Table of Contents Music Games

Call and Echo

About:

Call and echo (some people call this 'Call and Response'. Is one of the most universal music activities in human culture. The leader call out a musical phrase and the group call it back.
Call and Echo is a form of mirroring. Mirroring is one of the central ways that we come to know that we exist, that we matter. This can be done superficially- I just play back what you played or deeply. I hear YOU, I get you, I play you back so you know that I got you.
As much as possible I want each participant to be able to have their own voice and say what they want to say. And I want them to recognize that each persons actions have an effect on those around them.

As with Shadowing,  students doing Echoing need to be able to attend to and understand the expression that an other is doing. And they need to use enough short term memory to hold what the other student has just played.

Purpose of this Lesson:

Students begin to create and express their own parts. With this they have to integrate generating ideas and executing them in real time.

Students also have to perceive what an other is doing and render it in real time.

Students need to develop a sense of cuing to both perceive when the other has played their phrase and when it is their turn to play in back.

Their is an opportunity to move from superficial mirroring, to deep listening where perceive and and honor the subtle intricate nuances of expression.

Prerequisite:

Ready

Asleep

Boom, Boom - Play what you want

Directions:

The simple explanation of call and echo is, "I am going to play a phrase, then you echo it back".
To Dragon puppet, "Dragon, I am going to play something, then I want you to play it back." "OK" Model dragon, not playing at all. Dragon playing back his own thing. Dragon not stopping. To group. Now lets us try it. I will play some thing, then you play it back At this point as each participant played their 'call' I worked to not only play back the �superficial rhythm, but to perceive and reflect their total energy- their whole nuance. Many of the participants saw me seeing them, their was what I could best describe as a electric current between us. And at that moment at least for the duration of the session, a change had happened between us. They felt more real more themselves. Their actions had more presence - They were there.

Level 1- play a simple assigned pattern by your self, the group then echoes it.

One way to start this game is do one round. Have each student Call 'Ready',  play a very simple pattern- Four bass notes or booms and the group echos those back.   This gets everyone tuned in to the form and the order of the game. I find it useful to correct anyone who doesn't play the four notes as assigned. 

I give students the option to pass and still challenge them to play.  By doing the first round as just play four notes, they have a part that they

Glitches:

• Student(s) continuing to play while group has stopped.
1. Acknowledge and energize student(s) who did stop on time. "Wow its really cool how you were able to stop when I caught the ball even when some students were not able to. How did you do that?"
   Other students will usually clamor in and say, "Hey I stopped too."
   "Great! if you stopped on time raise your hand. Give your self a pat on the back." Let's do it again.
2. Take Over the Problem Have Dragon puppet keep playing after a stop signal.  Play devil advocate, "So what if he keeps playing. Its a free country."
3. If a student fails to stop this time- do a loose your instrument reset.
• Instead of playing the assigned pattern, students play something else.
1. x
2. x
• x
1. x
2. If after discussion of this behavior a student still does it, give them a Reset.

Level 2- play our own part, the group then echoes it.

Glitches

• Student(s) continuing to play while group has stopped.
1. Acknowledge and Energize a student who did stop on time. "Wow its really cool how you were able to stop when I caught the ball even when some students were not able to. How did you do that?" Other students will usually clamor in and say, "Hey I stopped too." "Great! if you stopped on time raise your hand. Give your self a pat on the back." Let's do it again. If a student fails to stop this time- do a loose your instrument reset.
2. Take Over the Problem Have Dragon make the mistakes and ask the class members to comment on his actions.
• If after discussion of this behavior a student still does it, they may need a Reset.

Needs Met:

Safety- the rules of the game are clear.

Connection -  Doing a beat together. This rhythm particularly helps students entrain with the whole group.

Significance- Playing ones own beat and having it played back by the group.

Neuroscience and Psycho-physiology Basis:

[text]

Metaphor to Explore:

Who hears you? How do you know?
Who do you hear? Who do you let them know?

Extensions:

Call and Echo over a Groove
Call and Echo with a Poison Beat
Performance This game can be used part of a performance.

---