a heart.
Well, whenever I meet a new instrument I always like to think about the sound, (kalimba music) and I like to ask a lot of questions.
I like to ask, what does the sound make you think of?
What is this sound remind you of?
What story would you tell with this sound?
Well, I'm really glad I got to introduce you to these instruments today.
Make sure you listen for them.
You never know where you might hear 'em.
>>Well, we have already discovered some ways that we can use our hands to create.
>>Are you noticing how use your hands?
Are you wondering about what you might create?
>>Well, let's go meet our friend Andrew Sherogan.
Andrew is an expert at using his hands to create all kinds of things, and use all different kinds of materials.
>>That sounds like fun.
>>Yeah.
>>Yeah.
And I was really inspired by your poem about the five little ducks.
And so I thought I might gather some supplies and tell a sound story.
>>Oh, a sound story.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.
>>Okay, we'll meet back here later.
>>Let's do it.
>>Okay.
(calm kalimba music) >>Hi Andrew.
>>Hey Mary, how are you?
>>I'm doing well.
Thank you so much for having us out to your workshop.
>>Well, I'm glad you could make it.
I'm glad you could come and visit today.
>>Thank you.
I see so many things going on, and this table looks like a lot of fun.
(laughs) >>It is.
This is where we're gonna hang out and make some stuff.
We're gonna have some fun today.
This is a bunch of creative materials.
>>I love this.
Well, I see you've already been working on some things.
>>I have been, yeah.
You know, I love making art.
I'm an artist, and I'm a maker, and I love being creative.
So sometimes I don't want to get all my paints out.
I don't wanna make a big mess.
I just wanna play.
And paper is such a simple and fun material to work with.
A lot of what I've been doing, and a lot of what I find fun to do is just use my imagination.
And I've been making curls, lots of different, little twists and curls.
So I've got a piece of paper and there's a couple of ways you can do this, but the simplest way is to just pinch it between your fingers like so.
>>Okay.
>>And then slowly twist it around.
Now, as I do that I'm gonna pinch it again with my thumb to hold it, and then I can just twist.
And as I do that, I'm pinching just to hold it, and twisting, and pinching, and twisting like a little pattern.
And then when I'm ready, I can pull it slowly, and it makes this fun little curl.
>>Oh, I love that.
>>Now that's kind of a loose curl, that could be fun for something, but I wanna make a really twisty, tight curl, so I'm gonna do it again >>Right.
>>with a pencil.
And I'm gonna hold the paper, and the pencil together and pinch it.
And then I'm gonna twist it with my fingers and roll that up.
So pinch, and wrap, and pinch, and wrap, and then pull it apart, and I've got a nice little curl.
>>So I would love to try this.
>>Absolutely, well, here's some paper.
>>Can I do that?
>>Yeah, >>Okay, >>you can put your color strip if you want to.
>>All right, I want green.
>>And I'll pick a white one this time.
>>Okay.
>>And if you want a pencil to try with you can, so I think it's really the easiest thing.
You can do it with your fingers but.
>>Okay.
>>So we're gonna pinch that paper on there, just kinda hold it with our thumb like this.
>>Okay.
>>And then we're just gonna slow the wrap it around, and yeah, you have to kinda hold it under your thumb each time.
That's the only hard part about this.
It's just to kind of hold it on there as you as you twist it.
>>Okay.
>>And then when you get hold of it, >>Let me slide it down.
>>you can just kinda pull it off slowly.
>>Mine got really tight.
>>Wow, yours looks like a curly tower.
>>It does.
>>That's really cool.
Yeah, you can look through these.
They're like little telescopes or.
>>I love it.
>>Fun little curly tower.
>>Yeah.
>>It's like, we're making a little city, so show me this, to me it kind of looks like an octopus.
>>Well, that's funny you said that, because it's actually a head, or an octopus.
>>Or an octopus.
>>Or a jellyfish, whatever you think.
>>I love it.
>>But yeah, I kind of made it just thinking about hair.
Like this is some crazy hair and look at that bounce.
Look that fun kind of spring that in there.
>>Yes, it's so fun.
I love how it moves.
>>Yeah, whatever you want this to be, you know, you can make it into that.
So if I wanted to make it a face, I could take some crowns or pencil, and I could draw some eyes and a nose and a mouth on there and color it in.
Or I could flip it over like this, and find some wild cool jellyfish, colors, and color this all to make it look like a jellyfish, or an octopus, or I don't know.
>>I love that, and I see your little frog right here.
>>There's a little frog there.
He's got some springy legs in the back, so he can kinda hop along.
And I decided that I needed to have some colorful flowers.
So I rolled up some paper.
I twisted some paper that I cut to make these fun little leaves on this flower.
And I also did this one here, but because I like being creative, this became less of a flower, and a little bit more of this.
>>(laughs) A little character.
>>Yeah, he's a little like flower character.
A little flower thing.
I don't know what you call it, but it's got some funny eyes, and the little curls on the back are making these perfect little springy eyeballs to kind of shake, so this is a lot of fun.
>>I love that.
>>I like puppets and I like playing with puppets.
>>Yes.
>>So.
>>Well, Andrew, this has been so much fun, but I'm also so curious about all of these amazing things around us in your workshop.
Would you mind giving me a quick tour?
>>Absolutely, I'd love to show you all the toys and tools that I play with.
Well, this is kinda my all around creative space.
This is where I come to be an artist and a maker.
So on this table that we're working on I paint a lot of the times.
I have paints that I get out and I'll work here, and build things on this table, but in addition to painting, I like woodworking a whole lot.
>>Wow, woodworking.
So I've got some woodworking tools.
One of my favorite things is learning how to make spoons.
>>Oh, wow.
>>So yeah, this is just a Walnut stirring spoons, standard, basic stirring spoon, and spoons are so much fun to make.
And you can learn so much about woodworking just from doing a simple project like spoon carving.
So this hook knife is you notice is curved like a hook and that's so that I can scoop out the bowl of the spoon.
And I'm just going to slowly carved the shape out.
I love that sound.
That's the sound of progress.
>>Love that sound too.
>>So, you know, what I like to think about is that this used to be part of a tree.
>>Right, I think that's what's so fascinating, >>A tree that grew for hundreds of years, and then it fell down for one reason or another.
And now it's a spoon, but I don't just do spoons.
I've gotten to do bigger things as well.
So this is a cutting board and this is also made out of Walnut.
Again, it's just one of my favorite ones, because it's super hard and it's a beautiful.
This used to be- >>Look at that.
>>part of the trunk of a tree.
You can kind of see where it curved here in a limb.
>>Yeah.
>>Might've grown out of here.
>>Right, and it's not right here in the wood.
>>Right, yeah.
>>This is beautiful.
What are you going to make with this?
>>Well, this is gonna be a kitchen bar for someone's house, so where you're standing- >>Wow, like a countertop.
>>A countertop, exactly, yes.
So I love it.
I just love exploring, and thinking about all the different things I can do with a piece of wood, whether it's leaving it in mostly its natural state, or cutting it down to make a little cutting board, or going even smaller, >>Yeah, or the spoon.
>>and making a spoon with it.
>>Yeah.
>>So lots of different things.
They're not always functional, sometimes they're just artistic.
You know, sometimes they're just fun things that I do.
>>Well, Andrew, this has been so wonderful.
>>Well, it's been such a pleasure having you here, and I'm glad that you could see my studio workshop, and get to play around and make some stuff with you today.
>>I know.
>>This was fun.
(peaceful ambient music) >>Let's tell a sound story.
I'm gonna use my hands and some materials.
I brought to tell a story with music and sound.
Earlier, Mary shared the poem five little ducks, and in this poem these five little ducks go away from the mama.
They go over the hill and far away, and each time one less comes back.
And that got me thinking, what were those ducks doing over there?
Why did one less duck come back every time?
What was happening?
So I thought it would be fun to use my imagination to tell a story about these five little ducks.
I brought some materials with me.
I brought this whistle, because this whistle, I think sounds like going over the hill and far away.
(whistle sounds) I also have these suction cup toys which kinda made me think of a duck waddling.
I brought a blade of grass, because if you take a blade of grass, and you tuck it between your thumbs and blow, you can kinda make a sound that I think sounds like mama duck.
I have a cup with some water, because something might go into the water, so I brought this stone too to drop in.
And finally, I have my kalimba, because I have an idea for that too.
Well, let's get started.
One day, five little ducks wanted to go play.
So they asked their mama, "Mama, is that okay if we go play over the hill and far away today?
And she said, "Oh, that sounds like lots of fun, just take my cell phone in case you need it," and instead said, "Oh, okay, well, thanks mama."
So they waddled off and they went over the hill and far away.
And on the other side of the hill, they saw the biggest lake ever.
The water was so deep and clear.
They walked right up to the edge and peered down into that deep, clear water.
And as they leaned forward and looked in, the cell phone slipped and went into the water.
"Oh no," the duck said.
They looked at each other.
They looked down into the water.
What are we gonna do?
And then just then they heard mama's call.
So they said, "Okay, you stay here, and the four of us will go back and check in with mama," so the four waddled off.
and they went over the hill, and mama said, "How are you doing today?
Are you having a good time?"
And they said, "Oh yes, mama, we're having such a great time.
Okay, we gotta go," and so they waddled back off again, and they went over the hill and far away to check in.
"Have you gotten the phone?"
Nodded the little duck.
They looked at each other.
They looked down into the water.
What are we gonna do?
And then they heard mama's call again.
She was calling to check in.
So his time only three went back and two stayed behind.
So they waddled off, and they went over the hill, and mama said, "Are you all having a good time?"
Are you hungry?
Do you need a sandwich?"
And they said, "Oh no, mama, we're just fine.
We gotta run."
So they waddled back off again, and they went over the hill and far away, and they got back.
"Have you gotten the phone?"
And the two ducks nodded their head.
"We haven't figured out how to get the phone out of the water."
It was getting dark and they knew it was almost time to go home.
But then... (kalimba music) Mr.
Fish swam up from the bottom of the lake.
"What are you duckies looking at down there?"
Asked Mr.
Fish.
And the duck said, "Mr.
Fish, we dropped our cell phone.
It's down at the bottom of the lake.
Can you help us?"
And Mr. Fisher said, "Sure."
(kalimba music) So he swam down through that deep, clear water, picked up the cell phone, tucked it in his fin, and swam back up.
(kalimba music) "Here you go duckies.
Next time be more careful."
And they said, "oh, thank you so much, Mr.
Fish."
And then just then they heard mama's call again, so they waddled back.
and they went over the hill, and got back to their mama.
Did you have a good time today playing over the hill and far away?
And the duck said, "Oh yes, mama, we sure did.
And here's your cell phone?"
Mama took the phone back, and she said, "Why is my cell phone dripping?"
I love telling sound stories.
I love using my imagination to come up with ideas for music and sound to make my story come alive.
What stories do you have in your head?
What stories do you want to tell, and how can you make your stories come alive?
(peaceful kalimba music) >>Funding our songs and stories with Mary and Mike is made possible by.
(peaceful music) >>Pinch and wrap.
>>Pinch and wrap.
>>And pitch and wrap.
>>And pinch and wrap.
>>Thanks so much for teaching me this.
>>Oh, of course, you're so welcome.
I really enjoyed learning with Andrew today about all of the different ways that you can play with paper and to create all different kinds of shapes and designs.
Friends, we've discovered lots of ways that we use our hands to create.
And we hope that we have encouraged you to use your hands in new ways to create new things too.
So you know what we always say when we learn new things, repeat after us.
I am brave.
>>I am curious.
>>I am strong because I can do hard things.
>>I am a beautiful learner.
>>I am a beautiful learner.
Yes, you are, friends, and we will see you next time.
(kalimba music) ♪ Come play with me ♪ ♪ Won't you come with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪ ♪ Come play music with me ♪ ♪ We're gonna sing ♪ ♪ Yes, and we're gonna dance ♪ ♪ We're gonna learn to play some instruments ♪ ♪ Oh come play with me ♪ ♪ Won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪ ♪ Come play music with me ♪ (uplifting piano music)


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