The Choice Apple Tree House

# No matter if you're young or old

# With good friends you'll never be alone

# Shining light on our joyful world

# Ain't nothing going to beat that place

# We call home

# First days, new days

# All the very best days

# New things to discover

# New people to meet

# Fun days always

# Playing with your friend days

# Life is for the living down at Apple Tree House. #

-Dad.

-Yes?

Do you have a favourite musical instrument?

Well, I love hearing your mum sing along to the radio.

That's not a musical instrument.

Kobi's guitar sounds pretty cool.

But, right now, I think this kitchen funnel is my favourite.

What?

-HE SINGS INTO THE FUNNEL

-# Do-do-do-do-do... #

You and me could make the perfect kitchen funnel band.

-Your turn.

-Dad, I need to know.

Why don't you come with me? I've got an idea that can help you decide.

OK.

-Oh, hello.

-Hiya.

We were just coming to see you.

We wanted to ask a favour.

-Well, go on.

-It's about musical instruments.

Yes. Bella's thinking about learning a musical instrument.

Oh, yeah. We saw the letter from school about that.

There's many different instruments to choose from.

And I'm having trouble choosing.

Well, as my old mum used to say, she who has a choice has...

Trouble.

-You had any ideas yet?

-Oh, yes.

There's this instrument they showed us in class.

Like a small guitar you put under your neck.

-A violin.

-Yes, a violin.

I've seen one of those.

VIOLIN PLAYS

You take that stick and put it on the strings.

My dad said it sounds like a howling cat...

..but it sounds nothing like a cat or howling.

I think the violin sounds like an orchestra,

all dressed in black and white, but the violin sounds sad.

-I think a harp sounds much happier.

-HARP PLAYS

A harp sounds like a silvery princess or raindrops.

Plink, plink, plink, plink.

So you don't want to play the violin?

No, and I don't think I want to play the harp either.

-OK.

-Mr Stewart suggested at school I should try the recorder.

-Or the flute.

-I know what that sounds like.

It sounds like someone whistling.

SHE WHISTLES

Oh, yes. Or like the noise of birds flying up in the sky.

FLUTE PLAYS

Singing birds, going higher

and higher, in a blue sky.

Or sitting in a tree,

being all happy and making tweeting noises at my window.

I like the flute.

-Good choice.

-Great.

But...I'm not sure.

I think I prefer the didgeridoo.

A didgeridoo, from Australia?

-Yes.

-A didgeri-what?

It's a big piece of hollow wood and you blow into it like...

...a super huge tube from the kitchen roll.

HE IMITATES A DIDGERIDOO

HE COUGHS

But they don't teach didgeridoo at school.

-Oh.

-Oh, that sounded like fun.

So, what can we do to help?

I was wondering if we could look at your guitar?

Maybe that would be the instrument for Bella.

Certainly. It's over at the flat.

Bella loves listening to your songs when you play down at your shed.

Well, let's go, then. We'll give it a try.

Now, careful, Bella.

That's good but it sounds a bit like the uku...

Ukulele? We saw Year 3 play those.

That's an electric guitar.

If you put your fingers on different frets, you get different sounds.

-Can you play tunes on it?

-Yes.

-Of course.

Show us, Dad.

All right.

Here we go.

HE PLAYS

# There are so many instruments

# That you can play

# But you don't have to choose one straightaway

# You can bang a drum You can strum a guitar

# You can whistle on a flute

# You can sing a song And I'll dance along

# If the rhythm it takes root

# Toot, toot, toot

# Everybody sing along

# Toot, toot, toot

# All the children sing the song

# Toot, toot, toot

# You can bang that drum out strong because music is so much fun

# Music is so much fun. #

-Yeah.

-That's lovely.

Does it go louder?

Yes, if you turn those knobs, you can get different sounds too.

THE NOTES RASP AND DISTORT

Wow!

-Er, Bella.

-Yes, Mum?

You think you might enjoy the guitar?

The instrument I want to play is definitely loud.

But...I'm still not sure.

OK.

What about...

..the spoons?

No, that's silly.

A bit like your dad suggesting to play the kitchen funnel.

Ooh!

-WHISPERS:

-What about the drums?

Oh, the drum.

That's a good idea.

You know, there are many different types of drum, not just the djembe.

HE DRUMS A RHYTHM

In fact, Grandma Zainab loves to listen to the dhol.

A FASTER RHYTHM PLAYS

Or there are samba drums, like the samba band we saw at the carnival.

They were amazing.

-Everyone was dancing.

-SAMBA MUSIC PLAYS

Bella, there are kit drums like you see in a rock band.

DRUMS PLAY A ROCK BEAT

But...a drum's not right.

Then what do you want to play?

Yes, do you have something in mind?

-Yes.

-Does it have a name?

Er...

What does it look like?

I don't know, but it sounds like...

-DISTANT BRASS INSTRUMENT That's it!

-That's what?

Listen, I can hear it.

That's the sound.

I knew I'd heard it before, and now I can hear it again.

That's the sound I want to make with my music instrument.

There's a musical sound coming from somewhere?

And we need to find out what it is.

-Yes.

-Then let's go outside and find out where it's coming from.

OK, come on, then.

MUSIC GETS LOUDER AND MORE UPBEAT

It's getting louder. I just can't hear where it's coming from.

Then we have to listen harder.

What is it?

I think we've got a musical mystery.

-Mystery?

-Yes, how can we find out where the sound's coming from?

-Use our ears.

-And follow the sound.

OK.

-Bye, Mum. See you later.

-Bye.

-Bye, Katie.

-Bye, Katie.

MUSIC GETS SOFTER

Where's it gone?

Is it getting louder or quieter?

It's quieter.

Ah-ha!

-So what does that mean?

-Oh, no.

We're going the wrong way.

This way.

Hey, Sam, Bella, do you want to go and play in the park?

Shhh!

What's the matter? What's up, kids?

-SAM:

-We're on a musical mystery mission.

-What?

We're searching for a musical sound.

But we have to listen so we can track it down.

-Is it lost?

-I don't know, but we're using our ears.

-Would you like to join us?

-Yes!

Sounds like an adventure.

Grandma Zainab, you can join us too.

Let's get solving.

ALL: Let's get solving.

# There are so many instruments that we can play

# So you don't need to choose one straightaway

# Bang the drums, strum the guitar Blow into your flute

# Sing a song, I'll dance along...

# Toot, toot, toot

# All the children play the song Toot, toot, toot

# Sing the melody along Toot, toot, toot... #

BRASS INSTRUMENT PLAYS LOUDLY

That's definitely the sound, coming from inside there.

The community centre.

-What is that sound?

-Well, let's find out.

Oh, hiya, Flo.

Hello. Can I help?

We wanted to know what that sound was.

Why don't you come on in?

Follow the sound a bit further and you'll find out.

-Ah.

-Look.

Yes, this is our brass group.

We've just been practising.

Erm, what's that?

It's a cornet.

It looks like a trumpet.

But a slightly different shape.

Can you give us another tune?

HE PLAYS AGAIN

Amazing!

That's definitely what I want to play.

Well, why don't you have a chat with your mum and see if it's an option?

You know what? I think I'm going to go and get my guitar.

What a wonderful end to a musical mystery.

# Toot, toot, toot

# All the children play the song

# Toot, toot, toot

# Sing the melody along

# Toot, toot, toot

# And the drums are loud and strong

# Toot, toot, toot

# Playing music is so much fun

SHE SQUEAKS ON THE CORNET

# Playing music is so much fun

# Playing music is so much... #

-That's right.

-You got the last one. There we go.

CHILDREN GIGGLE

CORNET PLAYS IN THE DISTANCE

Can you hear it?

Yeah, Bella's going to be a really good cornet player.

We had a wonderful time doing our musical mystery.

What would you like to play?

I don't know. There's so many choices.

-And he who has a choice has...

-BOTH:

-Trouble!

THEY LAUGH

You're a good friend, Mali.

And you're a great friend, Sam.