The Yellow Board

composers

Posted by bassrocks on 2/11/2021, 8:40 am

Good morning! So my administrator for TTESS would like for me to start teaching the kids about composers. It's a good idea, I just like to spend every minute I can playing the instrument. Does anyone have a fun way of introducing composers? If I just do a lecture and a few slides, I know the kids will tune out and log off. This is for middle school. Thank you!

Re: composers

Posted by kLAACTU on 2/13/2021, 11:34 am, in reply to "composers"

Do it like they did in "Bill and Ted's excellent Adventure." Assign a small group of students to come up with a skit about a composer. There are also some excellent little movies that are well made, interesting, mostly factual (but not boring) and similar to the movie "Beethoven Lives Upstairs."

Re: composers

Posted by MS on 2/12/2021, 12:54 pm, in reply to "composers"

Approach it from a Period perspective. Teach a composer from different music periods and then play recordings from those composers and have them guess which composer that falls under. Also an opportunity to teach a little history. All in bits and pieces. I'm sure your principal would appreciate the some history and geography thrown in.

These lessons may seem to take away from "the instrument" but we are more than instrument teachers and most of these kids won't go on to play after high school. But these lessons sometimes stick with them and make them lifelong music supporters.

Re: composers

Posted by One of my go tos on 2/11/2021, 2:40 pm, in reply to "composers"

#69 Morning in essential elements

Here’s the suite, here’s movement 4 which you probably know.
Here’s Grieg.

Also one of my go to for applying dynamics to a line

Re: composers

Posted by Sandlapper on 2/11/2021, 11:44 am, in reply to "composers"

Start by teaching about the composers of the music that you're playing. This doesn't have to be particularly comprehensive or time consuming.

Your 6th grade method book probably already has a bunch of this information. If not, consider using one that already has it.

Re: composers

Posted by old guy on 2/18/2021, 8:23 am, in reply to "Re: composers"

Teaching composers within the context of what your kids are playing is ideal and saves time. It looks good on your lesson plans too, which is about the only thing some administrators care about!

Re: composers

Posted by percone on 2/11/2021, 11:05 am, in reply to "composers"

Accent on Achievement has a project book that has short info on composers with questions. You could do it as a class starter

Re: composers

Posted by Dennis Eveland on 2/11/2021, 11:01 am, in reply to "composers"

Good morning.

Last year, I contacted a few composer friends and they did a short presentation on their career as a composer. One in particular, was Carol Brittin Chambers. They knew her since we performed one of her works at UIL.

I even asked a former student, who now composes for movies, video games, and more, to talk to my students. He is in California and they really thought that was cool. The composers would record their messages and send the mp4 to me. Then, I would show through Google Meet.

You might be able to do a "live" meet with a composer, depending on their schedule.

I only did it once a week. The kids actually seemed interested.

Good luck!

Dennis

Re: composers

Posted by bassrocks on 2/20/2021, 11:45 am, in reply to "Re: composers"

Thank for all for the great suggestions!!

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