My third grade students are going to perform a concert titled "Composer Showcase," and are learning about how composers are people who write music. But they don't understand that composers aren't just guys who lived one hundred years ago...THEY are composers, too!
My school is a Traditional Magnet, meaning that the students wear uniforms, and are expected to work for high standards in discipline and academic achievement.
We are part of the local public school system. The students enjoy coming to Music class, and will work hard for reward days, when they get to show off their talent with solo singing, piano, and comedy skits they put together.
My Project
Each of my third grade classes will use the drums and metallophone along with the other classroom instruments we have available to create a class composition. After the compositions are composed, I will record the classes performing them during music class.
Our Art teacher is going to play the recordings during art class as the third graders create watercolor artworks, doing a reverse version of composer Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," where he composed a piece of music for each piece of art in a gallery exhibition after his artist friend passed away.
The watercolor artworks will be displayed at the concert, and we will perform the compositions at the concert for the families of the students and our school.
These instruments will make a difference in our classroom because more students will be able to participate with an instrument in their hands...a good quality instrument.
Any child will light up at the chance of playing a drum over an egg shaker (and these are really cool because the head of the drum is removable & can be played separately!) Barred instruments are great for reinforcing pitch reading, something that is always a goal we are working toward.
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