Songs and music for special needs situations - Instruments
Improvising as necessary! If you haven't seen one before, the device above is a double-bass and a string goes from the top of the stick to the centre of the tea chest. Very effective in its day and it's on its way back.
The Squiffle Group song here
A Squiffle double bass design here
If you missed the story relating to these generously donated instruments , it is here.
Another donation here.
The instruments
Available to the carees in due course
As above plus one or more as follows:
- A ukelele yes
- A guitar yes from EnviroAbility
- Drums
- A triangle
- Tambourines - yes, seven
- A hand bell
- A gong
- A rattle, perhaps a football rattle
- A slide or Swannee whistle
- A skiffle double bass. However, my version is a Rush-in Double Bass comprising one, perhaps two smaller ones inside like a Russian doll. here
- A skiffle washboard and thimbles
- Plastic recorders - yes, three
- A xylophone - yes
- In the process of acquiring most of these and others.
- Saucepans, lids and wooden spoons
- A piano or keyboard if available. Need to look at it during the initial visit here.
- Anything else which is suitable
- a CD player but can bring one - if there's a resident helper, it's probably best to use the host device.
Those which I play
- Spanish guitar
- Bagpipe
- Ukulele - not the one on the left
1 Spanish guitar - (as 3 above) to accompany songs, and to play solo in order to provide a break for the singers/players and perhaps to alter the general mood.
2 Bagpipe - usually limited to fund-raising events, open days etc. If it is appropriate to the situation we can discuss. If an event is centred on WW1 (or 2), I can arrive as a Regimental Highlander piper. An aspect of the possibilities is here.
3 Ukulele - to accompany songs
Further to 10 & 11 in the adjacent list, readers may like to pursue discussion of the Squiffle Group approach here.
Kazoos.
Used by agreement, they can be numbered and a record kept by hosts as to whom they were given. The kazoos can then be retained by the carees or by the hosts.