Beriozka

You have probably all heard the Russian folk tune called "Beriozka," or more commonly, "Little Birch Tree."

It is a really beautiful little folk song!  I love that it is in minor, and that it is very rhythmically and melodically accessible to my kids.

I'm using this song this year to present "tom ti" to my 5th graders (dotted quarter, eighth).  It happens only in 2 places (both loo-li-loos) with otherwise very simple rhythm, so it is in a great place to point it out.

Basically, this is the sequence of how I work my transitions from rhythm icons to actual notation:

We discuss things at every step, while the students are discovering where the beat falls and why we need to have the tie (the note is held out for 1 1/2 counts).  Finally, I introduce the finished rhythmic notation:

This song is also absolutely wonderful for reviewing l,t,drm.  I don't use it to present low ti, because I like presenting that in a way that goes ti to do, but this is a great review.  I also have melodic practice slides that I love using:

You can find my whole Teachers Pay Teachers file here.

Did you know that Tchaikovsky used this little melody in his 4th symphony?  It is in the 4th movement.  After I have taught my kids the song, they love listening for how many times the melody occurred in the movement, and how Tchaikovsky changes it a few times, with different dynamics, different embellishments, different instruments, etc.  So much to discuss!  You can find a great recording on YouTube.  Note - the movement is almost 9 minutes long, so you really probably want to make this a guided listening example.

I just finished my 5th grade program, and they sang this song.  I found a great unison choral arrangement by Mary Goetze.  It has a beautiful flute or recorder ostinato.  This would be a great piece for an elementary chorus.

Here's an example of Fort Wayne Children's Choir singing this piece:

Composerbook

Like many of you, I do a "Composer of the Month" type thing.  I used to HATE teaching about composers - because the students didn't seem like they really cared.  But, this year, I've tried something new and am mad at myself that I didn't do it before.  I have a bulletin board in the back of my room that has become my "Composerbook" board:

It's basically like a "Facebook" profile for a composer.  I put up pictures, general information, famous compositions, etc.  I left a place in the middle that says "Write on my wall."  The picture above is one I took before the kids started writing on the wall.  I really wish I'd taken a picture of that before I changed it - because the kids went crazy!  My school has a writing focus this year, where they are encouraging all of us to do more writing in the classroom.  This was one way I got to do it - the kids could ask a question about anything.  And when I say anything, I meant it.  The questions ranged from "How did you die?" and "What was your most famous song?" to "How much did wigs cost?" and "Did you like to wear lace?"  Post-its were all over the place!

I am also teaching musical concepts so much more - based on the composer the students are studying.  I will have more blog posts soon about specifics, but I introduced 16th notes, opera, and rondo form while teaching Mozart.  I taught letter names on the staff while teaching Beethoven (the students had to be able to play "Ode to Joy.")  I taught ti-tika (or ti-tiri) and tika-ti (or tiri-ti) while teaching about Bach (Badinerie).  I am currently teaching about Scott Joplin, but introducing syncopation to my 4th graders before we delve into our jazz unit.  The kids are truly connecting with the composers and becoming excited about them in a way I've never seen before.  It's truly great!

"Classical" Music for Halloween

I teach in a school where we need to be careful about celebrating certain holidays, especially Halloween.  In my first few years of teaching, I never encountered a problem teaching the good songs like "Skin and Bones" or "Witch, Witch," but I am now teaching in my second school where I need to be very careful of what I teach in October. 

Having said that, I am a firm believer in giving kids exposure to music of all kinds, but especially orchestral music (what non-musical people call "Classical").  There are so many great "classical" pieces out there that I can use in October that aren't all about Halloween!  I can teach so many musical skills and concepts through these pieces - minor modalities, rhythmic patterns, symphonic poems, incidental music, composer profiles, you name it! 

Here are a list of my favorite "Classical" songs that I use in October, but really can be done any time of year:

1. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg.  There is so much material out there for this piece - lesson plans, listening guides, etc.  This is a fantastic piece for teaching ta and ti-ti (quarter note, paired eighth notes) and tempo!

Some helpful links here:  http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_printit_free_printable_worksheets/mountain-king-listening-map.htm (printable listening map)

And here: 
http://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers/lessonplans/pdfs/grieg/Grieg%20Lesson%20Plans%20K-2.pdf (lesson plan and materials for grades K-2)
http://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers/lessonplans/pdfs/grieg/Grieg%20Lesson%20Plans%203-5.pdf (lesson plan and materials for grades 3-5)

2. "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Seans.  This is really kind of a creepy song, so I really only use it for upper grades. 

Youtube link to creepy 1980s cartoon:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CHqhsMP80E

Here are the slides to a PowerPoint presentation you can use (I don't know who made this to give them credit, but it is very well done.  Good job, whoever!)

 

3. "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by J.S. Bach.  This is actually required listening for my 3rd graders, and it's the perfect time of year for it!

 

The kids really enjoy this piece, but I usually only play the first little bit of it.  In the following recording, I usually play until about 2:40.  Supposedly it is the "best version ever" of it :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho9rZjlsyYY

This one has the famous "bar graph" score:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o

And there's always Disney's version - but played by an orchestra insead of an organ:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj06pRMO9hM

 

4. "Night on Bald Mountain" by Modest Mussorgsky.  I remember watching the "Fantasia" version of this growing up, and it gave me nightmares, so be careful with this one.  Great for teaching minor though :)  Side note - I was watching "Wizard of Oz" with my daughter the other day, and noticed they used this piece in the background of the Wicked Witch's castle scene.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMmfaaiWMEs

 

5. "Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas.  This is a fun one that I leave in substitute plans sometimes - the kids just really love watching it, especially the Disney version:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHTnJNGvQcA

 

6.  Finally, and this one really isn't Halloweeny, but I love it and it is a bit creepy sounding, "Prelude in C# Minor" by Sergei Rachmoninoff.  This is a piece I am practicing right now and just love the way it sounds:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOx710drHnw