Johnny Giraffe
Learning Music Through Movement
Johnny Giraffe is an indisputable all-time favorite song. Want proof? Just look at how your kids start moving as soon as you turn it on! Learning music through movement is instinctive and a very important objective of The Music Class.
There is extensive research about the benefits of learning through movement. The person who really crystallized the idea of learning music through movement was Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. Dalcroze taught us that the best way to learn rhythm is by moving our bodies to the beat. He taught us that moving our bodies in different ways is the best way to understand different rhythms. He taught us that there’s no wrong way to move to music; instead, any way that the music motivates you to move is valid and beneficial to your understanding of the song.
Rob Sayer (the founder and director of The Music Class) studied for many years with Robert Abramson (the founder and director of the Dalcroze Institute at Juilliard). Rob's study with Rob influenced many of the songs and activities we created for The Music Class, including Johnny Giraffe. We jump and march while singing Johnny Giraffe to learn the beat and encourage kids to move in whatever way they want to express themselves.
I now bring you some fun and creative ways to move to Johnny Giraffe in daily life, featuring adorable children!
1. GO FOR A HIKE. Go enjoy nature AND music by getting outside and singing! March to the beat down that path!
2. WEED THE GARDEN. This is a pro-mom move by our Wallace family. Doing chores while singing makes it way more fun! It’s like the little kid version of folding laundry while listening to a podcast; plus it helps with their rhythm development.
3. GO FOR A DRIVE. Yes, technically the kids are strapped into their seats, but look at how they’re still wiggling and clapping to the beat!
4. DANCE ALONG! Find a TMC center near you so you can dance along in class! Or enjoy watching this video and dance along in your living room. 🤗
5. Johnny Giraffe is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music! (Track #10) So even if you aren't enrolled in The Music Class this fall, just pull it up on your favorite streaming platform and dance along!!