ACTIVE LISTENING - WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT [2020-2021]
This year I am encouraging all of my students (and their families!) to spend some time listening actively to music and then reflecting on various aspects of what they hear. Every Saturday I will update my website with a link to a new song/piece of the week along with a question relating to the music. I ask that students write down their answer(s) to the question(s) and any other observations in the space provided in the lesson planner. Have fun with this and also feel free to share your own musical discoveries with me throughout the year!
June 13-19, 2021
I was honoured to be asked to help put together this virtual choir performance celebrating 110 years of music-making at U of A Augustana. How many faces do you recognize?
May 30 - June 12, 2021
My brother sent me this video a few days ago. I love it. Watch the end carefully. Here is a lesson about how things are not always as they seem...
Also, I suggest checking out the rest of Otu's Moonic Productions YouTube channel. He has some pretty interesting and entertaining videos!
Also, I suggest checking out the rest of Otu's Moonic Productions YouTube channel. He has some pretty interesting and entertaining videos!
May 23-29, 2021
Gunhild Carling is a musical force of nature! I first heard of her through Postmodern Jukebox a number of years ago. She and her entire family are so incredible and I encourage you to check out her social media pages. It seems like they live and breathe music and truly find joy in making music with each other. Practice your instrument(s) so that you have the tools to find that same joy in music-making!
May 16-22, 2021
Everyone has their own musical preferences which can change over time. If you were to ask me right now what my favourite song is, it would be "Minning" by Asgeir. Here is a live performance video.
At this moment, what is your favourite song/piece?
At this moment, what is your favourite song/piece?
May 9-15, 2021
Matt Andersen is a Canadian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter from Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. I have seen him perform live a number of times at the Edmonton and Vancouver Folk Music Festivals, and he has been a favourite of mine ever since. For Mother's Day, check out this performance that he just posted! His caption says "Late night song for my mum. I used to sing this one with my mum a lot when I first started playing. Holding tight til the time when we can sing it together again."
Can you figure out what key he is playing the song in? How about the chord progression? Can you play along on your instrument?
Can you figure out what key he is playing the song in? How about the chord progression? Can you play along on your instrument?
Matt Andersen song
May 2-8, 2021
Do you know about Boomwhackers? If you don't already, here is an introduction to these pitched percussion instruments in this performance of J.S. Bach's famous Prelude No. 1 in C Major.
Performers: Jonathan Lardillier, Olli Vuorinen, Thomas Aknine, Malte Peter, Jonas Beauvais
Transcription and staging: Denis Paumier
Your assignment for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to listen to a piano recording of this piece and also learn how to playing the beginning on the piano!
Here is a link to the sheet music on IMSLP.org
https://imslp.org/wiki/File:WIMA.bee1-Bach-PreludeC-28846-29.pdf
Performers: Jonathan Lardillier, Olli Vuorinen, Thomas Aknine, Malte Peter, Jonas Beauvais
Transcription and staging: Denis Paumier
Your assignment for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to listen to a piano recording of this piece and also learn how to playing the beginning on the piano!
Here is a link to the sheet music on IMSLP.org
https://imslp.org/wiki/File:WIMA.bee1-Bach-PreludeC-28846-29.pdf
April 25 - May 1, 2021
This is a fun video for me to share with you. When I lived in Vancouver (2006-2015), I spent five years working as the music director at West Point Grey United Church. It was at the same time that I started a small music recording business. Just after I purchased some equipment, I wanted to test it out, so I asked a young pianist who attended the church to try a quick recording session. John Fan would occasionally play special music at church services and I knew he was very talented. Check out his performance of "Tarantella" by Albert Pieczonka! What do you think of his ending?
April 18-24, 2021
Walter Rodrigues Jr plays the jazz standard, "Fly Me To The Moon". I encourage you to seek out three different versions of this song. Which one is your favourite?
April 11-17, 2021
Justin-Lee Schultz is an incredible young musician. He plays the piano, guitar, bass, and probably any other instrument he can get his hands on. In this video he plays a Harpejii. His dad is playing bass. His sister is also a fantastic musician (drummer and bass player). I get a lot of joy out of watching this family make music. I hope you will, too. "What A Wonderful World"
April 4-10, 2021
When I think of Easter Sunday, I think of playing my euphonium for Easter church services and having a great time making music with friends. I came upon this video of an awesome brass quintet playing at Easter in 2013. It appears to be their postlude music at the end of the service.
Can you name all of the instruments? What is the instrument that you can hear but you can't see? Will you be listening to or playing any special music for Easter this year?
Can you name all of the instruments? What is the instrument that you can hear but you can't see? Will you be listening to or playing any special music for Easter this year?
March 28 - April 3, 2021
Wiener Cello Ensemble 5+1 performs "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel.
How many strings does a cello have? What is the tuning of the strings? Ask a family member (or two or three or four or five) to make some music with you on your instrument! How many people can play a piano at once? A guitar? A bass? A ukulele? If you try this, I would love to see a video!
How many strings does a cello have? What is the tuning of the strings? Ask a family member (or two or three or four or five) to make some music with you on your instrument! How many people can play a piano at once? A guitar? A bass? A ukulele? If you try this, I would love to see a video!
March 21-27, 2021
Catherine Daniel, along with Dr. Roger Admiral, presented this lecture/recital on March 17th (via the Augustana Campus YouTube channel). It was thrilling for me to hear the music live as I recorded for this broadcast! What incredible musicians! I encourage you to check it out.
March 14-20, 2021
The Swingles - Astor Piazzolla's Libertango
To celebrate 100 years since Astor Piazzolla was born (March 11, 1921), enjoy this rendition of "Libertango". Choose a singer to emulate and try singing along! Are you drawn to the detached inner harmonies? The soaring, legato lines? The bass line? The vocal percussion? Something else?
If you are interested in tango, I encourage you to look up videos of Piazzolla and to read about his life. Here is an interesting article.
To celebrate 100 years since Astor Piazzolla was born (March 11, 1921), enjoy this rendition of "Libertango". Choose a singer to emulate and try singing along! Are you drawn to the detached inner harmonies? The soaring, legato lines? The bass line? The vocal percussion? Something else?
If you are interested in tango, I encourage you to look up videos of Piazzolla and to read about his life. Here is an interesting article.
March 7-13, 2021
Survivor’s hit Eye of the Tiger performed by one man band Damien Robitaille.
Damien Robitaille has been creating one-man-band cover videos during the pandemic and it is really fun to see how he can multitask and play multiple instruments at once, while singing. Here is his take on "Eye of the Tiger". I encourage you to check out some of his other videos as well. His "Pump Up The Jam" video is one of his most popular. I think they are all great!
How many instruments can you play at once?
Damien Robitaille has been creating one-man-band cover videos during the pandemic and it is really fun to see how he can multitask and play multiple instruments at once, while singing. Here is his take on "Eye of the Tiger". I encourage you to check out some of his other videos as well. His "Pump Up The Jam" video is one of his most popular. I think they are all great!
How many instruments can you play at once?
February 28 - March 6, 2021
Check out this mashup of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" & "My Girl" by Pomplamoose!
I have plans for another collaborative recording project with all of my students and this video is to get you thinking about the great Motown classic songs. What is your favourite Motown song? Here is a Top 10 list from Rolling Stone.
I'll get music and more details to my students in the coming weeks for our upcoming "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" cover video!
I have plans for another collaborative recording project with all of my students and this video is to get you thinking about the great Motown classic songs. What is your favourite Motown song? Here is a Top 10 list from Rolling Stone.
I'll get music and more details to my students in the coming weeks for our upcoming "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" cover video!
February 21-27, 2021
Oscar Peterson Heritage Minute
This Heritage Minute follows Canada’s most honoured jazz musicians from his humble beginnings in the Black neighbourhood of Little Burgundy in Montreal to his rise to fame.
The second video is a great interview with Oscar Peterson where he demonstrates various piano techniques. Which style of piano playing is your favourite? I really like stride!
This Heritage Minute follows Canada’s most honoured jazz musicians from his humble beginnings in the Black neighbourhood of Little Burgundy in Montreal to his rise to fame.
The second video is a great interview with Oscar Peterson where he demonstrates various piano techniques. Which style of piano playing is your favourite? I really like stride!
February 14-20, 2021
As you may have heard, Chick Corea died this past Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at the age of 79 from a rare form of cancer. If you don't know much about him, I highly recommend looking up some videos and recordings to get familiar with his music. I was given two of his books for Christmas this year (A Work In Progress... On Being a Musician and Children's Songs - 10 Compositions for Piano). I am really enjoying both of them (thanks Mary and Tim for the gifts!). Chick Corea was very humble and generous in the way that he would share his musical knowledge and insights. With COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown this past year, he regularly hosted Livestream events where viewers could tune in and basically watch him practice and explain his process. What an amazing gift he has given to musicians and fans around the world! I will post three video links -- one of his practice/improvisation sessions from only a month ago, then an album promo video, and the third one is a performance with Bobby McFerrin (watch the ending!).
Here is some info from Wikipedia:
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" and "Windows" are widely considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever. Along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, he is considered one of the most influential jazz pianists of the post-John Coltrane era.
Corea continued to collaborate frequently while exploring different musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He won 23 Grammy Awards and was nominated over 60 times.
Here is some info from Wikipedia:
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" and "Windows" are widely considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever. Along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, he is considered one of the most influential jazz pianists of the post-John Coltrane era.
Corea continued to collaborate frequently while exploring different musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He won 23 Grammy Awards and was nominated over 60 times.
February 7-13, 2021
I don't know about you, but I just love to hear really low bass notes -- upright bass, tuba, electric bass, bass trombone, bari sax, etc. -- and of course, bass voice. Check out this video featuring Tim Storms! Find your nicest speakers or headphones for this!
"Lonesome Road"
Tim Storms, Bass Vocalist
Guiness World Record Holder for Lowest Singing Voice
Arrangement and BGV's: Jon McLemore (Written by JD Sumner for The Stamps Quartet)
A4 is the A above middle C (440 Hz). A3 is the A an octave lower. The lowest key on the piano is A0. At the end of this song, Tim sings a B0 (the second white key from the bottom of the keyboard), which is about 31 Hz. The human range of hearing is from about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
What is the lowest note that you can sing?? Sadly, I usually bottom out around E2.
"Lonesome Road"
Tim Storms, Bass Vocalist
Guiness World Record Holder for Lowest Singing Voice
Arrangement and BGV's: Jon McLemore (Written by JD Sumner for The Stamps Quartet)
A4 is the A above middle C (440 Hz). A3 is the A an octave lower. The lowest key on the piano is A0. At the end of this song, Tim sings a B0 (the second white key from the bottom of the keyboard), which is about 31 Hz. The human range of hearing is from about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
What is the lowest note that you can sing?? Sadly, I usually bottom out around E2.
January 31 - February 6, 2021
Aimee Nolte is one of my favourite piano instructors on YouTube. This month she started "piano yoga", where each day for 30 days she will post videos "in the hopes that we can explore key areas of music theory and get to know the piano better together."
It begins pretty simply with naming the notes of the major scales. If you are ready for more challenging material, please check out her other videos in this series (here is a link to her YouTube channel).
It begins pretty simply with naming the notes of the major scales. If you are ready for more challenging material, please check out her other videos in this series (here is a link to her YouTube channel).
January 24-30, 2021
NYC-based bass player and composer Adam Neely brings you a new video every Monday (on YouTube) exploring what music means, and what it means to be a musician. This past week he posted timely videos about "The Music Theory of Tik Tok Sea Shanties" and "Lady Gaga's Mixed Meter Star Spangled Banner". If you have time to check out these videos, I encourage you to do so. These are the sorts of videos that completely capture my attention and keep me up until the wee hours of the morning thinking about harmony and music theory!
January 17-23, 2021
Jacob Collier is at it again! Here he is on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon performing "All I Need", featuring Mahalia. How many Jacobs can you spot? Ben Bloomberg, the director/producer explains that they shot this as a series of duets and then combined them to preserve the live feeling of the performance. Jacob did all of the video editing and Jacob and Ben did the audio production and mixing. Talk about a wide skill set!
This week, try playing an instrument that you don't normally play. Depending on what you have access to, you might try playing piano/keyboard, guitar, ukulele, bass guitar, recorder, drums, shaker, tambourine, sing, whistle, glass harmonica, musical saw, bagpipes... ?? If you're interested, perhaps I could help you record and edit a video this year where you have multiple roles, as Jacob does in this video. Think of the possibilities!
This week, try playing an instrument that you don't normally play. Depending on what you have access to, you might try playing piano/keyboard, guitar, ukulele, bass guitar, recorder, drums, shaker, tambourine, sing, whistle, glass harmonica, musical saw, bagpipes... ?? If you're interested, perhaps I could help you record and edit a video this year where you have multiple roles, as Jacob does in this video. Think of the possibilities!
January 10-16, 2021
The art of guitar looping! Paul Davids invites fellow guitarists to join him in a looping challenge. It's kind of a long video with the talking, so if you'd like to see the loops (music) only, there that video is here.
Which guitar loop is your favourite?
If you'd like to check out more music from these musicians, here are links to their YouTube channels:
@Mary Spender @Sean Angus Watson @HvetterMusic @Helen Ibe music
Which guitar loop is your favourite?
If you'd like to check out more music from these musicians, here are links to their YouTube channels:
@Mary Spender @Sean Angus Watson @HvetterMusic @Helen Ibe music
January 3-9, 2021
Stevie Wonder - "Isn't She Lovely" (Cover by Mary Spender)
If you don't know Mary Spender, I encourage you to check out her many excellent videos on her YouTube channel. She has performance videos, interviews, instructional videos and more. There are many other musicians also making great content on YouTube, and I will feature some of them in the coming weeks.
Your assignment/task this week is to whistle or hum along at 1:22 in the song!
If you don't know Mary Spender, I encourage you to check out her many excellent videos on her YouTube channel. She has performance videos, interviews, instructional videos and more. There are many other musicians also making great content on YouTube, and I will feature some of them in the coming weeks.
Your assignment/task this week is to whistle or hum along at 1:22 in the song!
December 20-26, 2020
2011 Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Undecided & Jesse Davis & Wycliffe Gordon
My dad shared some videos with me last night and got me hooked on Joan Chamorro's videos. He is a music teacher in Spain. I won't try to describe what is going on here -- I'll just let you watch and enjoy!
My dad shared some videos with me last night and got me hooked on Joan Chamorro's videos. He is a music teacher in Spain. I won't try to describe what is going on here -- I'll just let you watch and enjoy!
December 13-19, 2020
Blind Boys of Alabama - "Amazing Grace"
What is the name of the tune that they are singing (with "Amazing Grace" lyrics)?
Get to know the story of the Blind Boys of Alabama, if you don't know already! Here is some information from their website:
The Blind Boys of Alabama have the rare distinction of being recognized around the world as both living legends and modern-day innovators. They are not just gospel singers borrowing from old traditions; the group helped to define those traditions in 20th century and almost single-handedly created a new gospel sound for the 21st. Since the original members first sang together as kids at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in the late 1930s (including Jimmy Carter, who leads the group today), the band has persevered through seven decades to become one of the most recognized and decorated roots music groups in the world.
Read more at http://www.blindboys.com/about
What is the name of the tune that they are singing (with "Amazing Grace" lyrics)?
Get to know the story of the Blind Boys of Alabama, if you don't know already! Here is some information from their website:
The Blind Boys of Alabama have the rare distinction of being recognized around the world as both living legends and modern-day innovators. They are not just gospel singers borrowing from old traditions; the group helped to define those traditions in 20th century and almost single-handedly created a new gospel sound for the 21st. Since the original members first sang together as kids at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in the late 1930s (including Jimmy Carter, who leads the group today), the band has persevered through seven decades to become one of the most recognized and decorated roots music groups in the world.
Read more at http://www.blindboys.com/about
December 6-12, 2020
Ella Fitzgerald - "Frosty The Snowman"
Check out Ella's swingin' rendition of "Frosty"! Try singing along, matching her masterful phrasing!
Clap or snap along on beats 2 and 4.
How many instruments do you hear? Can you list them all?
Check out Ella's swingin' rendition of "Frosty"! Try singing along, matching her masterful phrasing!
Clap or snap along on beats 2 and 4.
How many instruments do you hear? Can you list them all?
November 29 - December 5, 2020
Hawksley Workman - "First Snow Of The Year"
This morning our family got a Christmas tree set up, and while decorating, we turned on music to fit the occasion. For us, Canadian singer-songwriter Hawsley Workman's almost a full moon album has become go-to listening this time of year. While we have already had our first snow of the year, I still enjoy this song!
If you like to whistle, get ready to join in when the song gets to 2:27!
What is some of your favourite Christmas/winter/holiday music?
This morning our family got a Christmas tree set up, and while decorating, we turned on music to fit the occasion. For us, Canadian singer-songwriter Hawsley Workman's almost a full moon album has become go-to listening this time of year. While we have already had our first snow of the year, I still enjoy this song!
If you like to whistle, get ready to join in when the song gets to 2:27!
What is some of your favourite Christmas/winter/holiday music?
November 22-28, 2020
Harry Connick Jr. tricks an audience into clapping on beats 2 and 4!
Notice how the audience is clapping on beats 1 and 3 at the start of the video, and at 0:40, Harry Connick Jr. adds in an extra beat to flip the pattern around. As a result, the audience ends up clapping on beats 2 and 4 (which is much more hip!). As it says in the video description, "friends don't let friends clap on 1&3".
1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |
1 2 3 4 5 |
1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |
Turn on some of your favourite music. Try clapping on beats 1 and 3. Now try 2 and 4. Perhaps the music you are listening to has a time signature other than 4/4 time. If so, what is the time signature?
Notice how the audience is clapping on beats 1 and 3 at the start of the video, and at 0:40, Harry Connick Jr. adds in an extra beat to flip the pattern around. As a result, the audience ends up clapping on beats 2 and 4 (which is much more hip!). As it says in the video description, "friends don't let friends clap on 1&3".
1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |
1 2 3 4 5 |
1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |
Turn on some of your favourite music. Try clapping on beats 1 and 3. Now try 2 and 4. Perhaps the music you are listening to has a time signature other than 4/4 time. If so, what is the time signature?
November 15-21, 2020
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers - "Let's Hear It For The Boy" from Footloose
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers have a series of videos on YouTube where they are "passing time on tour by being [their] own radio". Thanks to Landon Lewsaw for sharing this with me! As Landon points out, notice how they arrange themselves in the van to balance the levels for the recording and also note the rare example of a live fade-out!
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow (among others), the lyrics by Dean Pitchford (with additional lyrics by Kenny Loggins), and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.
Can you name three well-known composers of Broadway musicals?
Do you have a favourite song from a musical?
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers have a series of videos on YouTube where they are "passing time on tour by being [their] own radio". Thanks to Landon Lewsaw for sharing this with me! As Landon points out, notice how they arrange themselves in the van to balance the levels for the recording and also note the rare example of a live fade-out!
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow (among others), the lyrics by Dean Pitchford (with additional lyrics by Kenny Loggins), and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.
Can you name three well-known composers of Broadway musicals?
Do you have a favourite song from a musical?
November 8-14, 2020
Tonight (November 7), the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton is featuring "Up and Over Trio" in a Facebook live performance at 7 p.m. Here is the link. I encourage you to check it out! Chris was my primary jazz piano instructor when I was in university (at Augustana Faculty - UofA), and it is always a joy to hear him play.
Jamie Cooper - drums
Chris Andrew - piano
Rubim de Toledo - bass
All three of these musicians are highly respected as performers, educators, composers and arrangers, and it is sure to be a great evening of music.
Also, I'd like you to check out this duo performance of "Fungii Mama" that Chris and Rubim recorded at the Yarbird back in July of this year. Notice how well they listen to each other and play off of each other, always knowing when to take on a lead or a supporting role.
And finally, in this last video, let Chris teach you the blues scale. Your homework is to try playing the blues scale on your instrument and, if you can, write down the notes that make up the scale in your lesson planner. For an extra challenge, try transposing it into all twelve keys!
Jamie Cooper - drums
Chris Andrew - piano
Rubim de Toledo - bass
All three of these musicians are highly respected as performers, educators, composers and arrangers, and it is sure to be a great evening of music.
Also, I'd like you to check out this duo performance of "Fungii Mama" that Chris and Rubim recorded at the Yarbird back in July of this year. Notice how well they listen to each other and play off of each other, always knowing when to take on a lead or a supporting role.
And finally, in this last video, let Chris teach you the blues scale. Your homework is to try playing the blues scale on your instrument and, if you can, write down the notes that make up the scale in your lesson planner. For an extra challenge, try transposing it into all twelve keys!
November 1-7, 2020
Vince Guaraldi Trio - "O Tannenbaum" from A Charlie Brown Christmas
It is time to start planning for our upcoming student recital on December 6! A pre-recorded video will be premiered on YouTube at 3:00 p.m. that day. Students are encouraged to submit one or two solo performances to be included in the video. In addition, I am planning for a collaborative performance with ALL of my students (those willing to participate). We will put together a performance of "O Tannenbaum / O Christmas Tree" with the same sort of jazz style/feel as this classic version by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. We will use a piano trio arrangement by Kris Skaletski as a starting point. You can listen to that arrangement here:
https://pianopronto.com/duets/trios/o-christmas-tree-easy-piano-trio/
Our version will include piano, guitar, ukulele, bass guitar, drums (and more?). Everyone will have an opportunity to play a short solo (if you want to)!
There will be more details and sheet music to come, but for this week, your homework is to listen to both the Vince Guaraldi version and to the Kris Skaletski version. Practice recordings and sheet music will be shared via your Dropbox folder.
It is time to start planning for our upcoming student recital on December 6! A pre-recorded video will be premiered on YouTube at 3:00 p.m. that day. Students are encouraged to submit one or two solo performances to be included in the video. In addition, I am planning for a collaborative performance with ALL of my students (those willing to participate). We will put together a performance of "O Tannenbaum / O Christmas Tree" with the same sort of jazz style/feel as this classic version by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. We will use a piano trio arrangement by Kris Skaletski as a starting point. You can listen to that arrangement here:
https://pianopronto.com/duets/trios/o-christmas-tree-easy-piano-trio/
Our version will include piano, guitar, ukulele, bass guitar, drums (and more?). Everyone will have an opportunity to play a short solo (if you want to)!
There will be more details and sheet music to come, but for this week, your homework is to listen to both the Vince Guaraldi version and to the Kris Skaletski version. Practice recordings and sheet music will be shared via your Dropbox folder.
October 25-31, 2020
Richard Elliott - "Toccata in D Minor" from J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
With October 31st coming up soon, take a few minutes to enjoy this performance of an organ piece often associated with Halloween! The questions this week relate to the pipe organ:
-how does a pipe organ produce sound?
-what is the name for the keyboards on a pipe organ?
-what do the pistons do (the white buttons with numbers on them)?
-what do the 'stops' do (the white rows to the left and to the right of the keyboards)?
With October 31st coming up soon, take a few minutes to enjoy this performance of an organ piece often associated with Halloween! The questions this week relate to the pipe organ:
-how does a pipe organ produce sound?
-what is the name for the keyboards on a pipe organ?
-what do the pistons do (the white buttons with numbers on them)?
-what do the 'stops' do (the white rows to the left and to the right of the keyboards)?
October 18-24, 2020
Bobby McFerrin - "Drive"
October 17 is World Singing Day! To celebrate, I am sharing one of my favourite singers -- Bobby McFerrin.
Who is your favourite singer?
What are some of the different vocal parts that he includes in "Drive"? How does he make the percussive drum sounds?
October 17 is World Singing Day! To celebrate, I am sharing one of my favourite singers -- Bobby McFerrin.
Who is your favourite singer?
What are some of the different vocal parts that he includes in "Drive"? How does he make the percussive drum sounds?
Describe what he is doing in this live performance at 2:20.
October 11-17, 2020
Van Halen - "Jump"
Which famous guitarist died this past week? What guitar playing technique does he use at 2:23 in the video? What year was the song released?
Which famous guitarist died this past week? What guitar playing technique does he use at 2:23 in the video? What year was the song released?
October 4-10, 2020
Peter Bence - piano cover of "Dance Monkey"
Take a good look inside the piano! How does an acoustic piano produce sound? How many parts can you name? What do the pedals do?
Take a good look inside the piano! How does an acoustic piano produce sound? How many parts can you name? What do the pedals do?
For information about how grand pianos work, check out these videos:
September 27 - October 3, 2020
Lucky Chops NYC
Clapping/rhythm challenge! As you listen to this high-energy performance by Lucky Chops, try clapping various note values and rhythms. Clap each of: whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes. Also, try clapping on beats 1+3, 2+4, on only beat 4, and only on the "and of three". Don't worry if you're not quite sure what to do -- we'll try it together at our next lesson. You don't need to write anything down this week, just listen and clap!
(thanks to Landon for the great listening suggestion!)
Clapping/rhythm challenge! As you listen to this high-energy performance by Lucky Chops, try clapping various note values and rhythms. Clap each of: whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes. Also, try clapping on beats 1+3, 2+4, on only beat 4, and only on the "and of three". Don't worry if you're not quite sure what to do -- we'll try it together at our next lesson. You don't need to write anything down this week, just listen and clap!
(thanks to Landon for the great listening suggestion!)
September 20-26, 2020
Preservation Hall Jazz Band & The Del McCoury Band perform "I'll Fly Away"
Question: How many instruments are being played in this performance? Can you name all of them?
(music begins at 0:24)
Question: How many instruments are being played in this performance? Can you name all of them?
(music begins at 0:24)
September 13-19, 2020
John Williams - "Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter
Question: What is the name of the instrument played at the beginning of the piece? How does it produce sound?
Question: What is the name of the instrument played at the beginning of the piece? How does it produce sound?
September 6-12, 2020
Mezerg - "Watermelon"
Question: How does he do that?? What is the technology involved to use fruit as an instrument?
Question: How does he do that?? What is the technology involved to use fruit as an instrument?