omusic

As teachers, we have the honor and privilege of introducing "the world" to children, giving them exposure to all the great things it has to offer. Music is one of those great things.

MINI-MUSIC APPRECIATION: Classical

From Stormie:

Don't know much about Classical Music? Just in case you think you don't like classical music, or that you haven't really listened to it, you may be wrong. I used to think that. But then I discovered that many of the tunes I love from movies I've seen are classical pieces. For example, the beautiful music from the (now older) movie "Somewhere In Time" is Rachmaninov's "Paganini Rhapsody." And by the way, did you know that in the movie "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," you hear Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.8 "Pathétique"? So, if you have the attitude I once had, you might want to go to the website below and check out the lists of movies. I'll bet you'll find one of your favorites there and might even conclude that Classical Music is pretty neat after all. The website is called "Classical Is Cool" and it's a great place to get familiar with classical music:
http://www.classicaliscool.com/filmnote.htm
(If you go to the above website now, when you're finished, keep hitting your "BACK" button until you return to this page. However, you should bookmark this page first just in case you get bumped off the Internet.)

Buying It: You can get classical CDs for your classroom at almost any music store. Often, they're piled in the "cheap" bins out front near the store counters which saddens me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they aren't expensive, but I feel that when they are all thrown in a bin like that, it makes a big fat statement about how many people feel concerning classical music. And of course, if you buy one, you're probably perceived as weird, nerdy, or snobbish. Why can't we change that perception by introducing this wonderful form of music to young children in a positive way?

Introducing It: Let's say it's Monday morning at school and we're going to play classical music for the first time during Free Choice Play. There are several ways we could introduce it, but one way might be to talk about how just as there are people who write words in books for us to read (show words in a book), there are also people who write music for us to hear (show a piece of sheet music). Depending on the level of our group and their attention span, we could further explain that these people are called "composers." We could then say (excitedly and with a smile), "Today we are going to listen to music that a man named Beethoven wrote, and it is called 'Pathétique.'" (Have children repeat the name Beethoven and Pathétique with you.. Sure, many classical titles are big words, but remember, children love saying big words.)

Gross Motor: For the theme of "Halloween," listen to a classical CD in advance and then choose a tune that, to you, sounds a little spooky and play it while having children do a "spooky walk" or "giant spider walk." Personally, I think the one from the original "The Shining" movie is a good one: Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Suggested Children's CDs:
*Moving With Mozart (also comes in cassette)
*Elmo and The Orchestra, Sesame Street

So, how else could you incorporate classical music into your October days?
*Have children move creatively to the sounds of classical music.
*Have children paint creatively to the sounds of classical music.
*Play classical music during Free Choice Playtime.
*Play soft low-volume classical music during naptime.
*Play soft low-volume classical music during snacktime.

Other Musical Notes:
*How about introducing children to the very unique sound of bagpipes for the letter Bb? Or how about a banjo or bells?
*How about cymbals for the letter Cc?
*How about drums for the letter Dd?
*How about introducing the children to "Brass" instruments (trumpet, trombone, tuba, to name three).
*How about forming and playing in a "band" for the letter Bb?

*Here is a great idea from Becky, in the Beautiful Boothbay Region of Maine: How about using Celtic music in the classroom for the Letter C. One CD option is that of "Celtic Women."

Please share your thoughts and ideas too. E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com
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Reminder from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here to check them out.