Music Appreciation Class for Kids : Beethoven

While we lived in New York, Adrian attended a music class and loved it. He still talks about it as if it were yesterday. Unfortunately, we moved away and could not find the same type of class over here. Music is important to my family and I do hope we will eventually be able to find another good class or even private instruction for the children. In the meantime, I am putting together some small lessons for them in the hopes of keeping their love of music alive.

Beethoven Music Appreciation Class

Our first class featured Beethoven. I picked him for a very specific reason: Symphony  # 6, 2nd Movement, also known as the Pastoral. Being that we were working with the "Farm" thematic, I thought it would be perfect and would integrate well in our week. But just how did I present a classical composer to a nearly 3 year old girl and a 5 year old boy?

ENGAGE

As I welcomed my "students" in the classroom, I played Symphony # 6, 2nd movement on my IPad. (You Tube has many versions to offer, I picked the one played by NFZ/Kocsis). I asked Zahavah and Adrian whether they had heard the "song" before, or this kind of music before (classical). I told them this piece was by Beethoven and that it was a classical piece of music and then invited them to lay down on their back to enjoy the music some more. After they had settled, I asked them quietly how they felt. Angry? Excited? Sad? Calm? Happy? Relaxed? They both agreed the symphony made them feel calm and that it was a slow piece of music. I asked them whether they like that calm feeling and that calm Beethoven "song". They did.

EXPLORE...with cows!

Apparently, Zahavah and Adrian are not the only ones to like this piece. So do cows and I told them so.  I ventured to tell them that cows who listened to this piece of music and other slow, calm and steady paced songs made more milk for them to drink. They of course thought it was hilarious and a bit odd. We discussed why that could be and I then gave both Adrian and Zahavah a toy cow and played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Was their cow munching slowly in the fields? Was it a calm cow? Was the song keeping the same slow tempo? It was according to them.

I then switched compositions and played a vocal Symphony number 9 in D Minor Op.125 (aka Ode to Joy). Were the cows still walking peacefully in the meadows? Were they still feeling serene and calm or had they been startled? Adrian's cow had jumped in the air very high and did not like the song at all. His cow was now very scared because the music was sometimes quiet and sometimes loud, sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Not a good day to make lots of milk apparently... :)

CREATE

Ode to Joy is a very famous composition and I made sure my children understood that. After we listened to it, I told them how lots of people made their own version of it because of their love of that piece. I even showed them "The Muppets's Ode to Joy" version on You Tube. They were thrilled (I made sure to end it because everything goes havroc) and we then set to make our own version with our own instruments. We used rhythm sticks, a triangle and a floor drum with mallets. We also sang along...Everyone got their chance to do the song with each instrument and for days after the children requested a do-over of the "me me me me" song by Beethoven! :)

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Overall, this first music class was a success. The kids cannot wait for me to hold another so I'm trying to quickly put another one together. All my classes will be introducing "classical" composers I'd like them to be acquainted with but in a fun way. I'll also try to introduce music vocabulary here and there and of course...let them play! :)

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

Montessori Monday, The Kids Co-Op, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Sun Scholars's For the Kids Friday,  Tuesday Tots, Preschool Corner &5K, We Made That.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!