Category: 2024-25 Musical Explorers
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Unit 2 – Lesson 1: Learning “Five Feet High and Rising”
Aim: How do the musical elements of modulation, verse and lyrics tell a story in “Five Feet High and Rising?” Summary: Students are introduced to country music and recognize how modulation between verses is used to visualize lyrics in “Five Feet High and Rising.” Materials: Musical Explorers online audio Standards: GA: ESGMK-2.PR.3; ESGMK-2.RE.1; ESGMK-2.RE.2; ESGMK-2.RE.3;…
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Unit 2 – Country with Anders
Tradition and Artist Overview Country music was categorized in the southern United States in the 1920s. It has roots in blues and the folk music of southern Appalachia. The advent of commercial radio in the 1920s meant that the music people played, sang, and wrote for their own entertainment could be broadcast to a larger…
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Unit 1 – Lesson 2: Learning “Freight Train”
Aim: How can we learn about the folk singer Elizabeth Cotten through the song “Freight Train”? Summary: Students explore melody and banjo through the folk song “Freight Train.” Materials: Musical Explorers online audio Standards: GA: ESGMK-2.PR.1 , ESGMK-2.RE.1,ESGMK-2.RE.2, ESGMK-2.CN.1, ESGMK-2.CN.2, ESGMK-2.RE.3 SC: GM.PR.NL-AH.3, GM.RE.NL-AH.6, GM.RE.NL-AH.7, GM.CN.NL-AH.8, GM.CN.NL-AH.9 Vocabulary: banjo, clawhammer technique, melody Learn the Melody…
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Unit 1 – Lesson 1: Learning “John Henry”
Aim: How can we understand how music tells a story while learning to sing the folk song “John Henry?” Summary: Students learn and sing “John Henry” while understanding how music can be used totell a story. Materials: Musical Explorers online audio Standards: GA: MK-2GM.1, MK-2GM.6, MK-2GM.7, MK-2GM.9, MK-2GM.10 SC: GM.PR.NL-AH.3, GM.RE.NL-AH.6, GM.RE.NL-AH.7, GM.CN.NL-AH.8, GM.CN.NL-AH.9 Vocabulary:…
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Unit 1 – American Folk with Kaia
Tradition and Artist Overview American folk music spans our country’s geography and draws on traditions that pre-date the nation’s founding. Broadly defined, folk music is the music of regular, everyday people, and is an integral part of daily life. Folk music functions as an accompaniment to specific activities associated with work, social gatherings, and religious…
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Vocal and Body Warm-Ups
Teachers are encouraged to start each lesson with warm-ups in order to establish a routine that fosters healthy vocal technique, kinesthetic learning, and active listening. Each of the following warm-ups can stand alone or be combined at the discretion of the teacher to best meet the needs of each classroom. Finding Your Breath Smooth and…
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Core Activities
These activities are designed to complement the core curriculum of Musical Explorers, further supporting students’ musical curiosity and development as they become true musical explorers. Sing the “Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers Song” The “Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers Song” is the theme song of the program and is performed at the beginning and end of each…
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Meet the Artists
Kaia Kater, American Folk Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater’s jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian. Her new album, Strange Medicine (May 2024), celebrates the power of women and oppressed people, while also sharing meditations on her own life. Kaia is equally recognized for her film work,…
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Introduction to Musical Explorers
Musical Explorers are students and teachers who will How to Use the Teacher and Student Guides This Teacher Guide (TG) contains six units, each devoted to one of our Musical Explorers traditions. Every unit contains two lessons, each focusing on a song; the lessons guide you through the process of learning the songs, as well…