The Lyre at Hawthorne Valley School, Harlemville, NY

By Diane Barnes, Harlemville, NY

I have just started a new job teaching music to grades 3, 4, and 5 at Hawthorne Valley School in Harlemville, NY.  The lyre hasn’t been used there much in the past few years, but now it is back.  In grade 3, I have a few children streaming on kinderharps during parts of a song, and others playing chime bars, triangles and shakers in other sections of the song.  In the end, all of the instruments play together.  It is quite lovely.  In the first music class with 5th grade, I had chosen students to raise long silks in the air and other students to stream on Bordun lyres as they passed under the silk.  I will build on this activity as we go along.  It has been a good, light-filled experience so far, and the children and class teachers are wonderful.  The Bordun lyres will come into the 4th grade soon.

All the Best to you all,
Diane Barnes