Also on the musicplayonline website, you can click on 6^th Grade and play the games listed above. These are actually ways of practicing some skills and knowledge we have been working on in music class (lines and spaces and music vocabulary). Follow the directions below.

1. Click on the game you want to play

2. Read the instructions

3. Click START and play

4. Also, for each game, there is a menu above the game called “activity type.” The first time you play, leave it where it is. Then you can try the various “activity types.

Remember our sayings for treble clef lines and spaces (from bottom to top):

LINES—Every Good Boy Does Fine

SPACES—F,A,C,E spells the word “face”

Remember our sayings for bass clef lines and spaces (from bottom to top):

LINES—Great Big Dogs Fight Animals

SPACES—All Cows Eat Grass.

Go to All Games, click on "Rhythm Racing," choose the level and play the game. 6^th graders should be able to play levels 1-4 in the game. Here are some new helpful hints:

1. Listen to each rhythm (the game gives you plenty of time to answer)

2. Figure out what the counting should be--like a rhythm reader (1, 2e+a, 3+, etc)

3. Decide if this is the same as what you heard.

4. Click on YES or NO.

20^th Century American composer, John Philip Sousa (1854-1932).

He was known as the "American March King." He wrote 136 marches--music for military bands to play as they march. He is also famous for helping to invent the "Sousaphone" which is a tuba that was modified so that it could be used for marching.

• Follow the links below to listen to some examples of Aaron Copland’s music.

• Questions to consider:

As you listen to Sousa's music, what instrument families do you hear?

What instrument family is missing from all of his marches?

Notice the different instruments that play the melody. Which instruments help us to march to the music?