Welcome to the 2020 Moment for Music Online Guide
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nd March 2 – Read Across America Day
Seussical the Musical, “Green Eggs and Ham" Arr. Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
nd I bet you already knew that Read Across America Day is celebrated on or around March 2 , which is the author Dr. Seuss’s birthday. If he were alive today, he’d be 116 years old.
What you may not know is that there is a musical based on the many books by Dr. Seuss called Seussical the Musical. It debuted on Broadway in the year 2000 and is still a very popular play at schools and small theatres. Major characters include The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and, of course, The Grinch.
Listen to the lyrics of “Green Eggs and Ham” from Seussical the Musical. Do you hear rhyming words that sound familiar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scbRRYzo9WU
Other Activities: • Pick another book by Dr. Seuss and make up your own tune for the words in the book. • Choose other characters you remember from Dr. Seuss books – would they be good characters in the musical? Why or why not?
March 3rd - National Anthem Day
"The Star Spangled Banner" Lyrics: Francis Scott Key, Tune: British Folk Song Recorded by: Jimi Hendrix
The United States will celebrate its 244th birthday this July, but it didn't have an official national anthem until 1931. On March 3rd, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a law saying "The Star Spangled Banner" was the official anthem of the United States.
The words to the song come from a poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, during a battle between American and British troops. In the morning, Francis Scott Key saw that the large American flag was flying over the fort, signaling an American victory! He was so inspired that he wrote a poem on the back of a letter he had in his pocket.
Many people have played or sung the National Anthem. One of the most famous versions is by Jimi Hendrix, and it is played entirely on electric guitar. He uses special effects to help represent lyrics such as “bombs bursting in air” and “rockets red glare”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKAwPA14Ni4
Other Activities:
• Visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's website about the National Anthem • Research National Anthems from one country from each inhabited continent. How are they like ours?
March 4th – Marching Music Day
"Rocky Top" Felice and Boudleaux Bryant Performed by: Pride of the Southland Band, University of Tennessee Knoxville March forth to the rhythm of life on Marching Music Day every March 4. In honor of dedicated musicians and performers of many diverse styles and backgrounds, Marching Music Day celebrates all varieties of the art forms bringing us “music on the move.”
Many highs schools, colleges and universities have marching bands! One marching band song that we hear a lot in Tennessee is the song “Rocky Top” which the University of Tennessee in Knoxville uses at their games. “Rocky Top” was first a country song that has three verses which talk about how great living in Tennessee is and how much the singer wishes they could go back to living an easy life on Rocky Top.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPytxRpPgGY
Other activities
• There are many other songs written about cities in and the state of Tennessee, including ten that are the state’s official state songs. Listen to and learn about other songs about the state of Tennessee and its cities. To see the lyrics to our state songs, visit the Tennessee state website at http://www.tn.gov/state-songs.shtml
March 6th – March is International Black Women in Jazz Month
“Pow!” Arr: Ray Bryant, Slide Hampton Performed by: Melba Liston
March was named International Women in Jazz Month to create awareness by honoring the many contributions of black female artists to Jazz. One such woman is Melba Liston, the subject of the 2020 Music in Our Schools Month book Little Melba and Her Big Trombone. Melba was a true pioneer; she was one of the first women of any race to become a world-class trombone player, composer, and arranger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THmGtExlVLs
Other activities
• Melba Liston was a trombone player, composer, and arranger. Research to discover: what are the responsibilities of each of these roles in a jazz band? Compare the roles of the composer, arranger, vocalist, and instrumentalist.
• Students can research a musician from their city or state. What type of music and instrument does/did the musician play? Create a timeline of major events in the musician’s life and career. Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast this musician’s life and career with the life and career of Melba Liston.
March 9th – March is Optimism Month
"Happy" Pharell Williams
Optimism is the belief or hope that something will be positive, not negative. Positive thinking students show their optimism in many ways. For example, if they can’t work a math problem they don’t just give up on it. Instead they re-work it or ask for help. In their mind they believe they can find the right answer, it just may require time. They see failure as a learning opportunity. In the song “Happy” by Pharell Williams, he writes the lyrics “Bring me down, Can’t nuthin bring me down” which is an excellent example of optimism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7dPqrmDWxs
Other activities
• Write about it: would your friends say you are an optimist? Why or why not?
March 10th – International Bagpipe Day
"Danny Boy" Frederick Weatherly
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. They are traditionally associated with Scotland, but have actually been used for centuries in many parts of Europe and in western Asia and northern Africa. Materials used for the bags vary widely, but the most common are the skins of local animals such as goats, dogs, sheep, and cows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHJ3DEKlz8A Other activities
•The bagpipe and the flute are two of the oldest instruments in the world. Create a Venn Diagram that shows the similarities and differences between the flute and the bagpipe.
March 11th - Chants
Kyrie Gregorian Chant Recorded by: OCP Session Choir
Historical | Vocal/Choral
People have been singing for a very long time. One of the earliest types of singing was a special kind of music that was used during religious services called “chant”. A chant is usually slow and the people singing sing the same notes – there is no harmony. Chants became especially popular in Medieval times and a man named Pope Gregory I made a set of rules about chants so many people could read the music and sing. Some types of chant were called “Gregorian chant” after him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjSGNAhIiuM
Other activities
• Take a sentence from your favorite book and write a chant melody to go with it. • Gregorian chant music looks different than our music looks today. Compare and contrast written Gregorian chant music and a piece of music from today.
March 12th – Music by Handel
"Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah George Frederic Handel Recorded by: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
George Fredric Handel was born in 1685 in Germany, but lived most of his life in England. He wrote music during the Baroque period of music and invented a new type of music called the oratorio. An oratorio tells a story through music like an opera or a musical, but there are no sets or action. Handel’s most famous oratorio is The Messiah, which has a piece called “Hallelujah Chorus”. It is sometimes heard in Christian churches, but you might hear it on commercials or television shows when someone is very excited!
One fun tradition of the “Hallelujah Chorus” is that many people stand when it is played. When it was first played in London, the King of England was so excited by the beginning that he stood up. Since everyone was required to stand up when the king did, the whole audience stood up, too! People have been standing up for the “Hallelujah Chorus” for more than 200 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI6dsMeABpU
Other activities
• Handel wrote the music so that each time someone sings “Hallelujah” it is the same rhythm as if they had said it. Choose one of your favorite words and write the musical rhythm of it.
March 13th – March is Deaf History Month
Symphony No 5 Ludwig van Beethoven Performance from: Disney’s Fantasia 2000
March is Deaf History Month; one of the most famous musicians in the world lost his hearing while in the middle of his composing career. Beethoven was born in Germany in 1770 and learned to play the piano very well. When he was 13, he began to compose music and to conduct orchestras. He moved to Austria and met Mozart, who said “You will someday make a big noise in the world!” Beethoven started to lose his hearing and eventually, he couldn’t hear anything. But he figured out a way that he could still write music and he only heard the music in his head. And Mozart was right – Beethoven is one of the most famous composers ever.
His most famous symphony begins with four notes – three shorts and one long. Listen to Symphony No. 5. What do those notes make you think of?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMnlxYkZKaU
Other activities
• Listen to Symphony No. 5. Can you identify the instrument families that are playing? • Many composers and musicians still write and perform music but are deaf or blind. Visit the National Resource Center for Blind Musicians’ website (www.blindmusicstudent.org) to learn more about different ways of reading music. Visit matd.org.uk to learn about a group of students who are deaf that write and perform their own music.
March 17th - Saint Patrick's Day
"The Wind That Shakes The Barley" Robert Dwyer Joyce
Music is found in each country around the world and sometimes it is very different than the music we listen to in America. Celtic music comes from Ireland and may sound similar to some of our music. Celtic music uses a violin or fiddle and guitars. It also uses lots of flutes, recorders, and whistles, other string instruments like a harp or mandolin, accordion, and a drum called a bodrahn.
Listen to “The Wind That Shakes The Barley”. What instruments do you hear that you already know? Which sounds are unfamiliar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6wqbrPX-lA
Other activities
• Learn more about the history and culture of Ireland and why music was such an important part of their lives. • Choose one of the traditional Celtic instruments and learn how it is made and what it sounds like.
March 18th- Composer John Kander’s Birthday
"New York, New York" Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb Performed by: Frank Sinatra John Kander is an American composer who grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents had an appreciation for theater and took the family to New York City once a year to see Broadway shows. The song “New York, New York” was written by John Kander for the musical of the same name. It became very famous after it was recorded by Frank Sinatra and is now listed as #31 on the top 100 songs in American Cinema from the American Film Institute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le1QF3uoQNg
Other activities
• Historians believe that musical theater began in ancient Greece about 2,500 years ago. The ancient Greeks staged comedies and tragedies that included music and dance in open-air amphitheaters. Research topics of the first musicals and compare/contrast with contemporary musicals such as Annie, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera.
March 19th - First Day of Spring
"Spring" from The Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi Recorded by: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Today we celebrate the first day of Spring! Music is often written about a certain person, thing, or in today’s musical moment, a season. Antonio Vivaldi was born in Italy and spent most of his time working as a music teacher for girls. He wrote a type of music called a “concerto” where a soloist plays by themselves, then the orchestra takes over, and they trade the music back and forth.
One of his most famous concertos is called The Four Seasons. It has one piece of music named after each of the different seasons and listening to them can make you think that it is summer or winter outside.
Listen to “Spring”. What instrument does Vivaldi give most of the solos to?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFWQgxXM_b8
Other activities
• The Four Seasons is called often “program music” which is a type of music that tells a story but without music. Find examples of other program music (Richard Strauss wrote lots of program music!) and see if, by listening, you can tell what the story is.
March 20th - Bach's Birthday – (March 21st)
Toccata and Fugue in D minor J.S. Bach Performed by: John Sherer
Yesterday, we learned about Antonio Vivaldi and listened to “Spring”. Today, we’re celebrating the birthday of someone who lived during the same time, but led a very different life. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany and learned to play the violin. But, he became famous for playing the large pipe organ. He said one time “There is nothing remarkable about [playing the organ]. All you have to do is hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself!” Maybe easier for Bach than for some of us! He wrote hundreds of musical pieces and came up with a way to make sure the piano plays the right notes (the tempered scale).
Listen to this piece which has a funny name- “Toccata and Fugue”. You may think it sounds like music we would hear at Halloween, but today, we’re using it to say “Happy Birthday, Bach!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfySQBxAA4w
Other activities
• The organ is able to make many different sounds by changing the amount of air that goes through many different pipes. Listen again to Bach’s Toccata and explore other famous works written for the organ. Can you hear the different sounds? • Research the history of the pipe organ and how it is made.
March 23rd – World Meteorological Day
"Children’s Corner 4: The Snow is Dancing" by Claude DeBussy Performed by: Simon Trpceski
Meteorologists are scientists who study weather. They are sometimes referred to as “weathermen” or women on the news who tell us what the weather is expected to be. We usually get excited to hear about snow because it doesn’t happen more than a couple of times a year in Chattanooga. Claude Debussy was a famous french composer who wrote a piece called “The Snow is Dancing.” Listen to this piece and see if the music reminds you of the feeling and sight of snow falling around you or outside your window.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mndn7ogRP6o
Other activities • What are the signs that snow is coming? Research cloud types, temperatures and precipitation that occurs before snow.
• Observe the weather outside today: what do you see? Pretend to be a meteorologist and report the weather to a partner.
March 24th – World Folklore & Fables Week
Hawaiian Folk Music: “Aloha ‘Oe” Written by: Queen Lili ‘uokalani Performed by: Ukulele Underground
A folk song is passed down from generation to generation by singing with others. Folk songs help us to look back on the culture given to us by our ancestors. Today we will look at a traditional Hawaiian folk song. Instruments common in folk music include banjo, guitar, violin, mandolin and ukulele. Hawaiian folk music also includes chanting and hula dancing. The song “Aloho ‘Oe” translates to ‘Farewell to thee’ and was written by a Hawaiian Queen before Hawaii became a state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONFMei_PpNQ
Other activities
• Research Hawaii’s Queen Lili’uokalani; what instruments did she play? What famous book did she write? What challenges did she face in her life?
March 25th – Tolkien Reading Day
"Into the West" Written by Howard Shore for Lord of the Rings Lyrics by: Annie Lennox
J.R.R. Tolkien was an English poet and author and wrote two very famous books called “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings”, both of which were made into popular movies. Tolkien is sometimes identified as the “father” of modern fantasy literature. Howard Shore, a Canadian composer, wrote the movie scores for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. He won an Academy Award (or “Oscar”) for his piece “Into the West” from Lord of the Rings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3wYqB3WKLM
Other activities
• Tolkien’s books take place in a fictional setting called “Middle-Earth” – research the characteristics of “Middle-Earth”. What does the landscape look like? What were some characteristics of the people who lived during that time?
March 26th – Diana Ross’s Birthday
"Ain’t No Mountain High Enough" Written by N. Ashford & V. Simpson Performed by: Diana Ross
Diana Ross is an American singer, actress and record producer. She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and first became famous as a singer in the female group The Supremes. In 1970, she released a solo album with a new version of the hit song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” This performance earned Diana a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KLLKjxbZkQ
Other activities
• Diana Ross was one of many musicians/performers who grew up in Detroit, Michigan, which has the nickname “Motown” because of the motor cars made there for decades. Research musicians from “Motown” and compare/contrast to Diana Ross and R&B/Soul artists. March 27th – Patty Smith Hill’s Birthday
"Happy Birthday To You" Written by Patty Smith Hill Performed by: Westminster Choir College
Patty Smith Hill was a teacher and composer who, along with her sister, wrote the tune for “Happy Birthday to You”. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the most recognized song in the English language. Patty grew up in Kentucky, where she initially wrote the music and titled the song “Good Morning to You” for Kindergarteners in the school where she was principal. She was inducted into the music hall of fame after she died.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_DDFjXUm00
Other activities • There are many other traditional birthday songs in other countries. Research birthday songs in countries from another continent. Do they have anything in common with Patty Smith Hill’s version?
March 30th – Florida is named a U.S. Territory in 1822
“Moon Over Miami" Written by: Joe Burke, Edgar Leslie Recorded by: Ray Charles
On March 30, 1822, Florida was named a territory of the United States. It would not become a U.S. State until 23 years later, in 1845. While Tallahassee is the capital of Florida, Miami is one of its biggest cities. In fact, the population of Miami is over 6 million people! Miami has the 3rd tallest skyline in the United States. Ray Charles recorded “Moon Over Miami” in 1960.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAiegL3J5KE
Other activities
• Research other U.S. cities that have songs named after them. • What other big cities are in Florida? Was Tallahassee always the capital?
March 31st – National Crayon Day
“Purple People Eater" Written and performed by: Sheb Wooley
I bet you’ve used crayons many times since starting school! National Crayon Day is observed on March 31st every year to celebrate the joy of coloring. Crayons are colored wax that date back to the Middle Ages as a tool of artists. As you may know, there are many colors of crayons. The Crayola company makes over 3 billion crayons every year. The favorite color of crayon for most Americans is blue, but today you might want to see if you can get your hands on a purple crayon in honor of today’s song, Purple People Eater. This song was released in 1958 and tells the story of how a strange creature comes to Earth from space to join a rock and roll band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FtKQYCA2E8 Other activities
• What else can you learn about crayons? Research 3 facts and share them with a partner
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