Lesson 6: A New Year

With all the Chinese New Year revelry in the air, I wanted to share some New Year's celebratory music.  I chose to  show how different people all over the world are inspired to sing as the old year turns to the new. I found a site that lists many songs for Chinese New Year here.

Gongxi Gongxi/ Greetings Greetings; a traditional Chinese New Year's song. Translation can be found here.  Listen on Youtube here.
Avinu Malkeinu/ God hear us...; a traditional Jewish New Year's sung prayer.  This version composed by Max Janowski and sung by Barbra Streisand.  Listen on Youtube here.

Barbra Streisand

For a Reform Jewish perspective on the history of Avinu Malkeinu, you can read here.  General information can be found at Wikipedia.


I showed them pictures of the dragon being paraded down a street for the Chinese New Year, and we talked about our own Philadelphia Mummer's parade where people also dress up and parade down the street on January 1st.  I told the children about Jewish New Year/ Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur that occur earlier in the Fall, and how Jewish people go to synagogue and sing prayers together and listen to a cantor sing as well.  

We talked about how though the Chinese New Year song was from China, it is now sung in Chinatowns all over the world, including our own city.  I taught them that although Max Janowski was born in Berlin, Germany, he worked in Japan early in his career and spent most of his life in Chicago.  Music truly travels the world. 

One class loved the joyful and upbeat Gongxi Gongxi, and another loved the famously rich voice of Barbara Streisand.  They all seemed to enjoy the lesson. 

Here is the lesson plan.
Here is the coloring page. Print one for each student (double sided).
Here are the visual aides.  If you have the capacity to project these, that would be great.  I have mine in a binder and walk around the tables giving everyone a closer look.

I also pointed out the wide geographical origins of the pieces on a large world map.  

Enjoy!

Music and Play: Snow and Valentines

Last Friday I brought songs, a poem and games from Kodaly in Kindergarten, and celebrated the tiny bit of snow that had fallen that morning by singing about snowflakes and mittens.

I also introduced Kodaly hand signs from Do to Sol.  We started with our pitch warm-up, which is matching pitches, rising and crouching depending on how high or low the note is.  Then I had everyone sit and watch me sing the scale Do- Re- Mi- Fa- Sol, showing the hand shapes and encouraging them to copy and sing along.  I was amazed at their unison singing!  All the classes did wonderfully and I am sure we will continue with hand signs.

Mitten
Thumbs in the thumb place,
Fingers all together.
This is the song we
Sing in mitten weather.

When it is cold it
Doesn't matter whether
Mittens are wool or
Made of finest leather.

This is the song we
Sing in mitten weather,
Thumbs in the thumb place,
Fingers all together.

See the Pretty Snow Flakes
See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky,
On the walls and house-tops
Soft and thick they lie.


We talked about the Groundhog's prediction and I read this poem:

A Good Day for Groundhogs
by Ivy Eastwick

The funny little groundhog
left his funny little hole
Without a word to Porcupine
To Weasel or to Mole.

He sniffed at the air which
was very cold and chill.
He stared at the sky which
was wild above the hill.

He kicked up his hind legs,
made a happy little sound,
And danced a merry jig upon
the icy winter ground.

Then he called to his family
"The Winter's almost done!
Spring is round the corner,
Let's have fun!"

Then, of course, we sang a groundhog song!

Ground Hog Song
Winter goodbye, Blue is the sky.
You can't stay round this place,
Groundhog has shown his face,
Winter goodbye, Blue is the sky.

We talked about Valentine's Day, which is coming up, and sang a Valentine's song, learning about rests and walking in time to the beat.

Valentine
Valentine, Valentine, red and blue,
Valentine, Valentine, I love you.

Lesson 5: Film Scores

One of my students asked hopefully if  we could please listen to Star Wars.  I was about to equivocate and say I would consider it, but then immediately exclaimed that it would be a a fabulous idea.  Of course the children should learn about John Williams!

John Williams

I chose to teach about the history of film scores by starting with one of the very first and ending with the ubiquitous theme from "Star Wars".  In researching for this lesson I learned that the third original film score that was ever written was by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saens.  How wonderful to have an opportunity to share his music!

Another bit of trivia I learned was that one of the purposes of having music played during early films was to drown out the distractingly loud noise of the projector.  I showed the children the small ensemble that played Camille Saint-Saens' score, and how it would fit into the front of a theater. They could see that the full orchestra needed to play John Williams' score would never fit.

We listened to:
L’Assassinat Du Duc de Guise, Op. 128:Cinquieme Tableau-Camille Saint-Saens
Main Title/ Rebel Blockade Runner from Star Wars- John Williams

Here is the Lesson Plan.
Here is the Coloring Page.  Print one for each student (double-sided).
Here are the Visual Aides.  If you have the capacity to project these, that would be great.  I have mine in a binder and walk around the tables giving everyone a closer look.

I also pointed out the geographical origins of the pieces on a map in the classroom.

Enjoy!