1. WATCH A MOVIE
Honestly! It sounds silly and obvious, but if you have absolutely no musical background and are super uncomfortable teaching a music class, there are many music movies out there that would be a good way to pass a music class. Really, any movie about music will do. Musicals specifically are great and usually family/classroom friendly.
Recommended Films:
– Pitch Perfect = great for a choir class.
– Amadeus = based on the life of Mozart.
– Immortal Beloved = follows the search for Beethoven’s “immortal beloved.”
– The Sound of Music = self-explanatory!
– West Side Story = Romeo and Juliet story set in the 50’s.
2. KAHOOT QUIZ
Kahoot is a great website that is full of premade quizzes. You choose a quiz, give the students the game pin so that they can sign in on their devices, and then play along. There thousands of music quizzes on the website which would make it very easy to pass time. Not only that, the students would actually be reviewing and possibly learning something new!
Important!
When choosing a quiz, do not go for a complicated one such as music history, or a quiz on Mozart. The students will not have had the scaffolding necessary to make this a good experience! Below are quiz topics that should be safe for any typical musical class, band or choir grade 8-12.
Dynamics – Rhythm – Music Vocab – Note Naming
3. NAME GAME
This is a great game to use with younger students in grades 8 and 9. Essentially the students use their names to create a rhythm. This gets them considering rhythm in a natural, rather than formal way, and also allows for creativity!
1. Number off the class so that the students form groups of 4 or 5.
2. Draw four columns on a paper, chalkboard or whiteboard. Write each student’s name outside the far left column descending vertically.
3. Students must combine their names to create an interesting rhythm. They can use their first name, middle name, last name or any part of their names. They can be creative by dividing their name into parts, saying some of it fast or slow…etc.
4. They must then fit their “name rhythms” together and speak them at the same time, starting with one student and layering until everyone in the group is saying their rhythm. See the example below.
5. Students then present their “name rhythms” to the class.
4. MUSIC IN THE MEDIA
This activity is intended to get students to think critically about how music can influence the way we understand media, whether it be a commercial, movie or youtube video! This is also intended so that you as the teacher can chose videos that you would be comfortable analyzing. Below is my suggested plan!
1. Lead a class discussion on how students think that music might influence how we perceive media. Leading questions could be along the lines of: “How do you think it might change how you view what your seeing?” “When is music used in media to make us feel a certain way?”
2. Watch a few youtube videos, (commericals, clips from movies…etc.) without the sound on. Have students guess what the mood of the clip is, what is it about, what is trying to sell.
3. Watch the same videos with the volume/music on. Did the students accurately guess what the clip was about? Discuss “how did the music choice influence how you interpreted the media?” “Who made the video and why did they choose the music they did?”