5 Minute Music Ideas

Music Ideas for the Temples and Tithing Lesson

Link to Relief Society Music site by Tonia Izu    This site has a lot of what you'll find here below, with some additional ideas.

Contributor:    Ann Amadori

Here are a few ideas I put together a while back.  Some is from the RS Handbook and some is from assorted handouts  Hope something is useful.

 The 5 minute music time in RS is quite misunderstood here, in my opinion. Several years ago we had a chorister who really saw the vision of this time and really made the most of it.  I wish I could remember half of the ideas she used.  I do have some handouts we have used in training so here goes:

The Relief Society Music Program

Music is an invaluable part of the Relief Society program.  It enhances spirituality in the meetings and brings unity to the sisters through participation.  Music blesses the lives of all sisters, married or single, young or old.  The prelude music and opening hymn set the mood for the meeting.

Overall Music Program includes:

         Music in Sunday Relief Society meetings
            Prelude
            Opening Hymn
            Five-minute music period
            Special music
            Closing hymn
            Postlude

        Relief Society choirs and concerts
        Special musical assignments in meetings, conferences, RS socials, and cultural evenings
        RS song contests
        Music workshops and enrichment activities

The five-minute music period is a learning time where women can gain a greater appreciation for good music and learn music skills to use in their homes and in their personal lives.  Sisters should be encouraged to appreciate and take advantage of musical and cultural opportunities in the Church and community.

Music Resource Materials**

      Handbook for Church Music
      Guidebook for Organists
      Guidebook for Conductors
      Guidebook for Choral Music
      Hymns
      Easy Hymn Preludes for Organ
      Easy Hymn Preludes for Piano
      Training Course for Conductors
      Hymns for Relief Society Choirs
      Prize-winning Songs of Relief Society, Vol 4

**This is from an old handout.  I don't know if all of these are still available.  Check the Distribution Center catalogue and check in your meetinghouse library for any you are interested in.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FIVE-MINUTE MUSIC PERIOD:

Teach Music Skills
1. Teach the basic beat patterns used in conducting.
2. Discuss the beauty of dynamics and expression.
3. Discuss note values, rhythm, rest values, time signatures, breathing techniques, etc.
4. Give the sisters some background in how to sing: pronouncing words and producing tones.
5. Teach the sisters how to read music.
6. Give two minutes of instruction (i.e. this is how you sit/stand and breathe) and then incorporate it into a hymn relating to the lesson.

Teach Music Appreciation

1. Be aware of cultural opportunities in the Church and community.
2. Listen to tapes of good music and discuss what criteria makes them good.
3. Share articles about music from the Ensign, Church News, Friend, Era.
4. Study the composers; short life history, music selections of classical composers and origin of some of the hymns.  (See the book, Our Latter-Day Hymns by Karen Lynn Davidson - Deseret Book Co.)

Other ideas
1. "Use music to prepare the saints to Meet the Savior."  Mark E Peterson Play uplifting music or examples of music that can bring the Spirit into the home.
2. Practice a hymn with a purpose in mind, such as a special Sacrament Meeting Presentation, a social, or to be prepared in the event of a funeral, etc.  Use the RS as a choir several times a year.
3. Memorize the words to a hymn.
4.Games:

Name That Tune
Hymns Pictionary
Hymns With New Titles (give old title & have them guess the new title)
Hymns With a Twist (How Loose a Roof = How Firm a Foundation)
Charades (act out hymn)
Use music theory flash cards & fill in the blanks story w/ musical symbol clues.
Give a matching quiz.  Type up lists and their definitions of words used in hymns that are not in common use, such as:

#284 - hie (strive, hasten)
#232 - warblings (a musical trill)
#232- heather (an evergreen shrub indigenous to barren ground)
#144 - boon (a timely benefit or blessing)
#191 - plaited (interwoven strands or locks)
#272 - diadem (a crown or headband worn as a badge of royalty)
#272- dross (the worthless or useless part of something)
#272 refuse - (waste or foreign matter, impurity)
#272 - despot (a ruler with absolute power and authority)
#272 - bulwarks (a solid wall-like structure raised for defense)
#187 - effulgent (radiant splendor, brilliance)
#273 - mote (a small particle or speck)

6. Ask a soloist (male or female), a family or some YW or YM or Primary children to come to RS to give a special musical presentation.

7. Keep anniversaries (Joseph Smith's birthday or death, etc) and holidaythemes in  mind.  Planning several months ahead with a calendar in front of you will help you remember these in time to do something to commemorate them.

8. Keep in mind the Sacrament theme for the month or the topic of the RS lesson or RS theme for the year or month.

9. Use music from the Children's Songbook so mothers will be able to learn the songs their children are learning in Primary and sing them at home.  (Coordinate with Primary Chorister on this one.)

10. Invite someone to play a solo on an instrument.

11. Do something different with an old hymn.  Take out all the dotted notes or sing the words on one hymn to the music of another.  (There is a section in the hymn book that tells you which hymns can be mixed like this)

12. Teach 2-part songs like "Love is Spoken Here"

13. Make hymn singing more effective by showing how change in tempo, volume, dynamics, etc, can affect the feeling of the music.  Use a metronome to show & sing different tempo.

14. Give the sisters paper and pencil and have them draw the title of a hymn and let them guess each others' titles.  Either let them choose their own titles or assign them.

15. Bring in a tape recording of music that is special to you and explain why then play it.

16. Train the sisters to follow the chorister by changing the tempo several times during the singing.

17. Encourage having a good music library in the home both for adults and children.  Give ideas of what to have in a library.

18. Fun songs that go with the lesson: "Don't Marry the Mormon Boys" for lesson on marriage, "The Arguing Song" from Into the Woods for lesson on contention, etc.

19. Show sisters how to make homemade musical instruments and have a family band (shakers, drums, triangles, whistles, flutes, glasses filled with water at different levels to make different pitches when hit with a spoon, etc.)    Tell history of a musical instrument, show the parts & how to put it together, show how to play it.

20. Divide into four groups & compose words to hymn (select a short hymn tune & give them two words per phrase to work with.  Have the words go along with the lesson.)

21. Favorite hymn box - tell WHY it is favorite (pass paper around the week(s) before & have a box to put "requests" in).

22.   For lesson on the Godhead - name that tune & tell what member of the Godhead hymn is about.

23. Memorize books of the Old Testament (or whatever book of scripture is being taught that year) with a song from Primary.

24. Use your public library for many resources.

Caution: Remember that five minutes goes by quickly.  Teach only one concept at a time.  Prior planning and careful timing are needed to keep from encroaching on others' time.
 

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS DISHONEST -  In a recent workshop, Sister Elizabeth W. Pierce answered questions on copyright laws.  We must be careful as photocopying music without permission is dishonest and illegal; it is an infraction of federal copyright law.

 One may make one copy of sheet music to mark up for analysis or, for example, give director's cues in a performance to preserve a clean copy of the music, so long as the copy is not shared with others.

 Copyrights do expire.  If a work was copyrighted before March 1, 1978, the duration is 28 years, renewable for 47 years, totaling 75 years as a rule of thumb on any work copyrighted prior to that date.  After that date, the duration is the life of the author, renewable for 50 years.  For works copyrighted by companies, the duration is 75 years.

 The civil liability for copyright infringement is up to $100,000 for each infraction.  Thus illegally copying music for use in a ward choir, could easily bring a lawsuit for millions of dollars.  Through a legal doctrine called "vicarious liability", the choir director, stake president, and the Church could become embroiled in the lawsuit.  Thus, it is absolutely necessary that Church members scrupulously observe copyright laws.

 Music in the Church hymn book carries a notice at the bottom of the page as to whether it may be copied "for incidental, noncommercial church or home use" or whether copying is prohibited without permission.  If there is no such notice, the hymn is in the public domain and may be freely copied.

 Se we encourage your music directors to be aware of this law and it's ramifications when planning to copy music to use in Relief Society.

 In addition, the hymn book has a lot of good information and should give some wonderful ideas for RS music.

 The following comes from a paper in my folder dated Jan 1993.  I don't know where it came from - probably some newsletter for music people.

 Singing: The Lord's Commission (author unknown)

 Singing together, as described in scripture, is an act of and also an aid to worship.  We hear the Lord's voice through his ancient prophets teaching us to bow down, to kneel vefore Him, and to praise and make a joyful noise unto Him through music.  The Apostle Paul speaks of spirit and understanding in prayer and song (i Cor 14:15) and of singing, teaching and admonishing with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. (Col 3:16)

 At the laying of the foundations of the earth, all the sons of God sang and shouted for joy.  (Job 38:7) At his son's birth, angels in celestial praise united in proclaiming the peaceable things of his kingdom. (Luke 2:13,14) Prior to the crucifixion, Jesus, with his disciples sang a hymn. Within these accounts are themes of prayer, pleading, trust, covenants, sacrifice, exhortation, meditation and obedience to the Father's precepts, his everlasting love and support.  Praise and glory themes are prominent: "How I love thy law...Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:97, 105)

 Through revelation, our Father has graciously provided instructions for our use of music in worship, all of which refer to his children singing together, as congregations.  To Moses, He fave a song to instruct the children of Israel (Deut 31:19-21, 31; 32:1-44) To us thought the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord has designated sacred hymns as his preferred music for worship.  He also defines a hymn, and tells us its purpose, as a prayer or communication with the Lord.  He promises a blessing upon the heads of the elect - a crown of righteousness and life in his presence. (D&C 25:11, 12, 15-16) Our living prophets consistently reinforce these concepts of worship through singing.

 We have been given the text of the new song to be sung by all of the Saints at the Second Coming when the Savior takes his place as King of Kings (D&C 84:99-102) We are given a vision of the coming of the Ten Tribes singing (sorry, I don't have the rest of this)

Here are a few more from the RS list that I added after I typed this handout:

I was the chorister for awhile, and I felt the same way you did.  Discuss it with your relief society president, but music period doesn't just have to be singing a song.  You could have sisters that play musical instruments share their talents.  You could play a certain song and tell why you like it so much and the feeling it creates.  You could introduce different styles of music and who composed them.  At the bottom of all the hymns, they have scripture references and they have the composer.  You could look the composer up and try to figure out the story behind the song and share it before you sing it.  You could read the scripture and challenge the women to strive to following the teachings of the scripture and the song.  There are endless possibilities.  I tried a few of these suggestions, and it really spiced up the music period and many women thanked me.  Good luck.

Last Sunday during or music time we played "Name that Tune" it was really fun. Some Sisters really know their church hymns! We also have been learning how to read some of the notes. A lot of Sisters do not know how to read music. Hope this helps!

Aloha Beth in Hawaii
 

We have a great chorister in our ward!  She was our stake music person for a few years and did a class at leadership for RS choristers re:   music time.  I wasn't in that workshop but I do know a few of the things she's tried out on us.

1.  Teach the sisters to lead music.

2.  Ask sisters favorite songs - keep a list and then once or twice a month use a favorite for singing time and ask the sister to tell why it's her favorite.

3.  Use CDs of classical music.

4.  Teach the sisters to sing like a choir - don't breathe where there isn't a comma, pronounce your 't's etc.

5.  Talk about words that aren't common language in several of the songs. For example:  hymns #191 verse 2 'plaited'.  What does that word really mean?  She helped us to picture that this wasn't just one stem of thorns but many braided together.  She talked about several others but this is the one that stuck in my mind.

6.  Use the time to learn a special song for women such as "Make Us One" by Sally deFord.  You need a good pianist for this one.  We haven't done this but would if we had a pianist with more experience - this type of music is much harder to play than hymns.  We did learn the new hymn that was written for the Sesquicentennial 2 years ago though the name of it escapes me just now.

Hope these ideas will spark some of your own.  Jane F. - Alberta, Canada
 
 

As a former chorister I agree whole heartedly with your desire to bring "something more" to the 5 minute music period.    In addition to ideas you may gather from your ward and stake Relief Society leaders, you might want to look at a very good resource book which may already be in your ward library:

"Our Latter-Day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages", by Karen Lynn Davidson -- published by Deseret Book Company.

I still use this book each week for Family Home Evening to accompany  our Hymn selections.   The stories and background are really interesting.

Best wishes in your calling!

With hugs, prayers, and love from
Anne in New York City
 
 

I've served as the RS Music Director before, and various other music positions in the church.  I always get a lot of good ideas from the Church Music Workshop which is held the first week of August at BYU.  One of the easiest and most interesting ideas I learned was changing hymn tunes.  Look in the back of the hymn book (page 392) and find a hymn's "tune name".  For example, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" is called "Duane Street" and its meter is "LMD".  Then turn to page 405 and start looking for the "LMD" section.  (It's on page 408).  Each of the hymns listed under "LMD" can be sung to the tune of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief".  It is especially effective to put familiar tunes and familiar words to another hymn together because the message of the words really seems to come out.  My favorite switch is to sing the words of "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" to the tune of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief".  Try it! Hope this helps!

Debi Whiting Victorville, CA

I am not one of the musical ones in our society, but I ove the hymns.  I can tell you a little story that has increased my desire to memorize the hymns.

I remember a friend stating that she was at the Washington D.C. Temple dedication and during the singing of The Spirit of God she noticed that after the 1st verse, many people stopped singing -- they did not know the words.  She proceeded to tell me that as a very young girl, she stood and sang every word of that very long hymn.  She had learned the hymn in FHE.

Anyway, my point, as we prepare for temple dedications in our area -- I want to know ALL of the words.  I have made a great effort to memorize the hymns -- all of the verses.

SO, to you choristers, that may inspire you with your calling.  I have noticed that when the general authorities stand and sing in general  conference, they always sign without hymnals and know all of the verses

ldh in CT
 

When I served as R.S. chorister, I wanted to make it a spiritual experience for me and my sisters.  I used those 5 minutes to introduce the sisters tothe hymn book, and teach them how to use it at home and in meetings.  Sharewith them the wonderful message from the first presidency on pages IX and X.  At the end of each hymn, there is a scriptural reference and at times I would read it to the sisters before we began rehearsing a new hymn.  I would also find some interesting historical notes about the authors and composers and share them with the sisters.  I taught them quickly the standard beat patterns on pages 384-385 within a matter of seconds, so that they could use them in conducting hymns singing in their homes, and understand what I was trying to do by swinging my arms around.  I always kept the singing of hymns a priority, but made it interesting by adding 1 or 2 minutes of these little interesting bits of light.  I also prepared the sisters to perform in sacrament meeting occasionally. We had a Relief Society choir, and that was really neat.  I hope this helps. Carole
 
 

<<Carole Knowles wrote:  Don't forget to teach the sisters a primary song once in a while, and  lovely lullabies to sing to their babies.>>
This is a great idea, especially in areas where you have a lot of adult converts who did not attend primary and have an opportunity to learn the songs.

I know that the some of the beginnings of my testimony came as a child as the spirit testified to me of the truthfulness of the simple messages contained in the primary songs of the Savior.  What wonderful songs to sing and share. (One of my favorites:  "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus")

Donya Maryland
 
 

Why not deliver music in different packages... such as with different  instruments or an optional oblagato above the singing of the melody to add an inspirational touch.  I'm learning to play the harp and plan to use it in this area.

Julianne in AL
 

And adding to the motivation to learn the words - In one of the wards we lived in there was a fine elderly gentleman - he had a wonderful voice and loved to sing.  As his eyesight diminshed, and he eventually became blind,  there were many things that he had to give up - but singing was not one of them.  He could participate fully in the entire sacrament service - independently.  I have been memorizing hymns for years - can't stand and recite them (and never sing in public) - but when they are sung in church, I can close my eyes and visualize the message behind the hymn while I sing.  Especially the sacrament hymns have become very special to me as I visualize their message and/or my Savior.

geri

I am new on the list.  I am a chorister in Relief Society.  If there is  anyone that has some special helps for this new year of lessons I would  appreciate it if I could have those helps.  If I think of some I will also  share.  I do use the book  "Our Latter-Day Hymns The stories and the  Messages" a lot for the practice song.  Sometimes instead of singing the  tune that goes to the song I look in the back of the hymn book and see  other songs that go with that one and pick a famalier tune.  Then the  sisters will sing better if they know they are not learning a new tune and  the message of  the words is more on their minds.

We have tried to have a huge variety of things presented during our Music Appreciation each week.  Here is a  list of some of the things we have done:

1.  Games: Name That Tune, Hymns Pictionary, Hymns With New Titles (give old title & have them guess the new title), Hymns With a Twist (How Loose a Roof = How Firm a Foundation), etc.
2.  Composers - short life history & music selections of classical composers
3.  Divide into four groups & compose words to hymn (select a short hymn tune & give them two words per phrase to work with.  Have the words go along with the lesson.)
4.  Fun songs (Over the River & Through the Woods, Brother Brigham)
5.  Sing hymns with same meters (see back of hymn book)
6.  Use metronome to show & sing different tempo
7.  Favorite hymn box - tell WHY it is favorite (pass paper around the week(s) before & have a box to put "requests" in)
8.  Practice for singing as a choir for Sacrament meeting
9.  Common hymn words game (there are words that are commonly used in the hymns.  Have cards with a word on it like: thank, hills, how, etc.  Draw a card & sing a hymn with this word in it)
10.  Charades (act out hymn)
11.  Play uplifting music or examples of music to bring Spirit into home
12.  Ask someone ahead of time to bring their favorite uplifting music (tape or CD), tell about it, why it is favorite, play it
13.  Special musical number sung or played by group or individual, Primary
14.  Folk songs ("Simple Gifts" - a Shaker hymn) (A lot of our hymns are traditional folk songs)
15.  Story behind hymn and/or composer
16.  Memorizing words - sing w/ closed book
17.  Teach Primary song ("Love is Spoken Here" in parts)
18.  FHE music ideas
19.  Tell history of a musical instrument, show the parts & how to put it together, show how to play it
20.  Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Video
21.  Music theory flash cards & fill in the blanks story w/ musical symbol clues.
22.  For lesson on the Godhead - name that tune & tell what member of the Godhead hymn is about
23.  Fun songs that go with the lesson: "Don't Marry the Mormon Boys" for lesson on marriage, "The Arguing Song" from Into the Woods for lesson on contention, etc.
24.  Seasonal songs
25.  Memorize books of the Old Testament with song from Primary (or whatever is being taught that year)
26.  If there are kids in your ward that are currently in a musical, have them come in and sing a number from the play.  (Good advertising for the play & encouragement to supports the arts in your community.)
27.  Singing competition
28.  Definitions match-up: pick out "strange" words in the hymns and match them with the correct definition (warblings, diadem)
29.  Mystery Sister Spotlight - spotlight a sister (find out from family member information about her & her favotire hymn, sing hymn)
30.  Use your public library for many resources

HAVE FUN! Joyce

 I was called as chorister back in June(?).  Some of the things I am trying to do are

1)  Give the sisters some background in how to sing: pronouncing words and producing tones (easy for me -- it was my major in college)
2)   Use the RS as a choir 3 or 4 times a year (the RS presidency was excited by this idea)
3)   I was fortunate to inherit a schedule where a sister in the ward with a deep love of great music was giving an appreciation lesson on the second Sunday -- I kept her b/c she's forgotten more than I think I'll ever learn ...
4)  I intended to teach the sisters how to conduct music and how to read music, as well as the resources available in the hymnal itself, but I ran out of lesson time.  I'll either offer to do some homemaking classes or pick them up in 1999
5)  Starting in January, we will occasionally review the music for the 1999 Primary program.   It's a big help to the Primary chorister if the moms are teaching the music to the kids at home.

Usually what I do is give two minutes of instruction (i.e. this is how you sit/stand and breathe) and then incorporate it into a hymn relating to the lesson, unless we are preparing to participate in a sacrament meeting.

BTW, our ward chorister was excited when the RS "offered" (I did it for the group :) )  to take over Thanksgiving, b/c it freed her up to concentrate on Christmas.

-- Liz in TN

Go over the back of the hymn book, to how to use the hymnbook.

Teach how to lead.

Go over the various glossaries in the back of the hymn book.

Ask favorite scriptures and have the sisters find a hymn that goes along with it

Give sisters some lined paper and show them about notes and then have them write a couple of measures.  "Play their songs."  We did this and it was fun!

In the titles, tunes and meters, have them sing a different hymn that goes along with the same meter of another tune.