The Mathematicians March

Teaching note: the teacher might like to sing the whole song with the students initially. When the class is confident, the teacher would only sing the 'call' and the 'tutti' section (which everyone sings). You could mix things up and swap, with the class singing the 'call' and the teacher the 'response' or split the class into two groups.

This song is in the style of a 'Military Cadence' and is designed for walking with students to and from class, although it can just be sung in the classroom as a great song for practising multiplications, reinforcing beat and learning a song in call and response form.

A Military Cadence is a genre of marching music designed to keep military personnel in time during physical training exercises. These songs also boost morale, efficiency and camaraderie. They are typically in call and response form.

This song is great for:

• Walking children in a timely, focused manner to and from class.
• Practising the beat.
• Working with the melodic element 'low ti' in minor tonality.

Teaching suggestion: Once the song is well known, you could try singing with 'jazzy' rhythms, either swung or just with some improvised syncopated rhythms as led by the teacher when they sing the 'call'.