To meet a need expressed at my music school, I set up a new string ensemble for violinists and cellists between 4 and 11 years old. Since most of them take individual lessons, I wanted to give them the opportunity to play music with other children. I created a playful music activity that allows children of different skill levels to play music together. Participants meet for a monthly group class where siblings and parents can also participate as musicians or as helpers. Furthermore, music teachers taking part in this activity as teaching assistants can discover new strategies to teach music in a playful way.

This activity is built around a piece in a theme and variations form, from which most of the variations can be played simultaneously and in diverse ways. The parameters the participants have to integrate into their playing are determined at random by rolling a 20-sided die and by picking a mystery card. The material created is adaptable in order to suit all playing abilities, and children have the possibility to make their own choices according to their preferences and capacities. Through this group activity, participants become aware of the richness of multipart playing, as well as of the importance of sharing a common pulse, playing the proper rhythm, and achieving the best intonation possible. By playing the game, participants also acquire new technical skills and musical abilities such as transposing, ornamenting and composing.

All delegates who will attend my demonstration will have the opportunity to play the game using a string instrument, even if they are total beginners. By presenting this learning game, I wish to share my teaching ideas and initiate discussions with other teachers and researchers to help improve music learning in an out-of-school group setting context.