We are definitely talking about Encanto today (see what we did there?) and sharing some music lesson and music therapy ideas to implement in your classes or sessions. We have the movie and the soundtrack on repeat and our students are loving it, too. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, Encanto tells the story of The Madrigal family in the mountains of Colombia, living in a magical house. Every member of the family has an unique gift, except for one, Mirabel. As the magical powers of La Casita and of her family members are continuously endangered, Maribel sets out to protect her family, her home and learn about her ordinary but extraordinary gift.
But Encanto is not only about this family; this story also portrays parts of Colombia’s history. Among the beautiful sceneries, the colors, the music, food, its diversity, culture and traditions shown in the movie, this story also depicts the complexity of its culture as well as societal and historical challenges. One of the ways these societal challenges are exemplified in this movie is through the portrayal of the culturally specific generational trauma of forced displacement, that in many ways resembles to what occurred in the 1950 in Colombia during La Violencia, where people fled their homes to escape armed conflict.
As music therapists and music educators, it is important that we know this information so that we can present the music, stories and resources by having awareness and acknowledging their historical & cultural context. You can read more about this and how it relates to Encanto on this article, and we encourage you to also watch the video below.
Now for the resources. Below you will find a compilation of videos and some blog posts with ideas to incorporate the music from Encanto in our music classes or music therapy sessions.
Image from wallpapers.com
Activities and Ideas for Music Lessons and Music Therapy Sessions Based on Disney’s Encanto
Kids Activities Inspired By Encanto
This compilation of activities by FKA Kids TV includes suggested resources to talk about Colombia and printable cards.
Integrating Pop Culture Into The Classroom: Encanto
This blog post by Participate Learning also provides suggestions on how to incorporate pop culture references into the classroom, such as discussing food traditions.
Encanto Session plan ideas
by @MusicTherapyWithAimee on Instagram
Melodic Improvisation Using The Song “The Family Madrigal”
Adaptive Movement Song Using “Waiting On A Miracle”
Creating And Tracking Rhythm
Resources (also found below):
Rhythm Play Along by Abigail Hunter on YouTube
Surface Pressure Steady Beat Activity by @CollorfullyPlayingThePiano on Instagram
Surface Pressure Steady Beat activity
by @CollorfullyPlayingThePiano on Instagram
We Don’t Talk About Bruno Rhythm Play Along
We Don’t Talk About Bruno Movement Activity
Encanto Rhythm Play-Along
Dos Orugitas | Steady Beat Using Boomwhackers
What Else Can I Do? Body Percussion Activity
Colombia, Mi Encanto Boomwhacker play-along
Guessing the songs and lyrics games
Interactive activity for “dos oruguitas”
The Family Madrigal Boomwhacker Play-Along
Brain Break: Encanto Edition | Exercises for the classroom
Surface Pressure Boomwhacker Play-Along
Encanto Yoga freeze dance for kids
We Don’t Talk About Bruno Boomwhacker Play-Along
These two videos by Howard Ho on YouTube might be great tools to spark dialogues about the songwriting process, guide discussions about the possible meaning behind the lyrics, and have music theory conversations. Older students/clients might enjoy exploring the behind-the-scenes of these popular songs, learning about the composer’s/arranger’s why and their thought process.
How we don’t talk about bruno works
The secret meaning of encanto’s dos “oruguitas”
Encanto Read-along Storybooks
Last on the list are these Encanto read-along storybooks by. These books can also be found on print and ebook versions and can be helpful to revisit the stories from the movies. I’m particularly excited about “Antonio’s Amazing Gift.” It’ll be perfect to highlight some of the endemic animals from Colombia that appeared in the movie. Pair it with a movement song and invite the kids to make dance moves that emulate how these animals move/behave (fly, jump, run, etc.)! Here’s an interactive short video that features some fun facts about these animals!
Image from wallpapers.com
What are some of the Encanto-inspired music activities your students and clients are loving right now? Share with us in the comments below!
