May 25, 2011
For Sorry Day (26 May 2011) or for Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June 2011) listen to Black Arm Band’s music on YouTube (www.youtube.com) and discuss the band’s motivation for performing (read on). Listen to Gurrumul Yunupingu’s soulful music (eg. Wiyathul) while doing written work (www.grooveshark.com lets you listen for free).
Black Arm Band has just been asked to perform at the London Olympics in 2012
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/25/3226432.htm
The aim of Black Arm Band (www.blackarmband.com.au) is: “It is a creative meeting place for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists and producers to develop, perform, promote and celebrate contemporary Australian Indigenous music as a symbol of resilience and hope in the spirit and action of reconciliation.”
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June 20, 2011
Aboriginal stories about life and life-cycles revolve around 4 different natural elements.
Sun, Moon, Water, Land
Divide your class into 4 groups, each labelled Sun, Moon, Water or Land. In 15 minutes they will choose classroom instruments and/or sound sources to depict their label … Each group performs to the rest of the class … Discuss and decide upon a logical order for the soundscape sections … Perform all 4 sections in their order.
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June 1, 2010
Go to resource: Brass Instruments and Pitch, Percussion Instruments and Pitch, String Instruments and Pitch, & Woodwind Instruments and Pitch are four lessons that cover how to make basic musical instruments. The lessons are written by Leslie Thomas and published by the Kennedy Center US. The production of sound through string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments is explored. The lessons are designed for K-4 students (US).
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January 11, 2011
Sample Units from Australian Music Educators Assoc (Vic) – under the heading “aMuse VELS Support Documents”
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March 8, 2010
Go to resource: Approaches to Approaches to Learning and Teaching – The Arts (Music) Level 2 outlines music standards and activities that could be incorporated in lesson planning.
The approaches are published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority in order to implement VELS.
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March 8, 2010
Go to resource: Approaches to Learning and Teaching – The Arts (Music) Level 1 (Vic) outlines music standards and activities that could be incorporated in lesson planning.
The approaches are published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority in order to implement VELS.
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March 8, 2010
Go to resource: Approaches to Learning and Teaching – The Arts (Music) Level 3 (Vic) outlines music standards and activities that could be incorporated in lesson planning.
The approaches are published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority in order to implement VELS.
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February 15, 2010
Go to resource: ArtsEdge Kennedy Centre Music Lesson Plans (USA) offers dozens of music lesson plans, many of which are integrated with other subjects such as science and maths. Each lesson plan is graded according to age level, arts subject, and other subjects. ArtsEdge is a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is a partner of Thinkinfinity, a consortium of USA national education organisations. ArtsEdge’s aim is to implement arts programs in schools.
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May 22, 2011
Register your school in Australia’s biggest music program
Our program song has been recorded and is now up on the website for your listening pleasure. There are already 500 schools registered to take part in this year’s program which will unite more than half a million students in the performance of ‘We’ve Got The Music’ on Thursday, 1st September at 11.30am. Don’t forget participation in the program is FREE. The audio files, arrangements, lyric sheet and classroom activity kit: it’s all downloadable once you register your school.
So listen to the song, register now and get your school community on board!
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Vocal Music
February 2, 2011
free lesson ideas – cross-curricular ideas for teachings working with students after a natural disaster, particularly focused on ways to express feelings
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March 3, 2010
Go to resource: Classics for Kids is a podcast station that streams classical music suitable for children.
In addition the site has links to composition and creating games, lesson plans, information about classical music, and links to advocacy and articles on classical music for parents and teachers.
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March 3, 2010
Go to resource: Classics for Kids Lesson Plans (USA) are classical music lesson plans designed for students aged 5 to 11 years of age.
Each lesson was designed and written by Dr Kay Edwards of Miami University and outcomes of each lesson plan are outlined. Composers covered include Haydn, Rossini, Mozart and Kodaly.
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June 14, 2011
Lesson idea: Write songs, create a song book, and create illustrations.
Here’s an example from Pine Creek Primary School:
http://acmf.com.au/our-initiatives/indigenous-isolated-regions/
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June 19, 2011
Use the 3 main notes from the chorus of this year’s MUSIC: COUNT US IN program song “We’ve Got the Music” to create a 3-tone drum melody.
(1) Group your classroom drums or classroom percussion or junk percussion into three different groups (high, middle and low)
(2) Allocate the lowest drums to B-flat, the middle drums to C and the highest drums to E-flat.
(3) Re-create the chorus melody on 3 different drums: “Get on your feet, feel your heartbeat, we’ve got the music. We’re not too proud to sing it out loud, we’re not afraid to use it.”
Try the activity aurally, playing along with the MP3 found at www.musiccountusin.org.au
(4) Write the drum tune on the board using letters: L = low drums, M = medium drums, H = high drums
LM LM L MM M M M LH M
ML M M ML LM M MMMM LH M
(5) If your school has signed up for “Music: Count Us In”, then you can access the free backing-track (‘For Teachers’ section) and play the drum melody along with the chorus.
This lesson was inspired by “Izo Beat” from Islington Public School
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December 20, 2009
Go to resource: Creative Resources for Primary Schools. This Dept of Education and Training (NSW) page has links to DET-published resources including Arts Action, Sync or Swing, and Vocal-Ease. These resources can be ordered and purchased through this page.
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August 6, 2011
The ‘Music Count Us In’ Dance movie is now uploaded to the MCUI wiki. You can find it, with all the other teacher resources HERE.
See if your classes can dance along with these characters …. DANCE VIDEO LINK
Then play along with the JellyBeans-style ONLINE percussion score
Ask the class to invent new moves or actions for the song “We’ve Got the Music”
Watch the Auslan video and learn hand-signs for this year’s MUSIC: COUNT US IN SONG … AUSLAN VIDEO LINK
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March 7, 2010
Go to resource: Early Stage 1 Music Resources are published by the Department of Education and Training (NSW).
The resources support classroom teaching that meet NSW syllabus requirements for and include: Early Stage 1 Program Overview; Early Stage 1 Skill and Concept Development; Early Stage 1 Blank Program Overview for planning learning experiences; Concept Based Program Chart (blank); Adapting the ‘Etchings’ Unit for each stage; and Adapting the ‘Funge alafia’ Unit for each stage.
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July 22, 2011
Flame Award applications are due Monday 29th August – be part of the $15 000 prize pool. ALL Australian schools are invited to apply (Primary & Secondary).
Lesson idea: play some laid-back music, hand out paper and pencils, and ask students to write down and/or draw what they love about MUSIC at your school. Display some of the responses on school noticeboards / websites and around your music classroom 
Copy some of their ideas into your Flame Award submission
ENTER FLAME AWARDS HERE
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January 12, 2012
HERE is a FREE e-book of classroom games (Music) for anyone to use (from FunMusicCo). Mostly primary-oriented, but could stretch to Year 7. Create a lesson out of games … Enjoy!
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November 4, 2011
Teach long and short notes with flash-cards of rainbows and raindrops. Teacher claps a rhythm – student claps it back – student arranges rainbows and raindrops to create the rhythm. Follow link to game and flash-cards here.
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January 20, 2012
jozzbeatinteractive.com/jellymusic-pilot
Jozzbeat is offering FREE access to its new online Music education software (for 5-13 year olds) from February to April 2012. Click on the above link to find out more information. The program suits classroom teachers without ANY musical background, as well as being fun for music specialists. It requires having a digital projector or interactive whiteboard in the classroom, and giving brief feedback after lessons.
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December 12, 2011
THIS WEBSITE is a rich source of free (and paid for) music games on a computer. Just download and play. My favourites are Staff Wars 1.2 (teaching notation reading), JamaMambo (rhythm reading) and Rhythm Dictation. Put the games on a digital projector and teach concepts to the class as needed. ENJOY!
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July 6, 2011
www.jozzbeat.com/MCUI2011/home
This is a fun way to learn / teach the Music: Count Us In song for 2011 (We’ve Got the Music). In fact, the song will teach itself, all ready for the massed-music-making MCUI event on 1st September, 2011.
If you don’t yet have a free login, and have registered for Music: Count Us In, please send an email to mcui.admin@mca.org.au requesting a Jozzbeat login.
ENJOY!!!
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February 4, 2010
Go to resource: Free Primary School Lesson Plans & Education Resources is a general site that offers primary school resources submitted by site users. Resources are listed according to subject area, including creative arts, and music. The site offers links to organisations and other lesson plan search engines.
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February 9, 2012
www.funmusicco.com/rhythmclock/
FunMusicCo has prepared a video tutorial on how to prepare and use a rhythm clock (suits primary and perhaps Year 7). All the files you might need are also free on the website.
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January 10, 2012
HERE are some free worksheets from makingmusicfun.net – naming notes and intervals in bass and treble clef. Make up a booklet for students to work through when they have a few spare minutes at a time.
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November 11, 2011
Watch the Gruffalo film on YouTube (about 30 minutes long).
Discuss (or ask students to take notes on) the music which accompanies each new character. Discuss what instruments are used to make the audience feel scared or wary. Brainstorm the ways in which music has been used to turn a 5 minute picture-story book into a 30 minute film.
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February 15, 2010
Go to resource: HotChalk (USA) is a site that offers lesson plans, grouped according to different disciplines and age ranges, including music. The site is free for users. Lesson plans were collated by trained educator Kyle Austin Yamnitz and students at the University of Missouri.
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July 13, 2011
http://www.smh.com.au/national/aboriginal-anthem-a-truly-uplifting-experience-20110706-1h2el.html#ixzz1Rfy25DsN
This article in the Herald Sun describes the process for creating an indigenous translation for Advance Australia Fair (for NAIDOC week). Free teachers’ notes are found HERE. A kit has also been released ($26) with advice on how to teach the song.
“This is about changing the way we teach and appreciate the language, culture and traditions of Aboriginal people,” Mr Garrett said.
A short example of the video teaching kit is found HERE along with ‘how to purchase the kit’ information.
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January 7, 2011
Go to resource: Phil Tulga presents a list of interactive activities and lesson plans which combine Music with Science, Language and Maths.
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February 15, 2011
KET – this website provides free Music lesson plans for 5-18 year olds. NOTE: Some of the content requires additional KET resources (videos).
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September 21, 2010
Go to resource: Kiravanu is an opera written by James Humberstone and Mary Elizabeth, specifically designed for children and integrated with the curriculum.Online resources are available through the site to support performances of Kiravanu in schools. It was first developed in MLC, Sydney, and resources include cross-curricula lesson plans to assist with implementation of this opera production in schools.
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June 3, 2011
wrightstuffmusic.com/in-the-classroom/making-music-fun/
Wright Stuff Music offers a list of links for fun online music activities (K-12)
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September 5, 2011
CLICK HERE to make your own bingo cards (using musical instruments and/or symbols)
or CLICK HERE to print off a set of bingo cards, ready-to-go, using instrument pictures.
Lesson idea: the caller will mix up the actual names of the instruments / symbols with descriptions (eg. 1 beat note, saxophone, largest stringed instrument, triangle …)
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April 19, 2011
Have you signed up yet to be part of Making Music Being Well?
This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.
When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips. How you participate is up to you.
The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!
Here are a few ideas based on previous years: Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance. Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school. Organise a big sing at your workplace. Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music. Convene a drum circle in your school playground. Run an open mic session at your local pub or club. Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.
Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au
AND … don’t forget – registration for our biggest school music initiative, Music: Count Us In, opens soon too!
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August 31, 2011
More free lessons are available on musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com
Try out the Boomwhackers playalong movie (played on glockenspeiel or boomwhackers) & Ukulele playalong movie
Some Queensland schools have recently unblocked the JellyBeans style online-percussion and singing videos, which are great fun! LINK IS HERE Most states have been enjoying this site for a few months now
Bring on September 1st @11.30am
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January 1, 2011
Go to resource: Music Teacher Resource Site (UK) MTRS is a free website designed for UK Music teachers – lots of free lesson plans and online resources
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June 1, 2010
Go to resource: First Rhythmic Composition is a lesson plan written for 11 to 13 year olds, published by the Kennedy Center, US.
The lesson introduces students to rhythm concepts, including names and symbols associated with music notation. The lesson plans include links to online resources including worksheets and websites. Musical terms use US terminology (eg quarter notes).
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June 17, 2011
http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/remository?func=select&id=45
The 2011 (free) Teaching Kit for “We’ve Got the Music” just went online. It features free lesson ideas and teaching resources for Primary and Middle School classes, as well as brilliant ideas for inclusion and special needs. It is designed for generalist classroom teachers and music teachers alike.
All feedback welcome. Bring on 1st September 2011!!
If you haven’t signed up, please do, then you’ll be able to view the Teaching Kit.
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June 1, 2011
Watch this space – the teaching kit for Music Count Us In 2011 is coming soon. It’s full of free ideas to enhance music education delivery in your school, including cross-curricular lesson ideas. Many free ensemble charts are already on the website www.musiccountusin.org.au . Don’t be scared of signing up – it’s really easy!
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February 9, 2010
Go to resource: Music Education at About.com (USA) is a listing of lesson plans submitted by teachers and endorsed by academics.The lesson plans are for various age groups and stages of students. There are also links to specific subject/genre areas, for example, 80s music.
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July 21, 2011
A cute 4 minute video to share with any year level.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAY1UoQYMHk
After watching the movie, ask your class to create some more musical artwork.
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April 15, 2011
On April 12th 2011, a dozen talented teenage singer-songwriters were mentored by John Foreman, Claire Bowditch, Holly Throsby, Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc) and Kavyen Temperley (Eskimo Joe).
The result was the 2011 song for Music. Count Us In (1st September 2011).
Watch this space for free lesson plans, free MP3 material, free Professional Development (for teachers) and free instrumental arrangements. Let’s get more music in more Australian schools!! www.musiccountusin.org.au
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May 8, 2011
http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/
This year’s program song is about to hit the air-waves. Registration is being accepted by schools for the 2011 massed singing event on September 1st, 2011 @ 11.30am (AEST).
Associated free lesson plans, teaching kits, free MP3, sheet music, and instrumental arrangements will soon be available via the website.
Signing up via the website is free and easy!! http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/
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April 19, 2011
The National Folk Festival (Australia) is developing educational resources. These include a free CD of 2009 festival highlights & IWB resources about the fiddle.
http://forteachersforstudents.com.au/NFF/
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January 25, 2011
New Zealand Curriculum Exemplars – several exemplar lessons for Primary and Secondary School Music (New Zealand)
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February 4, 2010
Go to resource: Primary Lesson Plans NSW is a site published by NSW Country Areas Program, and contains lesson plans grouped under subject areas and stages, including music. The site also includes links to CAP events such as professional learning.
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February 2, 2011
create a rainstorm in the Music classroom – a free lesson idea for lower Primary students
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December 13, 2009
Go to resource: Roll over Beethoven was written by Donald Robertson and Gail Cork, 1987. The kit is designed to support the teaching of contemporary music (Australian rock) in secondary schools, and ties in with the NSW secondary school music syllabus. The kits also contains wallcharts, cassettes, teachers manual.
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February 4, 2010
Go to resource: Sibelius Groovy Music is a software program that assists with teaching music to five to eleven year old students. The program can be used by generalist and specialist music teachers. Additional resources are available to support the software including lesson plans, stickers, charts etc.
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March 7, 2010
Go to resource: Stage 1 Music Resources are published by the Department of Education and Training (NSW).
The resources support classroom teaching that meet NSW syllabus requirements for and include: Stage 1 Program Overview; Stage 1 Skill and Concept Development; Stage 1 Blank Program Overview for planning learning experiences; Concept Based Program Chart (blank); Adapting the ‘Etchings’ Unit for each stage; and Adapting the ‘Funge alafia’ Unit for each stage.
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March 7, 2010
Go to resource: Stage 2 Music Resources are published by the Department of Education and Training (NSW).
The resources support classroom teaching that meet NSW syllabus requirements for and include: Stage 2 Program Overview; Stage 2 Skill and Concept Development; Stage 2 Blank Program Overview for planning learning experiences; Concept Based Programming Chart (blank); Thematic Programming Chart (blank); Adapting the ‘Etchings’ Unit for each stage; and Adapting the ‘Funge alafia’ Unit for each stage.
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October 24, 2011
acmf.com.au/results/
The above website links to the 2011 prize-winners of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation song-writing competition. Categories catered for students aged 5 through to 18. LESSON IDEA: Listen to the winning songs (from the website) for each class’s age-category and discuss the strengths and musical elements of each winning song.
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February 9, 2010
Go to resource: Teacher’s Toolkit is a website that lists resources for classroom teachers of students 5 to 13 years old. The site has links to lesson plans for Creative Arts teaching, homework activities, and other resources, such as their magazines and newsletters. Lesson plans are uploaded by users of the site.
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February 9, 2010
Go to resource: Creative Arts lesson plans posted by teachers – some links no longer work. Each teacher has 10MB free web space to post resources online for others to view and use. The site is hosted by the Australian Council for Computers in Education.
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January 2, 2011
Go to resource: VOSA (Vic Orff Schulwerk Assoc) Resources, articles, ideas and lesson plans for incorporating the Orff approach to Music education (hands-on percussion and ensembles). Resources are split into two sections: Early Childhood resources (aged 0 – 
& ages 9+. Also includes ideas for Music and movement.
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June 28, 2011
We’ve got the Music & Music: Count Us In online resources are up and going, Jozzbeat-style. They are accessed via this page:
www.jozzbeat.com/MCUI2011/home
Jozzbeat will give each school a free log-in (after the school has registered for Music: Count Us In at www.musiccountusin.org.au)
OR
Existing customers of Jozzbeat that come through as MCUI registrees can just use their existing JozzBeat website password/username to access the resources.
Grab a group of kids, log on, learn the song, add some percussion, and have a fun lesson
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Age Range 12 to 15,
Age Range 5 to 8,
Age Range 8 to 12,
ICT,
Instrumental Music,
Lesson Plans,
Music Plus,
Software,
Vocal Music,
Website
November 6, 2011
Here are some amusing (string) clips to share with students of all ages:
(1) I Will Survive (2) Pachelbel’s Canon (3) Titanic by MozART Group & while you’re having fun … (4) Hedwig’s Theme on Wine glasses
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