Elementary Level - seven pages

Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, and Tchaikovsky’s, The Nutcracker Suite are just a few wonderful works that inspire great imagination in a child. With ChaCha the Chameleon, I wanted to use specific techniques and ways of interpretation to help young musicians tell the story of a little chameleon from Madagascar. 

Chameleons change colors frequently, so I enjoyed experimenting with what sounds go with certain colors.  Their movements, colors, and the way they interact with the jungle around them were all ideas that I could turn into different techniques…various tempo changes to indicate moods and restfulness, contrasting dynamics, pauses for reflection, glissandos to describe playfulness, rhythmic articulation to show off the jazzy personality of ChaCha, and a storyline in the music score for the students to interpret.  All of these traits define ChaCha’s character.

And, I included an original picture of ChaCha by my sister Sandy at the end of the score for the students to color.

I hope that you can tell, how much fun I had with this piece!