Music Appreciation – Jazz

Dear Sis, 

This is the sixth of ten parts in our Music Appreciation lesson plan series. If you are just finding us now, the text that corresponds with these lessons is Music is… by Stephen T. Johnson

Jazz Music

Week Twenty

Approximately 15 minutes

Read playful narration “Jazz is…” text.

  • Encourage your pre-reader to try to repeat the song and sing along. Being silly with your kids is a great way to catch their interest.
  • If you have multiple learners you can make a game of it and see who can give the best performance by family vote

Watch The History of Jazz video.

Listen to Sample One: “Livery Stable Blues” by Dixieland Jazz Band (Dixieland jazz)

Listen to Sample Two: “Jeepers Creepers” by Louis Armstrong (big band)




Week Twenty-One

Approximately 20 minutes

Read “Jazz” history text.

Listen to Sample Three: “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” by Ella Fitzgerald (swing)

Watch The Use of Instruments in Jazz.

Week Twenty-Two

Approximately 20 minutes

Watch The History of Bebop Jazz

Listen to Sample Four: “Salt Peanuts” by The Quintet: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach (bebop)

Week Twenty-Three

Approximately 20 minutes

Listen to Sample Five: “Take Five” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (cool jazz)

Listen to Sample Six: “So What” by Miles Davis (modal jazz)





Please tell us about your experience in the comment section. Stay tuned for the seventh installment: Latin (Weeks 23-26).

Happy Homeschooling!

Love,

b

Music Appreciation – Hip Hop

Dear Sis, 

This is the fifth of ten parts in our Music Appreciation lesson plan series. If you are just finding us now, the text that corresponds with these lessons is Music is… by Stephen T. Johnson

Hip Hop Music

A note for parents: Much of the hip hop world is not fit for our most precious learners, but I hope this serves as a family friendly sampling.

Week Eighteen

Approximately 20 minutes

Read playful narration “Hip Hop is…” text.

  • Encourage your pre-reader to try to repeat the song and sing along. Being silly with your kids is a great way to catch their interest.
  • If you have multiple learners you can make a game of it and see who can give the best performance by family vote.

Listen to Sample One: “Super Rappin’ No. 2” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Listen to Sample Two: “The Home of Hip Hop” by Grandmixer D.ST.

Listen to Sample Three: “Me, Myself, and I” by De La Soul

Week Nineteen

Approximately 20 minutes

Read “HIP HOP” history text.

Watch “The Birth of Hip Hop” video.

Listen to Sample Four: “I Missed the Bus” by Kris Kross

Listen to Sample Five: “Don’t Sweat the Technique” by Eric B. & Rakin

Listen to Sample Six: “ABC’s” by Sugarhill Gang





Please tell us about your experience in the comment section. Stay tuned for the sixth installment: Jazz (Weeks 20-22).

Happy Homeschooling!

Love,

b

Music Appreciation – Heavy Metal

Dear Sis, 

This is the fourth of ten parts in our Music Appreciation lesson plan series. If you are just finding us now, the text that corresponds with these lessons is Music is… by Stephen T. Johnson

Heavy Metal Music

A note for parents: Much of the heavy metal scene is not fit for our most precious learners, but I hope this serves as a family friendly sampling.

Week Fourteen

Approximately 20 minutes

Read playful narration “Heavy Metal is…” text.

  • Encourage your pre-reader to try to repeat the song and sing along. Being silly with your kids is a great way to catch their interest.
  • If you have multiple learners you can make a game of it and see who can give the best performance by family vote.

Listen to Sample One: “Space Trucking” by Deep Purple

Listen to Sample Two: “Back Street Kids” by Black Sabbath

Listen to Sample Three: “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult

Week Fifteen

Approximately 20 minutes

Read “HEAVY METAL” history text.

Listen to The “History of Metal” with Andrea Boma Boccarusso

Week Sixteen

Approximately 20 minutes

Read about the “INSTRUMENTS” used in this genre.

Listen to Sample Four: “Live to Rock (Rock to Live)” by Dokken

Listen to Sample Five: “Can’t Live Without You” by Scorpions

Listen to Sample Six: “Black Star” by Yngwie Malmsteen




Week Seventeen

Approximately 20 minutes

When heavy metal and classical music converge, it is a new twist on both genres. Music always has a way of sneaking out of any box we try to put it in!

Listen to our Classical to Heavy Metal samples:

Discuss with your learner the similarities and differences of each version of “Winter.”

Listen to our Heavy Metal to Classical samples:

Discuss with your learner the similarities and differences of each version of “Bring Me to Life.” 

Optional Project: Help your learner find a cover of one of their favorite songs that is in a completely different genre. 





Please tell us about your experience in the comment section. Stay tuned for the fifth installment: Hip Hop (Weeks 18-19).

Happy Homeschooling!

Love,

b

Music Appreciation – Classical

Dear Sis,

This is the first of ten parts in our Music Appreciation lesson plan series. If you are just finding us now, the text that corresponds with these lessons is Music is… by Stephen T. Johnson. 

Classical Music

Week One

Approximately 30 minutes

Read playful narration “CLASSICAL is…” text.

  • Encourage your pre-reader to try to repeat the scat in a musical way. Being silly with your kids is a great way to catch their interest.
  • Emerging readers can try to sound it out. Sometimes its fun to read non-sense!
  • If you have multiple learners you can make a game of it and see who can say it fastest or with the best musical performance, by family vote.

Listen to Sample One: “Water Music, Suite no. 1 in F: Overture” by George Frideric Handel

  • I’ve included the entire suite. See if your kiddos can recognize when a movement ends and a new one begins. 
  • You don’t have to watch the videos for listening samples! The audio can be played during a car ride, meal, or quite play time.




Week Two

Approximately 30 minutes

Read about “CLASSICAL” music text.

Play our Solo to Symphony board game. Instructions for play are in the PDF.

  • Print the game cards on card stock. Laminate for durability, if desired. If you do not have the ability to print two sided, print only the card fronts.

Listen to Sample Two: “Cello Suite no. 1 in G Major: Prelude” by Johann Sebastian Bach

Week Three

Approximately 45 minutes

Watch an Introduction to String Orchestra Instruments and The Fountain by Marcel Lucien Gradjany.

  • Introduce violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp

Listen to Sample Three: “Piano Concerto no. 21 in C Major: Andante” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Week Four

Approximately 30 minutes

Watch to The Woodwind Family.

  • Introduce the piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. 

Practice instrument identification and play our String & Woodwind MEMORY game.

  • Print the game cards on card stock. Laminate for durability, if desired. If you do not have the ability to print double sided, print only the card fronts.

Listen to Sample Four: “Symphony no. 5 in C Minor: Allegro con bio” by Ludwig van Beethoven




Week Five

Approximately 30 minutes

Watch to Brass Instruments in the Orchestra.

  • Introduce the french horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba.

Play our Orchestra Fishing game. Instructions for play are in the PDF.

  • Print the game cards on card stock. Laminate for durability, if desired. If you do not have the ability to print double sided, print only the card fronts.

Listen to Sample Five: “Waltz in C-sharp Minor, op. 64: no. 2” by Frederic Chopin

Week Six

Approximately 40 minutes

Watch Percussion Instruments and The Solo Timpanist, Etude 1

  • Introduce vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel (orchestral bells), bass drum, tom-tom, snare drum, cymbals, triangle, crotales, tambourine, timpani.

Listen to Sample Six: “Appalachian Spring: II. Allegro” by Aaron Copland

Watch Guess the Orchestral Instrument: 20 Instrument Sound Quiz.


Please tell us about your experience in the comment section. Stay tuned for the second installment: Country Music (Weeks 7-10).

Happy Homeschooling!

Love,

b