Welcome Back to Tuscany Music!

 Hello Tuscany Students!  I am excited for music this year - in PERSON!  It will look a little bit different this year and each student will get to make an "Instrument Kit" with items from around your house.  Please watch the following video, so you know what things you can put into your kit.  NOTE: the craft sticks are not needed in the KINDERGARTEN bags. 

When your kit is ready, please bring it to school labelled -- all item, plus ziplock bag - and we will store it here to be ready to use!  If this is not possible, please contact me, Ms. Miller and we can figure it out together.

INSTRUMENT KIT

Saxophone versus the Clarinet

National Music Center Presents:

Saxophone vs Clarinet, which is better?  LINK

National Music Center and the Dulcimer

What is a Dulcimer?

Check out this video link to find out!


National Music Center Making Own Dulcimer.  LINK

Line Rider BEETHOVEN

Beethoven meets Line Rider by Doodle Chaos

What was significant about Beethoven?  he was deaf.  When Beethoven would play piano, he would cut off the legs, sit on the floor and put his head on top of the piano while he played in order to feel the vibrations.

When Beethoven composed the Moonlight Sonata, he could partially hear sounds.  He composed this beautiful piece of music, because it reminded him of the moon setting over Lake Lucerne.  Beethoven also dedicated this music to one of his pupils -- Countess Guilietta Guicciardi.  It seems he really liked her!

Listen to the ingenious Line Rider version of this beautiful composition.  LINK

You can even draw a picture of a moon setting over a lake, or any other picture this makes you think about.  It would be fun to create a dance to this as well.  Would the dance be fast or slow? How could you show loud and quiet dynamics with a dance?

Answers to Brain Benders

Hi Tuscany;

In case you checked out the Brain Benders post and are curious about the answers, here they are!

1. Forward I am heavy, backward I am not.   Answer: TON

Box #7:  answer: uni-cycle
Box #8: answer: horseshoe bay, Bay bridge, half-moon bay
Box #9: answer: end of the month (notice the last letter is underlined)
Box #10: answer: backward glance  (the letters spell the word glance, only they are backwards)


I hope you have tried to create your own Brain Bender.  Dr. Arlene Taylor wrote a whole book with Brain Benders and riddles.  She says that "Brain Benders, a type of brain aerobic exercise are designed to challenge and stimulate the neurons... Brain Benders are considered whole-brained puzzles because you need both cerebral hemispheres to solve them.  Most brains use the left hemisphere to figure out the letters and words, while the right hemisphere pays attention to their spatial positioning.  So be careful to note the relative position of the words not only to each other but also to their position in each box." p. vii

So, if you are writing your own puzzle, you need to write your brain bender in a box, as that is important to the meaning of the word. 

4 Instruments to Make At Home

Percussion Instruments to Make at Home

This video demonstrates how to make 4 different non-pitched (meaning it does not make a melody) instruments at home.  Be sure to hit pause at the beginning of each section to gather the materials needed to make each instrument and also hit pause when you are working on each step.  

Think about how the instruments are making sound.  How would you describe how each one makes sound? Do you think if you used beans instead of rice that the sound would be different?  What other filler would work?

LINK to VIDEO

Run Rhythms with STOMP and HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS

Here is another example of some rhythms with just basketballs. STOMP and some HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS got together to create some fun rhythms.  I bet you could do the same!

LINK to MUSIC

STOMP

STOMP with Basketballs and Kitchen

I love the rhythms that the group STOMP comes up and the fact that they are using ordinary materials for their rhythms.  What are all the different sounds you can hear that they use? 

I wonder if you could create a rhythm using a ball of some kind, or something from the kitchen??!  If you do and would like to share it with me, I would love to see it!

Enjoy this STOMP video.

LINK to music

Brain Benders with Dr. Arlene Taylor

Who is Dr. Arlene Taylor?  She is a brain function expert and holds not just 1, but 2 PhD's in brain function.   Music and brain function are also related, so any activities we can do that will strengthen the connection of neurons and right and left side of the brain are important in which to participate.

Brain Benders help to keep our neurons strong and healthy!  According to Dr. Taylor, "neurons get stronger with mental exercise."

What is a Brain Bender?  "A type of brain aerobic exercise designed to challenge and stimulate us neurons ...".

A riddle is a brain bender.  Here is one on page xii of Dr. Taylor's book:


1.  Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not.   What am I?   

Another Brain Bender are words that a put in a certain way and represent a phrase. Check out these brain benders in the picture below to see if you can figure out the answers!

The first one is: uni-cycle

See if you can figure out any of the others!     I will provide the answers tomorrow!

Try and write your own brain bender. The words can go any direction and can even be broken up by other letters.

Ms. Miller wrote one, it may be one someone has already thought of, but this is it:   LAD DER
Did you figure it out?  it is a broken ladder!

All this is used with permission from Dr. Arlene Taylor.  Her brain information can be found at arlenetaylor.org

Find the Button

Can You Find the Button?

Usually this is a song that is sung in a big circle game, passing a button from one person to the next.  This is a different version of that game.  See if you can follow the cup that has the button underneath and get the right answer at the end.

Find the Button LINK

Compose with Art

Composing with Kadinsky

Hello Tuscany students!  Remember that this activity is optional, but if you would like to enjoy drawing and hearing your drawing turn to sound, then give this a try.

Draw circles, squiggles, shapes, dots, etc and watch them turn into sound when you hit play.  Once you have drawn something, you can hit the two-toned circle to change the sound or timbre.

Composing with Art LINK

Pink Panther and Boomwhackers

College Students Playing a Boomwhacker Medley

What is a Medley?  A medley is a bit of a few songs played as one complete song.  Listen to this Boomwhacker Medley.

Notice how well they all stay together and listen to each other and work together.  

Boomwhacker Medley

Make Your Own Panflute !

Make A Panflute

Making your own instruments is so fun and rewarding.  It helps you to learn about the instruments and how they produce sound. 

Materials Needed:

1. Plastic drinking straws

2. Duct tape

3. Scissors

4. Plyers

5. A lighter (?). GET PARENTS TO HELP WITH THIS STEP!!!!

Follow this LINK to make your own panflute.

What is Ragtime?

Ragtime with Scott Joplin

Ragtime is a music that was developed in the United States by composer Scott Joplin.  It was the precursor to Jazz genre.

What to look for on the link:

1. Find #15

2. Listen to the box called: composer

3. Go to box called: Analysis ON to prepare before listening

4. Read the Listening Log

5. Go to Cup Game Challenge  to hear the song.  You may try tapping the ta's and ti-ti's

6. If you wish, you can then watch the demo of the cup game challenge and try it at home

Link to Ragtime

Moving with Sid the Sloth !

Dancing with Sid

Follow Sid the Sloth's moves to learn the "Continental Drift".

When you can do it well, teach it to your siblings and parents. It would be fun to video all of you doing the "Drift"!

Sid has help from some friends all over the world who are dancing the "Drift".  Remember: this is optional, but I think you'll have fun doing some moves after a rainy Sunday!

Click on the uppercase, underlined word HERE under the picture of Sid to access the video.

Click HERE to learn the
"Continental Drift".

Make Your Own Drum Kit - Super Fun! Be A Rock Star!

National Music Center - Make your own drum kit

This is so much fun and creative!  If you don't have any drum kit or drum sticks, be sure to watch this video LINK HERE so you can make your own.

Viennese Musical Clock

Listen and Play Along

The composer of this music is Zoltan Kodaly.   He is a Hungarian composer and is known for creating a method of teaching music that we now know as the Kodaly Method.  You will recognize some of it when using the solfege hand signs when we sing do, re mi, etc. His influence in music teaching methods has influenced the entire world of music teaching.  Kodaly's inspiration to create a new way of teaching was that he wanted to raise the standard of children's singing and music education in general. 

The Kodaly Method uses a child-development approach, sequencing skills using easiest and progressing to more difficult.  For example, the first sequence to teach in melody training is s-m.  It is a natural interval, as when we are calling to each other....Daaaaa-vid.  It is a natural minor third descending.  Think about your voice and listen to it the next time you are calling someone from a distance and you will hear this interval.   A particular sequence is also followed and labelled for rhythms, beginning with quarter notes as a ta.

One of the main features of the Kodaly Method is the moveable do system, which enhances the ability to sight read music in any key!  

The following selection provides activities. Please try:

1. Play Along.  Read and follow the written rhythms.

2. Listening Log.

3. Analysis.

4. Cup Game -- If you would like. 

Remember, all of this is optional!   Enjoy!

Musical Clock Link

Synchronized Marble Magic

This is Amazing!

"Every block was hand placed and moved until it matched the beat.  For those wondering how I made this, the software is called Algodoo.  It's free and allows you to run 2D physics simulations. (ok everyone--what is 2D?) Once I learned how the scripting worked, i was able to add the spawning of other objects on collision and changing colors." by DoodleChaos

The music is: Force by Alan Walker



Listen for:
1. Notice the accented notes when the marble hits the black lines.
2. Keep a steady beat along with the music.  Watch for the line connected to downward facing boxes - are they strong or weak beats?
3. Notice the kick /snare:  those are accented beats.  Create a movement to use every time you hear kick/snare in the music.
4. When the marble hits the black squares, is the beat strong or weak?
5. When the curved lines appear, there are three dots in a row, is the THIRD DOT/NOTE a ta or a two-oo?
6. How does this music make you feel?  use an emoji or words to describe your feelings OR use both.

Synchronized Marble Magic

Listening With a Game

Listening and Game

Hello 1's, 2's, 3's, & 4's!  

(remember that this is optional, but you may enjoy learning this game as a family!)

Follow this link for some listening and a cup game.  It would be best to start with the option of watching the game demo and then go back to the written explanation of the game that also shows the rhythms.  Maybe you and your family could all learn the cup passing game together!  It would be good for a rainy day.   

Use "Entry of the Gladiators" , the first Listening activity that is posted on the page.

1. Start with the listening log.

2. Go to the play along and be ready with your own way to tap the rhythms you see.

3. Watch Cup Game instructions.

4. Watch Kids Demo

5. Try the game with your family.

If you were successful and you wish to let me know, I would love to hear from you!  

Line Rider Rides Again!

Line Rider

Composer: George Bizet

Music: "Les Toreador"

Each line in this piece was drawn by hand!!!  What??? That is a lot of work!  So, each 'trick' takes a long time to plan and execute.  

Listen for:

1. What's going on in the music when there are two or more lines?

2. tr: you will see this in the music and it is referring to a technique called a trill.

3. Do you see Dynamic markings?

4. What the sound is short and sharp, what is going on with the lines and sleds?

5. In the music you will see the marking: cres. What do you hear the music doing then?

LINK TO MUSIC