Q: What type of songs do planets sing?
A: Nep-TUNES!
Did You Know?
Sound waves travel by making air molecules vibrate, and since there is no air in space, there is no sound. That doesn't mean that the universe is silent. For example, Astronauts can hear sounds from inside their space shuttle because the air inside the ship helps the sound waves move around. So, if something in space bangs into the shuttle, the astronauts can hear it.
That's not all. Scientists from all over the world have recorded all kinds of different sounds from the planets themselves. Spacecrafts launched by NASA and other global space organizations around the world have been able to record radio signals from different planets and other cosmic objects like comets and asteroids. In 2017, NASA even put together a "spooky" playlist of sounds from our galaxy. Click the link to have a listen.
https://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/features/halloween_sounds.html
Q: What is the most musical part of a snake?
A: The scales.
Did You Know?
In music, a scale is a pattern of notes that are organized according to their pitch. Most scales have a repeating pattern of 8 notes and is known as an octatonic scale, however there are other scale patterns that have 5 notes (pentatonic scale), 6 notes (whole-tone scale), or 12 notes (chromatic scale). Scales often times have different moods or feelings associated with them as well. The most common being the major scale which sounds happy, and the minor scale which sounds sad. A composer will often write music using a particular scale depending on what they want the audience to feel while they listen. Scales are one of the most important elements of music. Not only are they used to help composers write melody and harmony, but they are useful tools for musicians to use in their daily practice.
Check out these fun videos from Music K8 to explore scales further.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lYVUWvxLYg&list=PLVLu-aq6MSl-8mYPsne2ZAgEFoN3S6LKo&index=9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoUUK3Hy7vM&list=PLVLu-aq6MSl-8mYPsne2ZAgEFoN3S6LKo&index=5
Q: Why did the the person stand on a ladder to sing?
A: They wanted to sing the high notes.
Did You Know?
In music, we use the word pitch to refer to how high or low a note is. Check out this article from KidzSearch for some great information on sound and pitch.
https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Pitch_(music)
You also check out this great video from Kids Academy on Sound.
Then try this experiment on from the Kids Academy Website called "See the Sound." The instructions can be found below, or you can check them out on their website (along with some other great music experiments): https://www.kidsacademy.mobi/storytime/sound-science-experiments/.
Make sound visible by watching sugar crystals react to sound vibrations.
Empty clear mixing bowl
Plastic wrap
Large rubber band
Sugar crystals (raw sugar works best)
1. Wrap a sheet of plastic wrap over the mixing bowl so that it’s taut, and secure with the large rubber band. Be sure that the plastic wrap is tight and does not sag.
2. Place a few of the sugar crystals on the top of the plastic wrap, placing them in the middle of the wrap.
3. Get close to the sugar crystal and say something loudly! What happens to the crystals? Do they move?
4. Experiment with louder and softer words or sentences to watch the sugar crystals react to the sound vibrations!
5. Try this experiment with other kinds of sounds - instruments, music, a ringing phone, etc.
*Thanks Kids Academy for this awesome experiment!
Q: What do you call a cow that plays the piano?
A: A Moo-sician!
Did You Know?
The piano got it's name from the musical terms "piano" and "forte", which mean loud and soft in English. The piano as we know it today was invented by a man from Italy named Bartolomeo Christofori around the year 1700. He sought to improve upon another instrument called the harpsichord. A harpsichord looks like a piano, but has stings that are plucked like a harp. Christofori changed the instrument so that the strings were struck with small hammers which enabled the instrument to play loud and soft sounds. When he was done creating his new instrument, Christofori called it "clavicembalo col piano e forte" which in English means "a harpsichord that can play soft and loud noises." This later got shortened to "piano" which is the term we use today.
For more information on the history of the piano, check out this link from the Yahama website:
https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/piano/structure/.
Check out this link to learn about how a piano works:
https://www.abc.net.au/classic/read-and-watch/how-music-works/how-does-a-piano-work/11192076.
Q: What do you call a group of singing dinosaurs?
A: A Tyranno-CHORUS!
Did You Know?
Dinosaurs may not have made music, but did you know that people have been using music for communication, and entertainment since prehistoric times? There is also evidence that early humans used "music" to aid in hunting by mimicking birds sounds and the roars of large animals. Prehistoric people also may have made music to connect and to express their feelings and connect with others. While most prehistoric music making involved the voice, early humans also made flutes out of bone and ivory, and drums made out of animal skin and wood.
Making Connections:
What are some of the uses of music today? Can you make a list?
What kinds of materials do we use to make different instruments today?
Make a Prediction:
What do yo think musical instruments will look like in the future? What materials might they be made out of? What do you think they might sound like?
Can you draw a picture to go with your prediction?
Q: What is the Easter Bunny's favourite type of music?
A: Hip-hop!
Did You Know?
Types, or categories, of music are called genres. There are many genres of music including Rock, Classical, Jazz, Folk, Rap and Hip-hop, EDM (electronic dance music), Blues, World; the list goes on and on. Here is a great article that explains the many different musical genres: http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/mu/Music_genre.
Most musical genres evolved from combining elements from other musical styles and it can be difficult to say for certain when a particular genre began. Rap, however is a little bit different. While the music has very early roots in Gospel, Jazz, and Funk music, Rap, as we know it, can be traced back to house parties in the Bronx, New York in the early 1970's (1973 to be exact). The hosts of these parties would often shout rhymes and phrases over the music to get people dancing. These hosts became known as MC's or Masters of Ceremonies. Over time, their rhymes became longer and more creative, and would involve more people. Check out these great books for more information.
The Roots of Rap by Randolph Heard (on Razz-Kids): https://www.raz-kids.com/main/BookDetail/id/3231
If you don't have access to Razz-Kids, you can check out these Youtube links below:
The Roots of Rap by Carole Boston Weatherford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xdvg8vDunQ.
The Story of Rap by Editors of Caterpillar Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbslu9_ZZhQ
Here is another great read-aloud video of a book inspired by hip-hop music and dance, called Hip-Hop Lollipop by Susan McElroy Montanari and Brian Pinkney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbslu9_ZZhQ
Just a little note: Rap music started out as party music, but over time, it became a way for artists to speak out about serious issues in their communities. Some of the artists mentioned in these stories have music that can contain grown-up themes and language. Make sure that you check with an adult at home before listening to certain performers. For some family friendly rap songs, check out the list below.
Jump by Kriss Kross
Just the Two of Us by Will Smith
Kick Push by Lupe Fiasco (Check out this live performance at the Kennedy Center for the Arts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVFT95ZohIk)
Hot Cheetos and Takis by Da Rich Kidzz ( a song about snacks!)
Inner Ninja - Classified
Old Town Road - Lil Nas X
Panini - Lil Nas X
Blessings - Lecrae ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Q: Why couldn't the musicians find the composer?
A: Because he was Haydn (pronounced "HI-den")
Did You Know?
Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was a Classical Composer who became known as the "Father of the Symphony" and the "Father of the String Quartet." He was a very well known and respected composer who taught both Mozart and Beethoven. Haydn had a great sense of humor and often included "jokes" in his music. Symphony No. 94 in G Major is one such example. Nicknamed the "Surprise Symphony," Haydn soothed his audience with a quiet, peaceful melody followed by a sudden fortissimo (really REALLY LOUD) chord at the end of the section (a musical jump scare). The music then returns to it's original piano (quiet) dynamic as if nothing has happened. According to sources at the time, Haydn did this because he was fed up with audiences falling asleep at his concerts and wanted to startle them awake, but not everyone agrees. Click on the link below for more of another explanation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAGsmq2gZ5c
You can watch an entire performance of the Symphony by clicking the link here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHlm2AO8_ak
If you have a piano or keyboard at home, you can try following along with this video to play the theme. Many young piano students learn this song in their lessons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxnrOPZ3XJk
Q: What was Beethoven's favorite fruit?
A: BA-NA-NA-NAAAAAAAA
If you don't quite understand the answer, have a quick listen to Beethoven's 5th Symphony and sing along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcBn04IyELc