Finbar Furey Music Lesson Ideas

Music Activity Ideas: Lonesome Boatman and How the Moon Travels

Stimulus 

The short story "Where the Fish get their scales" ( pg. 99) from Why the Moon Travels by author Oein DeBhairduin. 

Talk and Discussion:

• Revise the short story
• Discuss how the short story is set on an island by the Atlantic Ocean.

I wonder (Class discussion): 

• What kind of people work at seas such as the Atlantic? 
• How is working out at sea different to working in a city?
• What are sounds and sights you would hear and see at sea?
• Would you like to work in the sea? 
• Explain to the children that they will now listen to a piece of music. 
• Ask the chidlren to think back on the short story
• , ask the children to close their eyes and imagine the sounds of the atlantic. 
  

Video:

• Watch the video of Finbar Furey playing the Lonesome Boatman. 

Group Work / Pair Work/ Class:

• What instruments can the children hear?
• What sounds do the instruments imitate (for e.g.., seagulls, waves crashing).
• Ask the children (in pairs or groups) to create a sound similar to what they heard using the environment, voice and/or body percussion. 
• If you have instruments, the children could explore how some instruments can make similar sounds of the sea, boats and ships etc.
  

Writing 

• Encourage the children to create a short story based at sea using the instruments to tell the story and create a soundscape. Watch the video below to learn about writing your own stories with author Oein DeBhairduin. 

Performance:

• The children can perform their short story and soundscape to the class.