YELLOW BRICK ROAD MUSIC

Students need something to pique their interest more than ever in those final days leading up to winter break. For some classrooms, that might mean playing a physically active game such as Rhythm Chairs or Music Freeze. Or perhaps you’ll take a vote and let the students decide on their favorite music game. Either way, if you’re looking for a quick activity to finish up the class period, these brief but engaging videos are the way to go!

ODE TO JOY TO THE WORLD

Mashups are a fun way to introduce bits of art music to your otherwise popular-music-obsessed students (not that there’s anything wrong with that). The following mashup by the Piano Guys is one of many, and features handbells, a choir, and a piccolo trumpet.

 

DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY BY PENTATONIX

At this point, your students are probably obsessed with a different Pentatonix hit, White Winter Hymnal. It seems to have been a popular choice for high school choirs this year. The melody is catchy (it’s been in my head for the past several days). And the body percussion element really captures student interest. You can watch that video HERE. You can watch a tutorial for how they do the body percussion HERE.

Despite the White Winter Hymnal craze, I thought I would highlight a Pentatonix throwback in today’s list; Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The backdrop is simple, making the video editing and voices stand out. If your students have heard the traditional version of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, you could have them compare and contrast the two.

 

STAR WARS

Star Wars can’t be bound by calendars, it’s perfect for all seasons! No spoilers here, as this video was from two years ago. However, as someone who’s seen The Last Jedi, I’d highly recommend you watch it.

Anyway, I’ve always loved how The Tonight Show infuses music into their program, including the bits where they create accompaniments with “kid instruments”. This particular video plays on the Brady Bunch set-up and features the vocal stylings of many of the favorite Star Wars characters.

 

SLEIGH RIDE CUP ROUTINE

My friend Elizabeth from Organized Chaos has a fantastic cup routine for Sleigh Ride. It’s fairly easy to do and will definitely keep your kids engaged in those last few days before break!

 

TREPAK PERCUSSION

I shared this video on my Facebook page when it first came out. I’m a longtime fan of the Musication Channel, and this video has all the elements needed to keep your students moving and playing with Trepak.

I hope these videos are helpful as you round out your final days before winter break. What are some of your favorite videos to show your classes before break?

2 Responses

  1. My kids always love the PTX one and I showed the Jimmy Fallon one last year and it was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing my cup game as well. It's a nice way to keep kids engaged and having fun in a more relaxed way while still incorporating some important music learning! 🙂 Happy holidays!