ing rhythm, pitch, tempo, form, dynamics, tone color, texture, and style in a way that is fun for your students, interesting to you, and full of historical knowledge.
Rhythm. Rhythm is a concept music
teachers address constantly. We start with steady beat in kindergarten (or earlier) and continue to build skill levels. Jazz music is a great way to integrate music history within a rhythm lesson. For example, when teach- ing the syncopated rhythm of an eighth note, quarter note, eighth note, choose two of your favorite jazz pieces that employ this rhythm. Notate the rhythms on the board, play the piece and have the students raise their hand or stand each time they hear the rhythm. Students will be actively listening for the rhythm, moving up and down, and enjoying the music. They are being exposed to a genre of music they might not have op- portunity to hear outside of your class. Two of my favorites are Scott Joplin’s “The En- tertainer” and Barbara Sutton Curtis’ piano arrangement of “Love You Madly.”
Pitch. Folk music is an equal part of
music history. Each time you introduce a new folk song, talk about the words and the story it tells before singing. Your students will be learning to sing while connecting to the stories behind each song!
Tempo. When teaching first graders about fast (allegro), slow (adagio), and me- dium (andante) tempos, be creative in your listening selections. Branch out and use genres not as common in students’ every- day listening. After listening to an example of each tempo, test the students’ knowledge by playing several examples of songs with varying tempos. Reggae is a great example for andante. I suggest Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” Salsa and Latin music can of- fer great examples for allegro. For adagio, try some slow movements of symphonies or other Classical works. Please note that you can also find fast movements of Clas- sical works and interchange the genres. If desired, you can make it into a movement game. Have the students move to the steady beat of the song and play excerpts from dif- ferent examples. Assess each student’s abil- ity to change their movement to match the varying tempos. Make connections to the genre and its cultural and/or historical
TEMPO
background. You are expanding students’ repertoire of musical literature while teach- ing them about tempo.
Form. When teaching AB form, use the
opportunity to incorporate popular music from your students’ current playlists. Have students bring their favorite song (pending approval of its appropriateness) then listen to the songs and analyze the form. The stu- dents will remain active listeners as they are listening to their own music and this expe- rience provides you with the opportunity to teach them how to listen more critically. The students will also appreciate that you value their opinions of music as well. They may also be interested to know what popu- lar music sounded like 20, 50, 100 or even 200 years ago giving you an opportunity to share some early jazz or classical music in class.
Dynamics. Listen to Haydn’s
“Surprise” Symphony. Tell them the story of a sleeping cat and the mouse that is trying to sneak around the cat without waking it up. Choose one student to be the sleeping cat while the other children become mice. Remind them to be very quiet during the soft sections of the song. When the “surprise” comes the cat is startled awake but quickly returns to its slumber when the music becomes soft again. When the cat jumps, the mice duck down and hide in order to remain “hidden.” This is merely one example of using Classical music to illustrate dynamics.
Tone Color. Take this opportunity to
introduce opera into your students’ lives. Take an opera duet, trio or quartet (one of my favorites is the quartet from Rigoletto, “Un Di, Se Ben Rammentomi”) and pro- vide a brief synopsis of the opera. Play your example and have the students describe the various voice timbres they hear. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss the various vocal timbres that exist. On another day, have students practice this new listening skill by playing various examples from other genres (pop, folk, jazz, etc.). Discuss the types of voices (and instruments) used and how the various tone colors fit with each song. Ask questions such as, “Why wouldn’t we hear the operatic soprano in this Jazz piece?” or “Why do singers scat in Jazz but
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not in folk music?” The students are using critical thinking skills and analyzing timbre as well as describing various music genres.
Texture. There are three basic musical
textures: monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic. When looking for examples of monophonic texture, Gregorian chant is a great place to start. Chinese and Hindu music is also often monophonic in texture. For most students, these will be new music genres and very clear examples of monoph- ony. Choral music and hymns are great re- sources for homophonic texture. Polyphonic music can be more challenging for students to hear. Most music written before 1600 is polyphonic in nature. Bach’s Ich rufzu Dir, Herrjesu Crist is an example of three-voiced polyphony. Please note that in order to un- derstand polyphony, students will need to hear the same example several times due to the number of independent melodies hap- pening simultaneously. Guide your stu- dents’ listening by directing them to one voice at a time. For older students, create a listening map with the melodic contour of each voice. Listen to the excerpt three times, each time following a different voice. Keep it interesting for students by pointing out and notating rhythmic or melodic motives then challenge them to identify those mo- tives in each listening or make copies for students and have them work in groups of three, each following a different voice.
Style. Think about the different styles
you wish to teach. Try to branch out to unfamiliar genres such as reggae, blue- grass, World music, as well as the familiar opera, symphony, and various periods of music (Baroque, Classical, 20th Century). It is important to place as many different sounds as possible into your students’ ears. You will expand their style preferences as well as find many teaching opportunities within each genre. For example, combine a music styles lesson with a tone color lesson. Have the students listen to several examples from various genres. Divide the students into small groups assigning each group one or two listening examples and have them write down all the instruments they hear. Next, have them present their findings to the class. Take this opportunity to pres- ent any unfamiliar instruments used to the class. Students will begin to associate what
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