THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS with Rekha Rajan!

Congratulations, Debi Boccanfuso!  You are last episode's winner of a Lupe Lopez book signed by Pat Z Miller and e.E. Charlton-Trujillo!  Thanks for checking out PBJamz and thanks to Pat & e for their generosity!

Three Times Lucky with Rekha Rajan and THIS IS MUSIC!

I LOVE what I do here at PBJamz!  I have been blessed with learning about so many lovely books that integrate music in such amazing and interesting ways.  But I also have made some fabulous friends along the way.  This is Rekha's third PBJamz visit, as we are chatting about the third installment of her board book series THIS IS MUSIC.  I thoroughly enjoy talking with Rekha each time and hope that someday we get to meet live and in person.  Not only is she a great friend, but a fantastic author, musician, professor and more!  We love chatting -- talking music, teaching, writing, publishing, read alouds, and more.   You get just a little piece of our conversation here, but I think you'll find it a great way to spend 30 minutes of your time. Check out all the cool content below and be sure to leave us a comment to be entered for 3 generous book giveaways!  Keep reading to find out more!

THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS by Rekha Rajan

This third installment picks up where the other ones left off -- we've kept a beat and we blew our horns.  Now, we learn about strings. Two of the things I love about this series is that Rehka does a wonderful job of introducing kids to multicultural instruments, AND she integrates great musical vocabulary throughout the series.  There's a lot to love though -- these beautiful and colorful illustrations (by Tania Yakunova), the interactive element of the book, the rhythm and musicality of the text. Rekha packs a lot into a little board book. By the way, just because it's a board book doesn't mean it's JUST for little kids.  Sure, it's perfect for them, and how wonderful to introduce infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to lots of musical content at a young age, but these books are also fabulous for introducing primary students to musical concepts:  how sound is made/what vibrates to create sound, families of instruments/ways to group sounds, musical vocabulary, the concepts that music is all around us and that you can create music yourself using everyday objects!  Because of that, they're equally wonderful at home, in a preschool/daycare setting, and in primary school! There's a lot to love in these little board books!

A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)

This song is better suited to the littles, but it's a lot of fun and goes through several different string instruments.  One thing that might be fun after the book is to make a list of all the string instruments you can think of and then sing them into this song.  If this is not right for you, there are lots more pieces below in the YouTube playlist and on the Pinterest board. Check the links section.

Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics

There are lots of ways you could use this book at home, in a daycare setting, or in a primary school setting.

• You could use it as an introduction to sound -- how it's formed, different ways to make it, how to create instruments of their own, etc. (I would suggest using this in conjunction with the other books in the series.)
• Because Rekha does a great job of showing different kinds of strings, you could use the book to talk about different strings and different string instruments
• You could use these books as a precursor to a sorting activity:  how do these things make sounds
• As a read-aloud, they are perfect with rhythmic text, rich vocabulary and opportunities for interaction.
• Check out the YouTube playlist and Pinterest board in the links section for even more ways to enhance and expand ways to use this book.

Tips and Topics for Music Teachers

For music teachers, there are even more ways to use THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS.

• You can also use it to introduce a sound unit, or a unit on the various musical families, based on how sound is made
  • Tap, beat, pat (keep a steady beat (Drums)
  • Blow (Horns)
  • Use the strings (Strings)
• There are a number of traditional and non-traditional string instruments that you could highlight.
• You could do a strings around the world after sharing this book and highlight string instruments from each continent
• Add these vocabulary words to your word wall
• Read aloud and listen for rhythm.
• Use this book (or the series) to introduce a project where kids make their own instruments from recycled materials
• Listen to samples of music from the various string instruments mentioned + more
• AFter doing that with all three books and do a little listening quiz to determine if students can recognize percussion, wind, or string instruments.
• Experiment with the vibrations of various "strings" -- this would be a great discovery lesson to provide strings, rubber bands, boxes, etc. along with various string instruments to find out more about pitch based on how the strings move. (STEAM)
• Use jump ropes or spring toys to demonstrate sound waves; talk about the differences in the vibrations of the ropes/toys.
• Together research the Earth Harp and divide students into teams to invent their own string instrument. (STEAM)
• Use a canjo/diddley bow to explore pitch based on length of string.

Writing Prompts from Tonnye

1. If you could play any string instrument, which would you play and why?
2. Write a story from the perspective of a string on an instrument.
3. Write a story about an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar.
4. Research an unusual string instrument. Listen to samples.  Write what you learned about the instrument and whether you like it or not and why.
5. Write a story where a drum, a horn, and a string instrument have to work together to accomplish something.
6. Write a story about someone who plays a sitar.
7. Write step-by-step directions for how to make a jar lid guitar or a tissue box guitar.
8. Would you rather play cello or sitar?  Why?
9. In your own words, write what it means to pluck, bow, strum, and glide.
10. Which is better: canjo or banjo.  Justify your answer.
11. Write about a time when you heard a string instrument.
12. Listen to a piece of string music and write about how it makes you feel.

Writing Tips from Rekha

• Try to find time to write everyday
• Share your ideas with others to get feedback - we all see things in different ways
• Step away from your drafts - it's good to take a break and come back with a fresh perspective
• If you get frustrated - play an instrument :)

Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!

YouTube playlist with videos about strings as a family, specific instruments, songs, demonstrations, and lots more! These are perfect complements to THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS

​Pinterest board with over 50 teaching ideas, photos of instruments, DIY instruments and various activities

PBJamz Snack -- PBJabobs

These little PBJ kabobs remind me of treats on a string, which seems appropriate for this episode.  I found this on Pinterest, attributed to happinessishomemade.net.  I couldn't find the recipe on their site, but thankfully it looks pretty simple:
Cut a PBJ sandwich into small squares and layer on skewers with fruits of your choice (pictured are bananas, strawberries, and grapes it looks like.  You could vary this one in many ways depending on what you have on hand!  What a fun string of yums!

Guest Links and Giveaways

Check out Rekha's links, visit her website, order her books (Review them and request them from your library as well!!). Visit and follow her on socials and see how and where you can connect!  Make sure you leave a comment below so you're eligible for her giveaways!

Rekha's website
​To buy THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS from Amazon
Rekha's Twitter
​Rehka's Amazon page (with all her books)
Rehka's Goodreads page

Rekha has graciously offered up a copy of THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS & a couple of ARCs (Advance reading copies) of her up-and-coming book DANCE LIKE A PEACOCK!  That means this episode will have 3 winners!  All you have to do to be eligible is leave a comment below!  Good luck!