Aim: How do musicians create a bluegrass jam?Summary: Students learn “Put All Your Troubles Away,” and explore the different parts of a bluegrass jam.Materials: Music Explorers online audioStandards: GA: ESGM2.CR.1, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM3.RE.3, ESGM2.CN.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: banjo, bass, fiddle, guitar, jam, lead, mandolinSee Glossary → Sing “Put All Your Troubles Away” Music is one way to…
Genre Overview Bluegrass is a style of American roots music that dates back to the 1700s, when English, Scottish, and Welsh immigrants settled in Appalachia, and brought with them ballads (unaccompanied narrative songs) and reels (dance tunes accompanied by a fiddle). These came together with African American traditions—first the banjo, which came from west Africa,…
Aim: What are some elements of opera singing?Summary: Students will explore the elements of classical singing technique by listening to and learning “La Donna è Mobile.” Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, Musical Explorers Student GuideStandards: GA: ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: bass, breathing, mezzo-soprano, opera, posture, projection, repertoire, soprano, tenor, vibrato, vocal warm-ups See Glossary →…
Aim: How do opera singers use their voices to tell a story?Summary: Students will explore the ways opera singers express emotion through dramatic musical storytelling.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, Musical Explorers Student Guide; chart paper, markersStandards: GA: ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: aria, dynamics, pitch, repetitionSee Glossary → Sing and Interpret “Nessun Dorma” Princess Turandot says…
Aim: What is the form of a bluegrass song?Summary: Students learn to sing “Uncle Pen” and use movement to identify the different parts of a bluegrass song form.Materials: Music Explorers online material and audioStandards: GA: ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM3.RE.3, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: bluegrass, break, chorus, introduction, verse See Glossary → Sing “Uncle Pen” Track 3 – Uncle Pen…
Genre Overview The word Opera in Italian means “work.” Opera is a type of theatrical artwork where everything is sung and set to music. Just like plays or movies, operas can be dramatic or comedic, but all of the dialogue is sung instead of spoken. Many cultures have their own style of opera. The first…
Aim: What is the hidden meaning in “Follow the Drinking Gourd”?Summary: Students learn to sing “Follow the Drinking Gourd” and explore the hidden meaning of the song and the code found in the lyrics.Materials: Music Explorers online materials, pencilsStandards: GA: ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: gourd, spirituals, Underground RailroadSee Glossary → Spirituals are songs originally sung…
Aim: What musical opposites can we find in “This Train Is Bound for Glory”?Summary: Students explore the meaning of the song, and learn musical opposites of dynamics (loud/soft) and tempo (fast/slow).Materials: Music Explorers online audioStandards: GA: ESGM2.CR.1, ESGM2.CR.2, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM3.RE.3, ESGM2.CN.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: dynamics, tempo, gospel See Glossary → Huxsie sings “This Train Is Bound…
Genre Overview African-American spirituals originated in the enslaved peoples’ living quarters of the American south, and are sacred songs with lyrics based on stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible. Spirituals are the musical product of West African influences and practices, as well as hymns sung in Anglo-American churches. While spirituals…
Genre Overview Vietnam’s music reflects the different groups that have lived there. The music that is heard today spans traditional folk, ceremonial, and popular music. The music of Vietnam is very diverse and has many influences from the different indigenous regions within Vietnam, surrounding countries, and the time of French occupation to name a few….
Aim: How can a song create community?Summary: Students will learn to sing “Hò Hụi Huế,” explore movement and song in community settings, and discover traditional Vietnamese instruments.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resourcesStandards: GA- ESGMK.PR.1, ESGMK.RE.3, ESGMK.CN.2, ESGM1.PR.1, ESGM1.RE.1, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: Chén, đàn Bầu, đàn Tranh, Sanh Tiền, Trống, and T’rưngSee Glossary → Sing “Hò Hụi…
Aim: How can we use music to tell stories?Summary: Students will learn to sing “Cô Đôi Thượng Ngàn,” discuss Vietnamese rhythm, explore tonal language, and create their own Queen of the Forest.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, everyday-object percussionStandards: GA: ESGMK.PR.1, ESGMK.RE.3, ESGMK.CN.2, ESGM1.PR.1, ESGM1.RE.1, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: chorus, tonal language, melodic contourSee Glossary → Sing “Cô…
Genre Overview Sicily, the “Island of the Sun,” was ruled by a succession of cultures and empires through several millennia, including Greece, Phoenicia, Rome, Carthage, and Byzantium, as well as Muslim, Norman, and Spanish rulers, before becoming part of the country of Italy. The result is a potent cultural melting pot, embodied in everything from…
Aim: What are the components of a Sicilian folk song?Summary: Students learn to sing “Rosa Cantu e Cuntu”; explore the parts of the Sicilian folk songs, including the verse, chorus and wordless refrain; and discover emotion and meaning in the lyrics.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, classroom instruments; crayons, markers, or colored pencilsStandards: GA – ESGMK.PR.1,…
Aim: How are meter and rhythm used to support dancing?Summary: Students will learn to sing “Cu Ti Lu Dissi,” learn 3/4 meter, dance the waltz, and discover Sicilian folk instruments.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, everyday-object percussionStandards: GA – ESGMK.PR.1, ESGMK.RE.3, ESGMK.CN.2, ESGM1.PR.1, ESGM1.RE.1, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: meter, waltzSee Glossary → Sing “Cu Ti Lu Dissi” Track…
Aim: How can we use melody and rhythm to create a chant?Summary: Students learn the chorus to “A.K.I.K.O.”; explore the concept of melodic variation; and create their own rhythmic chant.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, classroom instruments; crayons, markers, or colored pencilsStandards: GA – ESGMK.PR.1, ESGMK.RE.3, ESGMK.CN.2, ESGM1.PR.1, ESGM1.RE.1, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.2 Vocabulary: chant, variationSee Glossary…
Genre Overview Haiti’s music reflects the different groups that have lived on the island, melding French, Spanish, African, and indigenous influences. There are many different styles of Haitian music. Perhaps the most popular and culturally significant is compas, a complex dance music characterized by the signature tanbou beat. These popular genres grow directly out of…
Aim: How do steady beat and rhythm work together in Haitian folk music?Summary: Students will learn to sing “Panama Mwen Tombe,” discuss rhythm and beat, and learn about the tanbou drum.Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, everyday-object percussionStandards: GA – ESGMK.PR.1, ESGMK.RE.3, ESGMK.CN.2, ESGM1.PR.1, ESGM1.RE.1, ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2.CN.2Vocabulary: tanbouSee Glossary → “Panama Mwen Tombe” is a popular…
