Lesson 2: Exploring “Move Daniel”

Aim: Students will learn the importance of the songster by listening and understanding the vocal choices made by the songster in “Move Daniel.”
Summary: Students will explore the lyrics and the role of the songster in “Move Daniel” by listening, analyzing vocal choices and following the lyrics for shout directions.
Materials: Music Explorers online audio, found materials
Standards: GA: Coming Soon!
SC: Coming Soon!
Vocabulary: shouting, songster
See Glossary →

Listen to the Songster in “Move Daniel”
  • In this recording, Track 05, the songster, Lawrence McIver, explains what this song is about.

Track 05 – Move Daniel (Spoken Introduction)

Track 06 – Move Daniel

  • Listen to how the lyrics are telling the story.
  • Invite students to respond as the basers and clap, or use their sticks to perform the rhythmic pattern along with the stickman.
  • The songster opens the shout and is the caller/leader. This is a very important role in ring shout, and it takes many years to be a songster. The songster uses their voice in special ways, for example, including breaks or silence and inflection – making words stand out. These vocal choices set up the story and emotion of the song. The rest of the shouters use the songster’s interpretation as instructions on how they will perform the entire song.
  • Describe how the songster is using their voice. (If necessary, help students draw out range high and low, crying/calling/laughing sounds, pauses…)
  • How does the songster’s voice, and the words they are saying give you a clue to what the story of the song might be?

Track 07 – Move Daniel (Songster Excerpt)

Exploring Gullah Geechee Language and Culture
  • Using SG14, discuss some of the traditions of the Gullah Geechee people.
  • What are some of your family traditions?
  • Language is another element that adds emotion and rhythm to ring shout. Ring shout is performed in Gullah. The Gullah language is made up of many different languages including: Krios (most commonly spoken in Sierra Leone), Creole, English, and others. Brenton explained that Gullah is also a regional language, meaning that you can tell the region someone is from by the dialect that they speak. Listen to Brenton speak in Gullah. Use SG15 to practice speaking some Gullah words.
  • Do you recognize any of these words?
  • Do you know anyone who speaks Gullah?
  • Do you know any other words in Gullah?

Literacy Extension: Circle Unbroken

Margot Theis Raven’s Circle Unbroken, tells the story of a grandmother showing her grandchild how to weave a traditional Gullah basket while she also weaves Gullah history into future generations, emphasizing the importance of tradition and culture.

Shouting to “Move Daniel”
  • In the ring shout, shouting refers to the way people move to the music. The enslaved people who originally practiced the ring shout were not allowed to dance, so they took very small steps and made sure never to cross their feet over each other – anything more than that looked like dancing. 
  • Listen again to Track 07. Notice that the songster is giving directions to the shouters should move.

Track 07 – Move Daniel (Songster Excerpt)

  • Watch the instructional video below and learn the shout to the specific directions given by the songster.
  • Lead students in creating a circle, reminding them that they will be moving counterclockwise.
  • Use the video as your guide to the shout movement in “Move Daniel.”

Creative Extension: Learn About the Stickman

  • The stickman is a very important member of the ring shout. Brenton is the stickman; his rhythmic pattern helps hold the song together.
  • The songster and the basers clap along to his rhythm and add some of their own patterns, enhancing the music and liveliness of the song.
  • Ask students to think of someone in their family or community who plays an important role. This could be anyone from a family member to the mayor. Print SG16 and ask students to draw pictures on their stickman stick that represent that person and what they do for their family/community. Students can then cut out the picture and glue or tape it to a paper towel roll to create a stick.
  • Invite students to play the rhythmic patterns they created using their stickman stick along with “Move Daniel,” Track 06 and “Kneebone Bend,” Track 03.

Track 06 – Move Daniel

Track 03 – Kneebone Bend

Musical Word Wall

Add the words shouting and songster to the Musical Word Wall.
See Glossary →

PDF Downloads

SG14 – Traditions of Gullah Geechee ↓ Download File
SG15 – Practice Speaking Gullah ↓ Download File
SG16 – You Are the Stickman ↓ Download File

Audio Tracks

Track 05 – Move Daniel (Spoken Introduction)

Track 06 – Move Daniel

Track 07 – Move Daniel (Songster Excerpt)


Unit 2: Southeastern Woodlands Native American Music with Martha →