Instrument Stories Project
About the Project
The Instrument Stories are a sequence of stories with music by Emma Johnson and illustrations by Rebecca Price, designed to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra and to the magic of music.
Emma and her band of musicians perform the stories, enabling children to encounter instruments such as the bassoon, French horn and oboe, often for the first time. We hear how Finn plays his cello to make his grandad feel better, Sophie saves the day at the school prom with her violin, and Jamal's loud trumpet playing annoys the neighbours but saves his grandmother's life! Music somehow always makes things better.
In these workshops Emma and her musicians also engage the children in musical games and exercises which are aimed at Key Stage 1 and 2 attainment levels - ideal for years 3 and 4. Scroll down to read an example story!
Clarinet Story
No matter what Ruth did or said,
her brother just stayed locked in his room.
“I’m doing stuff on my computer,”
he would shout from the darkness and the gloom.
“Oh, you used to be glad to see me,”
Ruth thought to herself sadly.
She hated to see her brother feeling down.
“I must try to help him,” she frowned.
So, Ruth formed a plan of attack -
when she wanted, she could be quite determined.
She made a list of all the things that
Paul couldn’t resist in the end.
First up, ice cream. Lots of scoops.
Vanilla and chocolate with sprinkles on top.
“There’s a snack outside your door,” Ruth called.
Paul was sure to want to scoff the lot.
But twenty minutes later - a melted mess;
Paul hadn’t touched the ice cream treat.
So, next Ruth decided to try cute pets.
She borrowed her friend’s parrakeet.
“Birdie’s here, Paul. Come and join us!
She loves to be tickled on her tummy.”
Unfortunately, Birdie had to be returned,
when she decided Ruth’s finger was yummy.
“Wanna do some footie practice?
I’ll be goalie if you like.”
Ruth threw the ball at the bedroom door.
Paul grunted, “On your bike.”
Skateboarding, rollerblading, punchbagging, pogosticking,
Basketball, pingpong, ball kicking, lollipop licking -
to them all Paul’s reaction was the same:
Ruth would need to up her game.
Ruth fetched her clarinet and played a slide,
from the lowest notes to the very top.
It was quite a difficult thing to do,
but Ruth gave it her best shot.
Sure enough, the sound gave Paul such a shock
it was as if he’d been hit by a musical rocket!
Just then some friends came to visit.
They asked Ruth to jam with them.
It was brilliant fun and Ruth forgot
about her big brother’s problem.
Meanwhile Paul was flying through the air,
sent into orbit by the clarinet wail!
He gasped and felt dizzy but managed to look down,
helpless like a bird in a gale.
The world looked so small laid out like a train set,
boxes for houses, broccoli for trees.
From way down below Paul could just hear
Ruth’s clarinet in the breeze.
Paul shouted out but couldn’t be heard.
A feeling of loneliness gripped him.
He would give anything to come to earth,
to find his sister and join in.
Later that day, Ruth and friends were still playing,
tapping their feet and giving their all,
when suddenly out of the corner of her eye
Ruth noticed Paul.
Nodding to the music and grinning, he asked,
“Mind if I join in on my drum?”
Ruth played it cool. “Alright then,” she said.
With her clarinet, she’d helped Paul to have fun!
