Vivaldi's Summer

Wouldn't you love to feel like the kids in that picture? They're running around with not a care in the world, longing for their next ice cream fix. 

Come to think of it, that describes music teachers pretty well, minus the "not a care in the world" part. I'm sure you have plenty of cares, like the kind that involve lesson planning and teaching all the concepts that need to be taught in a given year. Yep, you've definitely got a lot to care about!

Thankfully, I'm here today with some lesson ideas that will keep your kids moving and learning to Vivaldi's Summer.

Below is a fantastic video featuring Joshua Bell performing The Four Seasons "Summer" Presto. One commenter of the video said, "This is the most metal classical piece I've ever heard. Rock on, Vivaldi." 

Indeed.

If this performance can get a stranger from the internet excited about art music, then it's sure to be a hit with your students too. Plus, it's a great segue into talking about Joshua Bell. You could also take this moment to discuss Vivaldi and his life as a composer. 

MOVEMENT

This one is simple. Ask your students to move to the music. If you have scarves or ribbons, use them! The idea here is not to move to the beat (as per usual), but instead to show the expressiveness of the music. For example, students might move up and down to show dynamics. They might freeze during the rests or stomp to show accents. Download the free resource below for a list of free form movements that the students can try.

VOCABULARY

Vivaldi's Summer is awesome for presenting music vocabulary. The students will be prepared to discuss the expressive qualities of the music after they've had a chance to move to the music. Below is a short list of vocabulary you can discuss with this piece:

• accents
• short/long
• timbre
• strings
• violin
• rest
• dynamics
• loud/soft

QUICK SUB PLAN 

If you're in need of an easy lesson plan for subs, consider using my free SQUILT sheets where students can write or draw what they heard in the music.

Attention all current and future newsletter subscribers, I'll be sending out a special freebie this Friday. You won't want to miss it! If you aren't a subscriber yet, you can visit this page to sign up.

Turn the Glasses Over

I'm sorry, but I'm about to share a song that will likely be stuck in your head for the next few days. I speak from experience...

CIRCLE GAME

Despite it's status as an earworm, this song has a fantastic circle game that will keep your students moving and twirling. Watch the video below to see how it's played.

FORM

The circle game for this song is the perfect setup to discuss form. With my youngest students, I talked about form as having "same and different parts". And I used a lot of movement to keep them active and engaged in the concept. Often, I would ask students to create their own movements to accompany the same and different parts in the music. This gave them some autonomy and helped them to differentiate each part in the song.

As students get older, you can introduce objects into the mix to keep it interesting. For example, you could use paper plates, ribbons, flash lights, or scarves to create movements based on the form. Or create a routine with a parachute that reflects the form of the piece. The video below is a great way to get older elementary students (or other teachers) involved.

BONUS LINKS

There are so many things you can do with this song, that I felt compelled to include links to several other fantastic resources:

March from the Nutcracker Ballet: a paper plate routine

Flash Light Painting with the March from the Nutcracker Ballet

"The Syncopated Clock" from Parachutes and Ribbons and Scarves, Oh My! - Artie Almeida

Cup Passing Game set to Turn the Glasses Over

Basics of Form: interactive slideshow for teaching form

Engine, Engine, Number Nine

There isn't a day that goes by in my town without the sound of a train. For many students, train sounds are a familiar part of life. And what better way to feel the beat, than to imitate the sounds of a moving train through a speech piece?

Engine, Engine, Number Nine is a speech piece with multiple variations. You can find a few of those variations here and here. Some teachers set it to a so/mi melody, while others use it as a speech piece to focus on barred eighth and quarter notes. There are several concepts you can teach through this piece. However you choose to use it, it's a great addition to any elementary music repertoire.

TIMBRE

Ask students about the sounds that trains make. If you're introducing this song in first grade, cross the curriculum by referencing the word onomatopoeia. Then, pull out a few different rhythm instruments, showing them how they can make the sound of a train using the instruments.

You could use hand drums, sandblocks, kokirikos (clatterpillars), egg shakers, maracas, and/or cabasas. The possibilities are endless. 

Rob Amchin has a great example in the video below. By rubbing the hand drums, students are creating the sound of the train wheels, while practicing steady beat. If you aren't subscribed to Rob's Youtube Channel, I would highly recommend it. He shares amazing lesson ideas and walks you through the process of how to teach them.

INSTRUMENT PROCEDURES

I always loved adding rhythm instruments to lessons on steady beat. It gave me a great opportunity to review the playing technique as well go over the dos and don'ts of each instrument. 

It's never too late in your student's life to remind them that rhythm sticks don't belong in their mouth.

The more entertaining you are when explaining the dos and don'ts, the more likely they are to stick. My students almost always remembered what not to do with the instruments because I would dramatically act out exactly what I didn't want them to do.

For example, you could hold an egg shaker in your armpit and then let it fall dramatically to the floor. Then, ask your students if that was the correct thing to do. They will loudly exclaim "NO!!" while laughing hysterically. An added bonus is that you will be forever remembered as the "funny teacher". And that's a title to hold proudly!

STEADY BEAT

Once your students have their instruments in hand, you can begin working on steady beat. Ask them to get in a circle and speak the piece as they walk and play to the steady beat. Make sure to exchange instruments occasionally so that all students get a chance to play.

Play "follow the conductor". Choose one student to be the "conductor" of the train and have them stand in front of the line of students. If you have a large class, you could break them into groups and have several "trains" and "conductors". 

Start the students out with a tempo that was faster or slower than before. It will be the conductor's job to keep that pace as the students follow. After going through the piece a few times, ask students whether it was faster or slower than before. Continue doing this until students are consistently answering correctly. 

Keep students engaged by occasionally throwing in a wildly fast or incredibly slow tempo. It will be both challenging and entertaining for them.

FREE RESOURCE

I'm already working on providing awesome content for this month's newsletter. One of which will tie directly into this lesson idea. It will be a free resource that you will be able to use year after year, and is perfect for a review of steady beat. If you're not already a subscriber, go HERE to sign up!

June Small Goals

It's a bright and shiny new month, which means it's time for me to set some more small goals. As per usual, I'll be focusing on physical and emotional health, with neither being more important than the other.

Last month, my small and mighty goal was to Be Kind. It's amazing how much two little words can challenge us. I found the most difficult aspect was being kind to myself. It's so easy to beat ourselves up over everything, including those things beyond our control. However, after I practiced taking it easy on myself, I found it a lot easier to be kind to others. Just like playing an instrument well, being kind takes practice. It doesn't always come naturally (at least not for me).

I know, I know. None of this is breakthrough material. But sometimes, we have to experience things for ourselves to make it really sink in. Or in my case, get it through my thick skull...

Okay, enough of that. On to my small goals for this month!

HYDRATION, LESS SALT, KEEP MOVING.

As many of you know, I've had middle and inner ear issues since my trip to London last summer. After many months of frustration and visits to an ENT, I've finally discovered magical trifecta of ear health. The more water I drink, the less my inner ear and eustachian tubes rebel against me. As music teachers, I know you all understand the issue of hydration extremely well! And when it comes to salt, my tongue likes it, but my ears don't. And they battle it out often, especially when brain is deciding whether or not to hit the Taco Bell drive through...

If (and when) I do slip up and eat salty fast-food, I can usually avoid ear issues with some serious hydration and walking. Considering how much I enjoy walking outside, I think this goal will be an easy one to accomplish.

TAKE TIME TO THINK

My husband and I are both away from home right now taking care of a family member. I'm grateful to be able to take my work on the road, and my husband is able to do the same. Yesterday, I asked my him about his plans for the day. He said, "I have a lot of thinking work to do."

This is not the first time he's said something like this concerning his job, but it's the first time that I applied it to myself. I don't feel productive unless I'm actively typing, tapping the touch pad, or editing audio.

When in reality, all of my productivity is a direct result of my "thinking work".

This week, I'm working on a project for my Basics Series. It takes a lot of thinking work upfront. And if someone sees me staring into space and asks what I'm up to, I'll give them the truth. I'm working.


Enough about me. What physical and emotional health goals do you plan to achieve during the month of June? Is your goal to relax and de-stress? Or do you plan on amping up your exercise routine? Let me know in the comments section!