Read this:
If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving – D&C 136: 28
These guys look pretty merry! What do you think?
Which of the following are you MOST grateful for:
Your Voice?
Your fingers?
Your ears? Or your eyes?
I would have to say I’m most grateful for all of them!! I can’t imagine not having a voice to speak or sing, fingers to do things like play my musical instrument, eyes so I can see the beauty all around me, and ears to hear others and especially to hear music. If I had to pick just one thing out of all those listed, I guess I would have to pick my ears. That is because I love music so much and I can’t imagine a life without it! Music helps me to feel more happy inside and when I am very sad, it’s comforting to me.
What are you most grateful for? Are you happy to be alive?
*Write down 5 things you are grateful for. What brings you joy? Bring this list to class.
We can give thanks and give praise to the Lord for these and everything he gives us. Music is one way to express these feelings of JOY and we are told to do that in the scriptures above. Read the two scriptures above one more time. What do they mean?
Do you play a musical instrument like the harmonica, drums, or piano? If you sing, your voice is a musical instrument too!
Today and during the week choose one or both of the following:
**1) Prepare some music you can share with us in class. It can be anything simple that you could perform for us. You can sing your favorite song or bring your instrument with you to class and play on that. There will also be a piano available if needed.
AND/ OR
If you would rather not perform or don’t have anything to perform, that is okay! Instead…
What is your Favorite Music?
**2) What music do you love to listen to? Can you think of the titles? Some music from a movie maybe, or from church? Write down the titles of 3 or more pieces of music (or songs) that you love to listen to. It can be anything!! Please send me your list of three favorites (Mom can text me your list or links – 801 702 0075). If you are not sure, see if you like any of the music below.
**Next homework assignment: Below, I’ve listed some music that I think is great. Pick out 2 or 3 that look interesting and draw a picture about one of them and bring it to class to show us. For example, you can simply draw a bumblebee for the first one. Or find a picture of a clarinet and draw that for the Clarinet Concerto (you say that “con share toe”). Be creative!
- Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky Korsakov Can you hear the bumblebees racing around?
- The Minute Waltz by Chopin. A waltz is a dance. Can you imagine dancing to this music? The piece is not named that because it is played in only a minute. It actually takes closer to two minutes to play the piece. The piece is also called by another name. Try guessing! Is it: 1. Waltz of the Little fly? Does it sound like quick little fly flying around you? 2. Waltz of the little bug? Do you think the piece sounds like a bug crawling really fast all around you? 3. Waltz of the little dog? Maybe it sounds like a puppy trying to chase it’s own tail? To me it sounds like it could be any of those. Click here to find out what may have inspired Chopin to write this piece and what it’s actual name is (# 1, 2, or 3?).
- The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. I just love the music but winter is not my favorite season, too cold! What is your favorite season? In the Music: Spring, Summer, Fall, then Winter is the last one. Can you hear barking dogs in the music? How about the birds chirping? What about the storm in Summer? How about the chattering of teeth in winter? Watch this fun animated video and you will soon hear it!
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Liszt. Franz Liszt lived about 200 years ago. This piece is sometimes called The Cat Concerto, though Liszt did not name it that. It does sound like some mouse chasing is happening. What do you think? This music is still loved 200 years after it was written and has been used several times in cartoons like in Tom and Jerry
- Typewriter by Leroy Anderson. I guess you can create music with almost anything! Before computers were invented, a typewriter was used to type things out. Ask you mom or dad if they typed on one of these when they were younger. I did!
- Russian Dance. The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
- In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg.
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, (“A little Night Music”) by Mozart
- Clarinet Concerto in A major K 622, Adagio (starts at 12:50 mark). I think this is one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed! I love the music of Mozart.
- Moroni 7: 45, 47 Yep! I love this kind of music because it is so beautiful and it helps me memorize scripture verses. Kamie Bolen has several just like this.
What if you were blind, how hard would it be to paint a picture? If you were deaf, how hard would it be to play an instrument or sing your favorite song? If someone was deaf, do you think they could compose (create) their own music? There was a man born over 250 years ago who did compose his own music when he was deaf. He didn’t even get to hear some of his own music that he created! His name was Ludwig Van Beethoven. Here is how to pronounce his name:
https://www.pronounceitright.com/pronunciation/ludwig-van-beethoven-1258
He wrote a piece of music called Symphony No. 9 which has one of the most famous melodies known in all of the whole world. Listen below and see if you recognize it.
Ode To Joy
Video # 1. In this Flash Mob video it starts out with just one instrument, then more and more join. It gets better and better so watch it to the very end. Can you hear and feel the JOY the performers felt while they were playing this music? Can you sense the JOY the audience felt as they listened? Study their faces. What do you think? What do you feel as you listen?
This symphony is sometimes called the “Choral Symphony” because Beethoven included singers. They are singing in German. Here are the first few words in German:
O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere
anstimmen und freudenvollere!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
I can’t read or understand that! Here are those same words translated to English:
Oh friends, no more of these sounds!
Let us sing more cheerful songs,
More full of joy!
Joy, bright spark of divinity,
Daughter of Elysium,
Fire-inspired we tread
Thy sanctuary!
Thy magic power reunites
All that custom has divided;
All men become brothers
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.
These English words above don’t fit the rhythm of the melody so it doesn’t work to try to sing the melody of Ode to Joy with those words. If you go to a concert for Symphony No. 9, you might hear them singing in English (the language we speak). The words below were written by Henry Van Dyke and they do fit the melody, so this is what you will probably hear the choir sing at a concert:
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
We may be singing these words in class. Try singing the words above along with these singers in the video below. The words are a poem. Extra bonus: memorize half of the words of this poem (the first 4 lines through Opening to the sun above):
Videos #2 and 3: Below are two videos to help you learn just a little bit more Beethoven. This first one will also help you to learn to read if you are learning:
Below is an audiobook called Beethoven Lives Upstairs. This is the best story where you can learn much more about Beethoven and also hear his music while listening.
The story will open with you hearing a boy’s uncle talk about how sad the people are who live in Vienna because Beethoven just died. Then the uncle will introduce his nephew named Christoff. Christoff writes to his uncle about his experience with Beethoven living upstairs in his house. When you hear the boy speak, he is speaking the words he writes in his letters that get sent to his Uncle who lives far away. It’s a fun story. I really enjoyed it (below). Happy listening!
Last homework assignment: Tell somebody in your family about something interesting that you learned about Beethoven (3 things).
If you liked any of the music you heard in the story Beethoven Lives Upstairs, here is a list of what you heard, you can add any of these to your list if you would like:
Für Elise
Leonore Overture No. 3
Minuet in G Major
Mozart Variations
Nel Cor Più
Orchestral Polonaise
Pathétique
Piano Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 5
Piano Sonata
Piano Sonata in E Major
Rage Over a Lost Penny
Romance for Violin & Orchestra in G Major
Shepherd’s Song
Sonata, Op. 14, No. 2
Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight)
Spring Sonata
Symphony No. 1, Mvmt. IV
Symphony No. 4, Mvmt. II
Symphony No. 5, Mvmt. I
Symphony No. 6, Mvmt. I
Symphony No. 6 (Birds)
Symphony No. 6 (Storm)
Symphony No. 6 (Tremolo)
Symphony No. 7, Mvmt. II
Symphony No. 8, Mvmt. II
Symphony No. 9, Mvmt. II
Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy)
Symphony No. 9 (Finale)
Checklist for all homework:
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for. What brings you joy? Bring this list to class.
- Prepare some music to perform in class and/or send me your list of 3 songs or pieces of music you enjoy (text 801 702 0075). Sending the links to me is perfect.
- Listen to 2-3 music selections from the list and draw a picture about one of them
- Watch video #1
- Practice singing the words to Ode to Joy, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” Get familiar with these words (the first 4 lines in the poem).
- Bonus: Memorize the words to Ode to Joy (4 lines)
- Watch videos #2 and #3
- Listen to Beethoven Lives Upstairs audiobook
- Tell somebody in your family 3 interesting things that you learned about Beethoven.
