Rossini - Cat Duet

This month we are learning about Gioachino Rossini!  I hope you enjoy this video of the Cat Duet!

Musician of the Month: Giaochino Rossini

Our new Musician of the Month for March is Giaochino Rossini! 

Rossini wrote lots of operas.  And, this week in 2nd  and 3rd grades, we did a parachute activity to the finale to William Tell Overture (from the Opera William Tell).

Ella sings with Elvis!

Every January is Elvis month.  I have several videos posted on the Elvis tab at the top.  So, if you would like to see them, click there.  But, I found something new that I thought you might enjoy!

Ella is a 20 month old that loves Elvis!  

Here is the same video matched up with a video of Elvis singing!

A Little More Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky wrote a lot of music.  Here are a few more pieces that he wrote.

This video is the 1812 Overture.  It is very unique because he wrote in a part for CANNONS! 

He also wrote the Swan Lake Ballet.  I found this video of the Chinese Acrobatic Ballet.  They combine dancing and acrobatics to create a very cool show!

Peter Tchaikovsky

The Musician of the Month for December is 

Peter Tchaikovsky.

Peter Tchaikovsky is a composer who wrote music for the Nutcracker Ballet!

Here is a "How Its Made" video that shows how Nutcrackers are made!!

The entire Nutcracker is on YouTube Here.

ASK YOUR PARENTS BEFORE YOU CLICK THIS LINK.  YOU WILL BE LEAVING MRS. STAHL'S BLOG TO VIEW IT.

A Little More STOMP

Here are a couple more STOMP videos:

Basketballs

Brooms

STOMP!

The Musician of the Month for November is STOMP!

STOMP is a group of percussionists who play music, but without any real instruments.  They find objects and use them in creative ways to make music!

Making Music with tubes:

Making Music with Zippo lighters:

Making Music with newspapers:

Alan Menken

The Musician of the Month for October has been 

Alan Menken.

Alan Menken is a movie composer who has written the music for lots of movies.  Here are a few videos that we have watched in class about Alan Menken.

Alan Menken intro video:

The Best of Alan Menken:

The King of New York from Newsies!

Mozart

The Musician of the Month for February has been Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mozart is one of the most well known Classical Composers of all time!  He was a child prodigy that wrote his first music at the age of 5!  Here is a short BIO about him!

This week we have been learning about his operas!  Here are a couple of videos we watched in class.

We have participated in many activities using his music (playing instruments, EATING COOKIES!!, and waving streamers!

Happy October!

I haven't done a very good job of updating my blog this month!!!

So, here is an update of what we've been up to!

 

Our Musician on the Month has been Danny Elfman.

Danny Elfman is a composer that writes music for movies.  Here are a couple of awesome videos that we have watched in class from the movie Nightmare Before Christmas.

 

 

The next video is a Halloween Light Show to the song This Is Hallowen from the Nightmare Before Christmas!

 

Ludwig van Beethoven

Our Musician of the Month for September for has been Ludwig van Beethoven!

We have been listening to Beethoven's music this month, and have found several that we recognize!  Here are a few of the videos that we have watched in class.

 

Beethoven's Wig

 

 

Beethoven Speed painting

 

 

Fur Elise McDonald's Commercial 

 

 

 

 

Camille Saint- Saens

This month, we have been learning about the Camille Saint-Saens.  He is the Musician of the Month. 

 

He was born in 1835 and died in 1921. He was a composer, conductor, teacher, and a child prodigy! His most famous work was The Carnival of the Animals. 

 

We have also been learning about Instrument Familes.  Second graders were hard at work on a "cut and paste" activity.  Students had to cut out the instruments and glue them into their family!

 

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had an AWESOME Christmas break! I did!

But, now we are back at school. And, as most of my students already know, January is Mrs. Stahl's favorite month!!! IT IS ELVIS MONTH!!! Woohoo!

The "Musician of the Month" for January is Elvis Presley! In music this month we will be listening to Elvis songs, watching videos of Elvis singing, playing instruments to Elvis music, and looking at pictures of his amazing career.

 

Here is the most loved video at Dover Elementary School. It is requested and watched more than any other.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen: Jailhous Rock!

 

 

Trepak Parachute

This week (Wed. - Frid) classes did a parachute activity to Trepak from The Nutcracker Ballet. 

Here is a video we made of this activity.

 

 

Also, while searching online, I found a couple of fun Nutcracker games!  Here are the links:

 

The Nutcracker vs. the Sugar Plum Fairies from Nick.com

 Use the nutcracker to kick, hit or even eat the fairies!!

 

The Nutcracker Game (like hangman)

 Guess letters to create a word.

 

 

 

 

Peter Tchaikovsky

The Musician of the Month for December is Peter Tchaikovsky.  He was born and lived in Russia from 1840 to 1893.  He had a very sad life.  But, he wrote some amazing music! 

 

 

 

 Some of his best loved music is The Nutcracker Ballet!  Last week we listened to and did a Candy Cane dance to song March.  This week we are exploring the form of the Russian dance Trepak from the Nutcracker and doing an awesome parachute activity!! 

 

Next week we will watch the ballet!  Here is a preview of the one that we will be watching:

 

Louis Armstrong

The Musician of the Month for November is
 

Louis Armstrong
 

 

Louis Armstrong is a Jazz singer and Trumpet player from New Orleans, Louisiana.  He was born in 1900 and died in 1971. 

 

He is said to have invented "Scat Singing" while recording a song and his music fell off his music stand.  He didn't know the words, so he just made some up!

Here is the video we watched in class of Louis and his band playing and singing Dinah!

 

 

Pipe Organ

I made this video several years ago because MANY of my students had never seen an organ!  This is my friend Julia Frost playing Little Prelude in C by Johann Sebastian Bach.  She also talks about how the organ works!

Johann Sebastian Bach

The Musician of the Month for October is

Johann Sebastian Bach!

 

 

 

Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer over 350 years ago!  He lived in Germany and had 20 children!  He is most known for his organ music and his choral music.  Here are a couple of examples of his work!

 

 

 

John Philip Sousa

The Musician of the Month for September has been:

 

John Philip Sousa was a composer who loved writing marching music. His nickname is the "March King". One of his most famous marches is The Stars and Stripes Forever. 

 

Listen as John Philip Sousa introduces the song!

 

 

Here are a few other videos that we have watched in class this month!!

 

First, the super awesome listening map for

The Stars and Stripes Forever!!

 

 

 

 

 

Next, the Marine Corps Band playing John Philip Sousa's favorite song Semper Fidelis.

 

 

 

 

And, finally, the super fun Muppets video that we watched just for fun!!  Its the muppets singing

The Stars and Stripes Forever.

 

 

 

You can learn more about John Philip Sousa by clicking here!