Pete Seeger was an American folk singer and activist. He was born in 1919 in New York City and died in 2014 in New York City. He was born into a musically gifted family and sang in bands and solo gigs throughout his life. He was a strong and active supporter of environmental causes.
Pete Seeger adapted a South African folktale into the story-song Abiyoyo. The original folktale involves an
ancient monster who eats people. The village parents get the monster dancing, it falls down in a fit and then it
is dispatched by the parents. Seeger’s story-song was based entirely on a footnote that he read about that tale. Like every fairy tale, this story has a villain and hero. (Parents: I've previewed the video and I don't think the video has any scary images for the students to see or hear. If your child is especially sensitive and has an active imagination, please preview before letting your child view.)
After watching the video, please answer the questions below and post in Seesaw.
1. What is the name of the singer who is telling the story? 2. What is the name of the giant in the story? 3. What kind of stringed instrument is the singer playing? The story talks about a ukulele but the singer is actually holding a playing a different stringed instrument at the beginning and end of the video. 4. Post your answers on Seesaw.
Eric Carle wrote the book I See a Song....but he didn't add words. So, someone decided to put music to it instead. As you watch the video, listen to the different pieces of music that are played. The songs are featured in this order: Peer Gynt, Op. 23 Morning by Ibsen Wagner, The Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner
Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major by Mozart
Unknown harp music
Cantata No. 140 Sleepers Awake by Bach
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor by Beethoven
Tambourin by Leclair (performer Emilie Autumn
Unknown music Heartstrings from Songs from a Secret Garden
Yanni, Santorini Your assignment: 1. Choose one song from the above list and search for it on Spotify or watch a video below. 2. Listen to the entire piece. 3. Tell me the title of the piece you chose. 4. Tell me three things you noticed about the piece. For example, was it fast or slow; loud or soft; what was the mood of the piece or how did it try to make you feel; what instruments were used; if this piece was in a movie, what would be happening in this particular scene; why did you choose this piece; or tell me something else you noticed about the piece. 5. Post your answers in Seesaw. 6. Once complete scroll down to the bottom of this post and watch the final video. Peer Gynt, Op. 23 Morning by Ibsen
Wagner, The Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner
Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major by Mozart
Cantata No. 140 Sleepers Awake by Bach
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor by Beethoven
Tambourin by Leclair
Heartstrings from Songs from a Secret Garden
Yanni, Santorini
If you made it to the bottom of the post, you can click on the video to watch an animated version of this book. But don't forget to do the assignment listed above first! I am looking forward to hearing from you.
There is a great site on YouTube that has Percussion Play Along videos. I have posted three of them here that coincide with your grade level but you are welcome to try out as many as you like. When you are done watching the video and playing along, send me a photo of the percussion instrument you used to play along with the video. These percussion instruments can be home made or real ones. You will need to find something in your house that you can play like a percussion instrument. It will have to be something you can hit, shake or scrape. For example, you might use a pot with a wooden spoon, fill a small container with rice or beans (don't forget to tape it shut), tin can and cutlery, ice cream pail and chopsticks, etc. If you spend a lot of time making your percussion instrument, don't throw it away because you will have to use it again for another activity.
Kindergarten
Make sure you only play your instrument when the bee touches down on the flowers. Can you make it through the song without making a mistake? Good luck.
Sylvia Pizzicato Information
This song was originally composed by Leo Delibes. He was a French composer that was born in 1836 and died in 1891. That's a long time ago!! He studied music growing up and had a beautiful singing voice and could play the organ. He wrote music for the opera and ballet.
Click on the video to hear the original music and see what this composer looked like. Check out his beard. I wonder what happened to it?!?!?
Grade 1 and 2
This will be a familiar song for the grade 1 and 2 students. Do you remember when we used this song to follow the patterns in the music with the parachute? That was so much fun! I hope you enjoy playing your instrument with this song. The original of the song is can be found underneath the play along video. To play the percussion version you can:
Option 1: Play your instrument as the frog hops on each coloured shape. You will need to shake, scrape or hit your instrument.
Option 2: Choose one coloured shape to follow. Only play your instrument when that colour appears. You will play much less so you will have to be ready for when your coloured shape gets "hopped" on.
Option 3: Find up to four of your family members to play this version. Each person chooses a different instrument and coloured shape to follow. Only play your instrument on your colour. Everyone shakes, scrapes or hits their instrument on the purple shape with the "x".
Did you notice the ta's and ti-ti's behind the shapes?
Can-Can Information
Jacques Offenbach was born in Germany in 1819 and died in Paris in 1880. He learned to play the cello as a young child. When he was 14 years old, he was sent to a music school in Paris to become even better at playing the cello and learn how to compose music. As an adult, he performed on the cello all over Europe and began to conduct and compose music for the orchestra and operas. (An opera is a play that is set to music for singers and the orchestra. There are no speaking parts.)
Click on the video to hear the music again and see what this composer looked like.
Grade 3, 4 and 5
The original of the song is called Jazz Pizzicato by Leroy Anderson (See more information below). To play the percussion version you can:
Option 1: Play your instrument by shaking, scraping or hitting it as the chicken jumps on each egg. Shake, scrape or quickly hit your instrument when you get to the coloured grass at the end of the line.
Option 2: Choose a patterned egg to follow. Only play your instrument when that patterned egg appears. You will play much less so you will have to be ready for when your egg gets "jumped" on. Shake, scrape or quickly hit your instrument when you get to the coloured grass at the end of the line.
Option 3: Find up to four members of your family to play this version. Each person chooses a different instrument and patterned egg to follow. Only play your instrument on your patterned egg. Everyone shakes, scrapes or quickly hits their instrument during the coloured grass at the end of the line.
Leroy Anderson Information
Leroy Anderson was born in the United States in 1908 and died in 1975. He was a very talented man. Growing up, he studied the piano and organ. While at Harvard University, he worked towards his PhD in languages and was fluent in nine languages. He conducted, arranged and composed music for dance bands and orchestras. He joined the United States Army and eventually became a chief for a Military Intelligence area. He composed and conducted his own music until near the end of his life.
He has received many awards for the music he composed, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His pieces and recordings were commercial successes. Some sold millions of copies and reached the No. 1 music charts on the radio.
Jazz Pizzicato was originally created for only the string family instruments of the orchestra. Later he orchestrated it for the full orchestra (string, woodwind, brass and percussion instrument families). Leroy Anderson conducted the first performance in 1938. This was the first piece of his that was published so other orchestras could learn to play it.
It is fun to sing cumulative songs. These are songs where you keep adding elements/words every time you repeat the song. The grade one and two students have learned two cumulative songs in Music this last month.
Rattlin' Bog
Green Grass Grew All Around
Try singing this new cumulative song I Bought Me a Cat. Here are the lyrics and the video. See if you can follow the words written underneath the video after you click PLAY. The highlighted words are the ones you will have to change for each verse. Good luck!
I bought me a Cat,
TheCat pleased me.
I fed my Cat under yonder tree.
The Cat went "Fiddle eye fee, fiddle eye fee."
Hen Chipsy chopsy
Duck Splishy Splashy
Goose Honk honk
Sheep Baa baa
Cow Moo moo
Horse Nay nay
There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea is another fun one. Try it!
Some other cumulative songs you might want to search for on YouTube are: There Was an Old Lady, An Austrian Went Yodeling and Open the Drawbridge.
Hello Grade 3, 4 and 5 students, Please watch the following videos on how to use first and second endings when you are reading music. These videos will prepare you for the song Jolly Old St. Nicholas. Please look at your music booklet if you need to see a clearer version of the song.
Video #1
Video #2
Return to Seesaw and send me a message that you watched this video. If you have any questions about how First and Second Endings work, please feel free to ask and I will make sure I reply back.
At the bottom of your Music information letter (that went home with your At Home Learning Packages from school), there were images of Recorder Mutes. There are six that you can cut out. If your space is tight at home and it is difficult to find a space to play because the recorder is distracting to others, please consider using the Recorder Mute for some of the practice time. Please see photo on how this should look on your recorder. 1. Cut out mute on solid line. 2. Insert the slip of paper into the mouthpiece hole up until the dotted line. 3. Tape the mute in place or use an elastic band. Keep in mind that if you use an elastic band, you will be able to reuse the mute. 4. Happy playing. Remember, it will not sound great to you but it will be good enough so that you can keep practicing your notes and fingering.
