Music – Geography and Cultures

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Course Description: The focus this year is on learning about instrument families and individual instruments. Students will learn about how each instrument makes music and will listen to music featuring each instrument. Students will also learn about composition, instrumentation, pitch, and dynamics in music. Finally, students will learn about types of instruments used around the world.

Week 1

Level 1-4/5-8

Welcome to your first day of school! I wanted to give you one important reminder before you begin. Many of your lessons below have an internet link for you to click on. When you go to the different internet pages for your lessons, please DO NOT click on anything else on that page except what the directions tell you to. DO NOT click on any advertisements or games. DO NOT click on anything that takes you to a different website. Just stay focused on your lesson and then close that window and you should be right back here for the next lesson. Okay?

  1. If you didn’t get here through My EP Assignments, I suggest you go there and create an account.
    • This is a once-a-week course. It will appear on your My EP lesson page on days ending in 1 and 6.
  2. Today you are going to learn about the violin. Click on the strings. Click on the violin. Read and listen.
  3. This is the end of your work for this course for today. You are allowed to move at your own pace (this is homeschooling), but it’s intended you complete one lesson each week.

Week 2

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about the viola. Click on the strings. Click on the viola. Read and listen.

Week 3

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about the cello. Click on the strings. Click on the cello. Read and listen.

Week 4

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about the double bass. Click on the strings. Click on the double bass. Read and listen.

Week 5

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about the harp. Click on the strings. Click on the harp. Read and listen.

Week 6

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about woodwinds. Read about the flute. Don’t forget to listen.

Week 7

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about woodwinds. Learn about the oboe.

Week 8

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about woodwinds. Learn about the clarinet.

Week 9

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Play the mbira. Click the play button.
  2. Watch the animation and follow the directions to play. You will hover over the very end of the keys.

Week 10

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about woodwinds.
  2. Listen and watch this video. It will introduce some new instruments. Are there some you have never heard of?

Week 11

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about brass. Learn about the french horn.

Week 12

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about brass. Learn about the trumpet.

Week 13

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about brass. Learn about the trombone.

Week 14

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about brass. Learn about the tuba.

Week 15

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Listen to the brass instruments.
  2. Can you close your eyes and figure out which instrument is which?

Week 16

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about percussion. Learn about the snare drum.

Week 17

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about percussion. Learn about the cymbals.

Week 18

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about percussion. Learn about the bass drum.

Week 19

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Today you are going to learn about percussion. Learn about the piano.

Week 20

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Listen to the percussion instruments.

Week 21

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Listen to this percussion ensemble.

Week 22

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Watch this presentation of different instruments in an orchestra. Pay attention to their names.

Week 23

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Listen to a piece of music from 1986, Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
  2. Now here is one from 100 years earlier. (You don’t have to listen to the whole thing; maybe you can listen while you work on something else. Click the corner of the video to make it full screen.)
  3. And here is another from 100 years earlier than that. (Click the corner of the video to make it full screen.)
  4. What differences can you describe between them?

Week 24

  1. Listen to part one of the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Listen/watch for instruments you recognize.

Week 25

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Listen to part two of the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Listen/watch for instruments you recognize.

Week 26

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Explore the orchestra. Click on each instrument section.

Week 27

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Choose several pieces of music to listen to.

Week 28

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Play an instrument. Choose an instrument and play. Create music.
  2. What family is the instrument in? How does it make sound?

Week 29

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Conduct the orchestra. Watch the example and conduct along with him. What’s he doing?
    • He’s keeping the time, the beat, and showing them the intensity at which to play.
  2. Conduct the music!

Week 30

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Listen to some traditional South American music.

Week 31

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Create music.
  2. Drag the symbols onto the people.
  3. You’ll get several weeks to make music.

Week 32

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Compose music. Click on blocks to build blocks and sounds.
  2. There are different colors on the left which are different sounds.

Week 33

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Create music.
  2. Drag the symbols onto the people.

Week 34

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Click on the map picture. Explore the world a little.
  2. You’ll do this again next week.

Week 35

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Click on the map picture. Explore the world a little.
  2. You’ll do this again next week.

Week 36

Level 1-4/5-8

  1. Click on the map picture. Explore the rest of the world.

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