ObjectivesBy the end of this unit, I will be able to:
⦿ Know to sol-fa many songs.
⦿ Perform songs to the audience.
⦿ Teach the songs to the peers.
⦿ Create short song to demonstrate the use of sol-fa.
⦿ Sing with others in public.
⦿ Demonstrate self control.
⦿ Discover my own potentials.
Introduction
In this unit you have got an opportunity to sing various short songs in
sol-fas and words on various themes. Performance is the final output
of a musician or a performing artist in general. These songs that we
are going to sing will give you an opportunity to exploit your talent as a
singer, and an upcoming music professional.
Lesson 1: Domestic violence
Warm up
Activity 1
1. Breath control is quite important to every musician. Therefore,
breath in and hold the air in your lungs and release out the air
slowly by slowly. Do this five times.
2. Sing the sol-fa scale upwards and downwards many times.
3. Read the lyrics/poem of the song below and find out what the
song is about.
Say No to Violence
Activity 2
1. Sol-fa the song correctly “Say No to Violence.”
2. Match the sol-fa with the lyrics/words.
3. Sing the song many times to memorise it.
4. Sing as you clap with a steady beat.
5. Now prepare the stage and perform to the class as a group.
Allow your friends to comment on your performance skills so
that you can know where you can improve.
Activity 3
1. Identify your own song on the theme domestic violence and
teach it to your friends.
Lesson 2: Poverty eradication
Poverty eradication is the effort put in by people to remove poverty so
that they become rich and have better standards of living.
Warm up
Do some arm stretches, bend up and down many times and massage
the neck.
Sing the sol-fa scale in an ascending and descending order for about
three times.
Activity 4
1. Sing the following song on the theme of poverty eradication as
you perfect your ability to sol-fa sing using the activities that
will follow.
Poverty eradication
Activity 5
1. Sol-fa the song correctly
“Poverty eradication.”
2. Match the sol-fa with the lyrics/words.
3. Sing the song many times to memorise it.
4. Sing as you clap with a steady beat.
5. Now prepare the stage and perform to the class as a group.
Allow your friends to comment on your performance skills so
that you can know where you can improve.
Activity 6
1. What does the song say poverty is?
2. Identify what the song says should be done in order to eradicate
poverty.
3. In your own view, does hard work alone eradicate poverty? Yes
or no. Support your answer. What other things can be done?
Activity 7
1. Identify a song on the theme Poverty eradication and teach it to
your friends.
Lesson 3: Saving money and time
Money is a medium of exchange. We need it to buy whatever we want
including services. We always need time to make money.
Activity 8
1. Discuss what you understand by the words saving money and
time.
2. What is the opposite of saving?
3. How do we always waste time and money?
4. What do you miss when you waste time?
5. What is the effect of misuse or not saving money?
6. What should we do in order to stop wasting time and money?
Warm up
Sing the first five notes of the scale {d r m f s}in ascending and
descending order in different keys.
In groups, sing the following song on the theme of saving money and
time as you perfect your ability to sol-fa sing using the activities that
will follow.
Saving money, Save time
Activity 9
1. What does the song say about saving money and time?
2. Identify what the song says that should be done in order to save
time and money.
3. In your own view is it necessary to save time and money?
support your answer.
Activity 10
1. Since you have learnt about saving money and time, identify
another song and teach it to your friends, then present to the
class.
2. Compose your own simple song on the theme ‘saving money
and time’.
Lesson 4: Good relationship
Relationship is the way in which people or groups behave towards each
other. This may be between our family members, fellow schoolmates,
teachers, fellow workers, leaders, the poor and the rich, between
villages and countries. We need to behave well and love one another
by helping each other with what we have that they do not have. You
also need to make peace with them by asking for forgiveness if we
offend (annoy) them as well as accept their apologies when they do
wrong to us too. This is what is called good relationship; which results
into peace and a better world for us all to live in. Therefore we should
always work for it by making many friends, not enemies.
Activity 11
1. Discuss what you understand by the word friendship?
2. What is the opposite of friendship?
3. Friendship results into good relationships. Why do you think so?
4. There are many benefits of good relationships. List some of
them.
5. Give some examples of bad relationships.
6. Why should you avoid bad relationships?
7. Why is it necessary for you to have good relationship with other
countries?
Warm up
Sing the first five notes of the scale {d r m f s} in ascending and
descending order in different keys.
In groups, sing the following song on the theme Good relationships as
you perfect your ability to sol-fa sing using the activities that will follow.
Friends on the Way
Activity 12
1. Sol-fa the song correctly “Friends on the Way”
2. Match the sol-fa with the lyrics/words.
3. Sing the song many times to memorise it.
4. Sing as you clap with a steady beat.
5. Now prepare the stage and perform to the class as a group.
Allow your friends to comment on your performance skills so
that you can know where you can improve.
Activity 13
1. What does the song say about friendship?
2. In your own view, is it necessary to be in good relationships
with other people?
Activity 14
1. Identify a song on the theme of Good relationship, learn and
teach it to your friends and present it to the class
Lesson 5: Unity and Reconciliation
As Rwandans we need to recall our genocide history of 1994 whose
perpetrators against the Tutsi were discriminative, practiced tribal
divisions and regionalism. This led to massive losses of lives and
property. Widows, widowers, orphans and friends were separated from
their dear ones for ever. This caused anger, sadness and misery. It is
therefore vital that Rwandans forgive each other. We have to reconcile
with one another and unite in order to build Rwanda together as a
better country for all of us to live in.
Activity 15
1. Discuss what you understand by the phrase unity and
reconciliation.
2. What is the opposite of unity?
3. Where is unity needed?
4. List some of the things that stop people from being in unity/
united.
5. Every time we annoy others we need to feel sorry and apologise.
This is called reconciliation. Why do we need to reconcile with
others?
Unity and reconciliation
There is need for people to live together in love and friendship. This
enables working together. In the process, much work can be done in
a short time which would rather not be completed by one person in a
short time. This follows the saying, ‘United we stand and divided we
fall.’ However, since man is weak and is always making mistakes that
can annoy another person, there is always need to forgive and make
peace with them. This is what we mean by unity and reconciliation.
Sing the song below about unity and reconciliation.
Unity and Reconciliation
Activity 16
1. What does the song say about unity and reconciliation? Do you
agree with the composer’s message? If yes, give your reasons.
2. The song mentions the history of Rwanda Genocide of 1994
perpetuated against the Tutsi. Discuss what happened.
3. Genocide should never happen again, so we need to forgive
and reconcile with each other and look forward to building our
nation for a better future. Mention at least four things which
you can do in order to achieve this.
Activity 17
1. Identify a song on the theme of Unity and Reconciliation. Learn
and teach it to your friends and present it to the class.
Lesson 6: Religion
Activity 18
1. Discuss what you understand by the word religion?
2. Do you belong to any religion? Which one and when do they
worship?
3. In your opinion what do you think religions are doing right and
wrong?
4. Suggest solutions to what is done wrongly in religions.
Warm up
Sing the first five notes of the scale {d r m f s} four times in ascending
and descending order on different keys.
Sing the scale in ascending and descending order using key C,D E F G.
Religion
In Rwanda, most people are Christians, Muslims and others
traditionalists who believe in African traditional gods and the spirits of
the dead ancestors.
The purpose of these groups (religions) is for human beings to worship,
praise and pray to God or the ancestors for blessings and avoid curses.
They believe that God created them. People believe that to have a
happy life, we have to respect God and if we do not do so, we are to
suffer due to his punishment called a curse. Religion does many things
including uniting us since we believe that He is our only creator and
father. Hence children of the same family blessed by our father – God.
Sing the song below about religion to learn more about it.
We are One in God
Activity 19
1. Sol-fa the song correctly “We are One in God.”
2. Match the sol-fa with the lyrics/words.
3. Sing the song many times to memorise it.
4. Sing as you clap with a steady beat.
5. Now prepare the stage and perform to the class as a group.
Allow your friends to comment on your performance skills so
that you can know where you can improve.
Activity 20
1. What does the song say about religion?
2. Identify the two religions mentioned in the song. Mention others
that are not mentioned.
3. What does the song advice the believers to do in order to show
that they love their God. What else should they do?
4. In your own view, is it necessary to belong to a religion? Support
your answer.
Activity 21
1. Identify a song on the theme of Religion learn and teach it to
your friends and present to the class.
End unit assessment
1. What do you understand by the following themes:
a) Domestic violence
b) Poverty eradication
c) Saving time and money
d) Good relationship
e) Unity and reconciliation
f) Religion
2. Collect songs on each of the themes above and perform them in a
school or class concert.
3. Compose your own song using one of the themes above.
4. Why do we need to compose thematic songs?
Glossary
Breath control: to breath with ease as you sing.
Descending order: this is opposite of the ascending order.
It means the gradual movement of
pitches from the highest to the lowest
when we are singing or writing them
such as d t l s f m r d instead of d r
m f s l t d which is referred to as the
ascending order.
Opportunity: a chance to do something.
Own view: personal way of thinking about
something.
Sol-fa: is a method of learning, writing and
reading music using letter symbols such
as d, r m, f, s, l, t, d.