Grade 6

1st Quarter: start the year learning songs for our Opening School Mass and upcoming liturgies - especially any songs that relate to school year theme. Begin to learn about George Gershwin a gifted pianist and one of America's most prolific composers . He contributed to musical works for the concert halls, Broadway stages and Hollywood films. The students will sing one of his most well-known songs, "I Got Rhythm", and listen to selections from "An American in Paris", "Concerto in F" and watch a performance of "Rhapsody in Blue". Supplemental materials include: Concerto in F; Piano Pulse Project, PBS Documentary on George Gershwin - text only, Gershwin in Focus and Gershwin Documentary: Sherway Academy of Arts & Sciences.

2nd Quarter: study the foundations of jazz music - what are the origins, where did it begin and who were the most prominent performers? Learn the following vocabulary terms used in jazz music - see the jazz vocab! list below. We have discussed notable jazz performers and composers: Scott Joplin (Ragtime) Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller. In December we will study Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Ballet" by reading the synopsis and listening to the music. The Nutcracker Ballet is performed a countless number of times throughout North America and Europe every year, especially at Christmas time. Slideshow: Jazz - A Musical Style Made in America; "Jazz in Time" from the Kennedy Center, Slideshow: The Nutcracker Ballet

3rd Quarter: Begin our study of poet Langston Hughes and his works influenced by the musical style, the Blues. We will also study some famous blues musicians and their works. Slideshow: Langston Hughes and the Blues; Smithsonian in Your Classroom - Langston Hughes & the Blues

4th Quarter; 2020-2021

We will begin the study of the Wonderful World of Opera. We will focus our study on the famous Italian composer Gioachino Rossini who wrote the beloved comic opera, "The Barber of Seville", or the serious opera, "Aida", composed by the great Italian opera composer, Guisseppe Verdi. Slideshow: The Wonderful World of Opera, Classics for Kids - bio on Gioachiano Rossini

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