We had a great time getting ready for our sing along at the year end assembly. If you would like to sing those songs at home this summer the words and the links for the music are right here:

LISTENING 2021

American composer, Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was a big focus of our listening this year. We started with his ballet music, Hoedown from Rodeo. Here are the links to all the videos we watched in class together.

Here it is being played by the orchestra: http://www.viewpure.com/cYjlHFOSDuo?start=0&end=0

We enjoyed the animation video from the Glasgow School of Art.

https://vimeo.com/5020134

Then we learned that Aaron Copland used two American folksongs (ear songs) in this piece of music: Bonaparte's Retreat and McLeod's Reel (Hop Up My Ladies or Did You Ever Go A Courtin').

Here is the recording of Bonaparte's Retreat from 1937. See if you can remember how we moved our feet to this one: http://www.viewpure.com/1yeQucos9-M?start=0&end=0

Here is the version of McLeod's Reel we watched where the man used his feet for percussion: http://www.viewpure.com/PcrAZib_bGA?start=0&end=0

As a treat, we ended with the silly cartoon from Looney Tunes which uses this music:

http://www.viewpure.com/We0C2xQHasM?start=0&end=0

Our next Copland piece was Appalachian Spring. As part of this beautiful piece of music, Copland arranged an old Shaker hymn called Simple Gifts.

Here is the lovely recording of Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krause performing Simple Gifts: http://www.viewpure.com/Bv5Yi4-Ravw?start=0&end=0

We then watched the video of Appalachian Spring recorded by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra last year at the beginning of the lockdown: http://www.viewpure.com/5rzZ2F18MwI?start=0&end=0

This version by the Frankfurt Symphony was also recorded during Covid but with distanced musicians and lacking the brass section. If you would like to hear the whole thing (and you have time) start at the beginning but you if you like to hear just the part with the Simple Gifts melody forward to minute 18. http://www.viewpure.com/KfdwgXSdcMw?start=0&end=0

Our final Copland was Fanfare for the Common Man. Here is the video we watched in class with James Levine conducting: http://www.viewpure.com/FLMVB0B1_Ts?start=0&end=0

Copland really wanted to write music that was American. We then went to a Canadian composer who was trying to figure out what to write for a Canadian piece of music to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. Jared Miller came up with a piece about basketball because basketball was invented by a Canadian (James Naismith). It is called Buzzer Beater and is played by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. http://www.viewpure.com/2XkbGFpjUpY?start=0&end=0

Click on the link then go to the bottom where it says MOVIES. To learn how to do it click on KID DEMO and when you figure you know what you are doing, click on LYRICS. https://musicplayonline.com/?s=swimming&meter_stat=

Please check out the activities section of the website today - I put one of my favourites ever on there.

You can contact me at any time: gevans@sd61.bc.ca.

Try this game AFTER you have played Instruments of the Orchestra and What Instruments Do You Hear? It says that you are supposed to play it against someone else but you don’t have to. Just have fun figuring out which instrument is playing.

Click on this link: https://musicplayonline.com/

Other Games:

• Have a look at the game called the HIGH AND LOW GAME. To find it follow this link: https://musicplayonline.com/

All the GAMES are on the right side of the screen. Go down to the bottom to find the HIGH LOW GAME. It may take you a few tries as you have to decide if it is high or low! Just play again until you have it! Enjoy!

• Chrome music lab allows you to write your own music and hear it being played. You can start on the bottom, on the far left of the grid if you want to start on middle C (for those who know piano). Have fun! https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/

• I also really like the sfskids website (San Francisco Symphony). I particularly had fun playing around with the perform and conduct options. Enjoy! http://www.sfskids.org/

• The Musicplay website has some great on-line music games. I have been having fun playing them!

• See how you do on the Beat or Rhythm Game. You have to listen very carefully to see if you can tell if they are playing the beat or playing the rhythm. Remember: Beat always stays the same, beat never changes. Good luck!

• Click on this link: https://musicplayonline.com/

• Here are two games that use the music from Carnival of the Animals. The two pieces are Fossils and the Introduction (which turns quickly into the Lion). When you go to the site you can see where you can click on listen or play. Just click on play. I got a terrible score. See if you can do better than me! http://www.sfskids.org/index.html?s=carnival%20of%20the%20animals Be patient - this game can sometimes take a few moments to load.

• Games are always on the right hand side. The Beat or Rhythm Game is about halfway down.

• Also, this week try the UP/DOWN game on Musicplay. It is a bit confusing as the reward you hear when you get the answer right is a sound that goes up! After a few tries you will figure it out. As usual the games on the right side of the page and the UP/DOWN GAME is about halfway down the list. https://musicplayonline.com/

• The GAMES are on the right side of the screen and INSTRUMENT BINGO is about halfway down the list of games. Given that we are doing so much listening with the main theme of Pirates of the Caribbean I thought it would be fun for you to try out the Instruments of the Orchestra section on Musicplay. Once you click on the link you go to the right side of the page for GAMES. The second one down is called Instruments of the Orchestra. Click on that first. You have to click on INTRODUCTION to get it to start. After you have gone through that, challenge yourself with the game called What Instrument Do You Hear which is right below. Good luck!

• https://musicplayonline.com/

You will remember when we studied Flight of the Bumblebee this year. We loved saying the Russian composer’s name - Nicholai Rimsky-Korsakov. This was the story of the prince who was turned into a bee by a magic bird. He was happy to be turned into a bumblebee because it meant that he could fly unnoticed to the prison where his father (the King or Tsar) was being held captive and he would get to see his father. The song plays while he is flying through the air trying to escape people trying to swat him!

Flight of the Bumblebee is always a test of musicianship. There are world records held for how fast it is played. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote it for the violin but it is now played on almost every pitched instrument you can imagine.

Here it is in the original version on violin. See if you can move your fingers as fast as she can move hers!

http://www.viewpure.com/vtAu7xkwNjQ?start=0&end=0

Here is a piano version. Watch how fast this person’s fingers fly!

http://www.viewpure.com/M93qXQWaBdE?start=0&end=0

Here is a fun version by the Canadian Brass - the main melody is played by trumpet here.

http://www.viewpure.com/xZO5KTJTwhE?start=0&end=0

Other Activities:

• This is a really fun one to watch. It is a good reminder of what we learned this year about the four families of instruments in the orchestra. You can imagine me pointing to the instrument pictures on the wall in the music room. It is all about finding the way to make music that is perfect for you. Enjoy!

• If you have been having fun with the Chrome cast site, give this one a try. https://musicplayonline.com/activities/melody_compose/exercises/staff_composition/menu/menu.html

It allows you to actually write music on a staff and then listen to it being played. Start with the LEVEL ONE, so and mi songs and work your way up to the LEVEL THREE songs. Enjoy!

• This is a really fun one to watch. It is a picture book but the vocabulary is more for the older grade levels. It is a great reminder of the four families of instruments in the orchestra. You can imagine me pointing to the instrument pictures on the wall in the music room. It is all about finding the way to make music that is perfect for you. Enjoy!

Week Two Activity — Thunderer March 🥁

Some of you will remember that we started our listening this year with The Thunderer March by John Phillip Sousa. Yes, the guy that invented the sousaphone! For kids in Mrs. Alexander’s class and Mrs. Ireton’s class this will be brand new. It will take you a bit longer to learn the songs but it is still fun!

Click this video to hear the song:

Now, play it again and get up and march while you listen!

Do you remember our directions? First we marched facing north, then facing east, then facing south, then facing west and finally north again. We face each direction for sixteen beats. Make sure you count to sixteen as you march.

Here is the form (the order) and the notes for the introduction:

The introduction is tricky because it goes VERY quickly!!! Try singing along with me in this video:

Remember we sang: do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do do!

Now go back to the video of the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRmRrKB6yXE&feature=emb_title) and see if you can sing along to just the introduction —you'll have to pause it after only a few seconds!

Now we are ready for the rest of the song! Some of you will remember singing these themes with me and for some of you they will be brand new. If they are brand new, you will need to play the video many times to learn them.

Follow along with me in this video:

Now, play the song again (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRmRrKB6yXE&feature=emb_title), but minimize it and try and sing along with these words for the three themes and the bridge:

Week Three Activity — Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks 🐣

Some of you will remember that one of our favourite activities this year was the Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks by Modest Mussorgsky (it came from his bigger piece of music called Pictures at An Exhibition). If you are in Mrs. Alexander’s or Mrs. Ireton’s classes this song and activity will be brand new! I hope you like it.

Modest Mussorgsky (pronounced ‘muzz or ski’) lived in Russian. He loved art and he saw the picture below at an art exhibit that had come from Paris and he wanted to create music that matched the picture.

Now have a listen to the music he wrote to go with the picture:

Now to the fun action activities that goes with this!

The first thing we hear is the peck that we do with our heads.

Then comes the kicking! Please remember not to kick anything or anyone and to make sure your feet stay in the air and don’t touch the floor. Then the last is the scratch and the push. As soon as you finish, it starts again as there is a repeat sign! After that comes some rolling around - be careful not to roll off of anything or into anything!! At the end we will do the pecking, kicking and scratching one last time. See if you can spot where Mrs. Evans makes a mistake!!!

EXTRA ACTIVITY!

You will notice, at the start of each line, that there are instruments that are suggested that you could play the rhythm on while you say the words. They suggest temple blocks, hand drum and guiro. You may be lucky and have some of these instruments at home but most people won’t . If you don’t, it is easy to find some things at home that would work.

For the temple blocks you could use any hard thing like a mug and a spoon.

For the hand drum you could tap the table.

For the guiro you could use a comb and a pencil.

I am sure that you will come up with even better ideas than I have. If you come up with something really fun, take a video and send it to me at gevans@sd61.bc.ca. I would love to see your great ideas!!

Week Four — Two Songs!

In the Hall of the Mountain King

By Edvard Grieg

I was going to do a different activity this week but I was lucky enough to run into Adam Ross while I was walking my dog and he requested information about this one so here we go. It was a real FAVOURITE this year! If you are in Mrs. Alexander’s or Mrs. Conrod’s class this activity will be brand new to you. I hope you like it!

Edvard Grieg wrote this music to go with a play about the adventures of Peer Gynt. Peer Gynt was a famous story book character in Norway where Grieg lived. If Grieg lived now, he would probably have been asked to write the soundtrack to the movie about Peer Gynt so this music is basically a movie soundtrack. This music is to go with a SUPER exciting part of the story. Peer Gynt has been captured by the trolls and taken to the hall of the mountain king, deep inside a mountain. He is to be thrown in jail but the Troll King offers him one chance at freedom - he has to marry the Troll King’s daughter. Sadly, the Troll King’s daughter looks like a troll (and besides, Peer Gynt has his lovely, patient girlfriend waiting for him at home)! Let’s see what a troll looks like:

So when everyone was asleep, Peer Gynt decided he would take his chances and try to sneak out of the hall of the mountain king. At the beginning of the music there is a long, held note (a fermata) - I think that is when Peer Gynt was looking around to see if he should go or not! He decides to sneak away - he is sneaking, so the music is very soft and slow as he tiptoes. Of course, the trolls notice that he is sneaking away and the chase is on! The music becomes fast and loud as he starts to run and the trolls crash around following him - this is when it gets really exciting!

In music class we came up with some great words to describe the music: sneaking, creeping, mysterious, spooky, scary, threatening. Can you pick a favourite? (teaching idea: Marcelline Moody)

Sneaking around your house!

Click this link to put the music on and have fun moving forward and backward to match your favourite word. 15 beats forward, then freeze, then 15 beats back and freeze. Make sure you count to fifteen while you are moving and freeze when you get to 16. Maybe try one word, then try another! If you don’t want to get up from the computer see if you can match those words while sitting down.

Now let’s notice the instruments this time.

When you first go to start the video the picture you see is of two people playing the bassoon. That is the instrument you will hear the most from in this music. It is in the woodwind family.

As you watch, please notice that the violin players were plucking the strings of their instruments sometimes. This was to make it sound like someone talking on tiptoe? (That is called pizzicato)

Watch it again to notice the instruments this time!

After we got used to this piece we had fun adding some silly words that were written by someone named Richard Perlmutter (not Grieg, he wrote this for instruments only).

Here is the link to the video where he sings the silly words. Enjoy! http://www.viewpure.com/foGcM60oZqQ?start=0&end=0

And here are the silly words so you can sing along!

It’s The Same Every Verse

By Richard Perlmutter

Here’s a piece that’s quite perverse, it’s the same every verse


So for better or for worse, we’ve 17 to go

One by one we’ll count them all, it might seem off the wall 


Just in case you don’t recall, we’ve 16 more to go

If the end seems far away, there’s no need for dismay 


We’ll give you a play by play, 15 to go

Note that this recurring tune, is performed by bassoon 


It will be repeated soon, 14 to go

Next the cello and the bass, ceaselessly keep the pace 


Just in case you lost your place, we’ve 13 more to go

But before we can proceed, as it was guaranteed


The bassoons again play lead, we’ve 12 more times to go

Finally something new begins, hear all those violins 


Underneath those chinny chins, 11 more to go

Now we get the clarinet, playing in a duet


With the oboe don’t forget, we’ve 10 more times to go

While the violins repeat, please remain in your seat


We are nowhere near complete, 9 more to go

Here’s a bit more of the same, there’s just one man to blame


Grieg is the composer’s name, 8 more to go

Now it’s time to move along, to the end of the song 


Things are gonna finish strong, we’ve 7 more to go


First the volume will increase, ’til the end of the piece

Building to a big release, we’ve 6 more left to go

Now the trumpets start to blow, double fortissimo


I’ll remind you so you know, just 5 more times to go

Now we’re building up some steam, it’s so loud it would seem


Pretty soon we’ll have to scream, 4 more times to go

Still we haven’t hit the top, faster now do not stop

At this pace I’m gonna drop, 3 more to go

Keeping up is getting tough, making me huff and puff 


I think I’ve had enough, 2 more to go

Now we’re almost at the end, oooh yeah my friend


All that lies around the bend,Is 1 more time to go

Last verse! Hip hooray! 
Oooh, don’t go away


Now the orchestra will play finale number 1 Hope you can stay


Now the orchestra will play finale number 2 One more delay


Now the orchestra will play finale number 3
 The end

Yes, indeed, Grieg repeated his melody 18 times! What did he do to keep it from getting boring? If I told you I was going to sing you the same song 18 times you would run away. What makes this song so fun to listen to even though he plays the same thing 18 times? If you said that he gets louder, gets faster and changes the instruments you got it right!

I found a fun rhythm activity to go with this song. See if you can sing the rhythm names with it - There will be a new note for some of you and that is a two-o. That is the one where the circle is empty at the bottom of the note and it lasts for two beats. http://www.viewpure.com/Wk43IDUQmTk?start=0&end=0

Here is a fun one just to watch! It gets more fun toward the end when it gets faster! I don’t know why they turn Peer Gynt into an old wizard but they got the cave thing right!

http://www.viewpure.com/e6XxTGXly-M?start=0&end=0

Oops! I almost forgot your favourite video to go with this song! Here is the Line Rider video: http://www.viewpure.com/RIz3klPET3o?start=0&end=0

High Low Chicka Low

Here is a fun, clapping song called High Low Chicka Low.

Listen to it once to learn how it goes: http://www.viewpure.com/cckK5e2Hj6M?start=0&end=0

This song has ti tis and tas with a rest at the end. See if you can sing the rhythm names instead of the words:

There is a fun clapping pattern that goes with this. You will have to watch this short video many times in order to learn it! You will need a partner so see if someone in your family will play with you. http://www.viewpure.com/0by84mYteaw?start=0&end=0

I like that when the song goes higher, your hands are higher and when the song goes lower, your hands are lower. Did you notice that?

Good luck!

Week Five — William Tell

Another one of our favourites this year was the overture from the opera, William Tell. For Mrs. Ireton and Mrs. Alexander’s kids this activity will be brand new. Willliam Tell was a real life person who lived in Switzerland. An evil Baron made William Tell try to shoot an apple off of his son’s head from a great distance just because William Tell and his son didn’t bow to the Baron’s hat! William Tell became a hero because he had the skill and courage to make the shot and because he helped his people to get rid of the evil Baron. Here is an animated version of the story. It is fun to watch!

Of course, we know that many people call this piece, the theme from the Lone Ranger tv show, but we know that Rossini wrote this piece years before anyone had ever heard of the Lone Ranger or a television! It does, however, sound so much like galloping horses that you can understand why they used it for the tv. show!

Let’s remind ourselves how it goes. See if you can spot the triangle, the cymbals and the trombone:

Here is a fun video to watch. They are trying to show you the rhythm of William Tell. See if you can figure out what shape and colour they use for a ticka, a ti and a ta.

Week Six — Icca Bacca Soda Cracker

Now here is the rhythm and melody to go with it.

Week Seven - Carnival of the Animals

I am hoping that you will all remember when we studied the Carnival of the Animals by Camille St. Saëns last year. We had fun trying to figure out which animal he was writing about. We got to be really clever about figuring out that for the small animals the notes were high and for the big animals the notes were low. We also figured out that if the animal jumped, the notes in the music would jump and if the animal moved slowly the notes in the music moved slowly too.

One of our favourites was The Swan. This had only two instruments in it - a cello and a piano. Have a watch and listen to decide which instrument was the water and which instrument was the swan.

Did you decide that the piano was the water and the cello was the swan?

We had some words to describe this music. Listen again to decide which words were a perfect match for this music and which didn’t work at all. Read each word and decide if you give them a thumbs up for matching the music perfectly, a thumbs down for not matching the music at all or a sideways thumb for sometimes or maybe matching.

NOISY DREAMY SWEET SMOOTH SEPARATED

HAPPY PEACEFUL ENERGETIC SAD FLOATING

WILD SLEEPY ACTIVE GENTLE LIVELY

LOUD QUIET CALM FORCEFUL SOFT

(teaching idea: Marcelline Moody)

Did you find the opposites on the list? That sometimes helps you decide. I wish I could be there to see your thumbs! It is always very interesting as some people find this so sad and some people don’t find it sad at all, just calm and peaceful.

I found a video of an amazing dancer dancing to this piece of music. I, again, wish I could see your faces when you watch this guy!

http://www.viewpure.com/BWairKgESbc?start=0&end=0https://

Another of the pieces we studied from Carnival of the Animals was Aquarium. It took quite a while to figure this one out but as soon as we figured out that it sounded like water, as it had in the swan, then we had a head start. In this one again the rippling water is played on the piano (sometimes on the harp.

Apparently, when Alan Mencken was writing the music for the movie, Beauty and the Beast, he knew he wanted his music to sound magical and to weave a spell. He was listening to the Aquarium to put himself in the right mood. I think he managed to create something of his own that cast the same kind of spell. Have a listen and see what you think. I couldn’t find a version without talking so you can stop it when it gets to the talking!

http://www.viewpure.com/0bgczul0Slk?start=0&end=0

St. Saëns included many animals in the Carnival of the Animals.

He also wrote music for the beginning and the end called the Introduction and the Finale. The Introduction is very short and goes straight into the Lion. The Finale is longer. He didn’t write it to match any animal but just as an ending. The animators at Disney thought differently though. They decided it matched a flamingo - a flamingo with a yo yo! I love this video - Enjoy!

http://www.viewpure.com/poz9nZCFmb0?start=0&end=0

If the voice of the man doing the introduction sounded familiar, there is a reason for that. That man is James Earl Jones and played Darth Vader on Star Wars.

Week Eight — Pirates of the Caribbean

Klaus Badelt is a German composer and has written the soundtrack for many famous movies. To see what a good soundtrack adds to a movie watch this clip one time with the sound on and then a second time with the sound off!

http://www.viewpure.com/rP1qjuFsV7w?start=0&end=0

Here is the word list with many of the same words that we used for The Swan. Do the thumbs up and the thumbs down - I can only imagine how different the responses are this time!! Here is the music to play while you do it.

Week Nine — I'm A Nut & Pirates of the Caribbean

Part 1: I'm A Nut

Part 2: Pirates of the Caribbean

Words by Gail Evans, notation by Marcelline Moody

Now we know about the composer, Klaus Badelt and the very important job that people who write the music for movies do.

Let’s use this video to remind ourselves how cool this music is! It will be particularly interesting to those people who are studying the cello in Strings. http://www.viewpure.com/Xj3gU3jACe8?start=0&end=0

Let’s look at the melodies in He's a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean.

INTRODUCTION: LOOK OUT!

It has a short introduction. It is letting us know that something exciting is coming! Here are the words I wrote to go with the introduction. Here is the music to play while you try to fit the words on. http://www.viewpure.com/mUnrWo6z9WY?start=0&end=0

Look out, look out, look out everyone

Now we come to the main musical idea and we know that the first idea is called A Section: Scoundrels, Rascals and Villains

Click this link and sing along!

Week 10 - Egg Beater and Pirates of the Caribbean Part 3!

EGG BEATER!

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!

Last week we learned the Introduction and A theme of He’s a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Time to take on the B and the C themes. Here is a link you can use to sing along with:

Pirates of the Caribbean

Today we are going to try to put it all together with the music.