In Ms. Hawkins’ music classes at Savannah Lakes Elementary, students took inspiration first from the Houston Texans and then from the Super Bowl teams to help them tackle learning note progressions on the recorder.
Using the excitement of football season, Ms. Hawkins connected the idea of teamwork and rhythm on the field to rhythm and progression in music.
Just as a football team moves the ball down the field play by play, musicians move through a melody note by note. Together as a team, students practiced reading music and transitioning smoothly between notes, whether that meant holding a note for a full measure, preparing for a series of quick quarter notes, or recognizing when to pause for a rest.
In the end, these musicians weren’t just cheering on their favorite football teams; they were learning how to score big in music class, one note at a time.
Now that the Seahawks have been crowned champions, Hawkins said she’s ready to make a substitution and go for the gold by using the Winter Olympics as her next source of inspiration.