Inspiring video's of Rossini's fun music!

Enjoy some pieces done by Gioachino Antonio Rossini! The composer of the Blue Bugs' puppet show, Fox Hunt!

Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) Overture - An Italian comedic opera


And a performance by good ol' Bugs and Elmer :)


William Tell (Guillaume Tell) Overture Finale or Let's Play Music's Fox Hunt!

Puppet Show - "Hoedown"!

Aaron Copland

In the 2nd year of Let's Play Music, we study a piece by Aaron Copland! He was born, the last of 5 children, in New York in 1900. He learned to sing and play the piano from his oldest sister, Laurine. At 11 years old, Copland wrote his first opera! When he was 15 years old, he decided that he would become a composer. He composed many songs inspired by poetry and art work of the 1920s. When he was older, his compositions were inspired by movies and politics. He liked to paint pictures with his music. Our Hoedown puppet show comes from a ballet call, "Rodeo".

It's fun for the kids to see what instruments are playing each theme. How 'bout that marimba?!

Johann Strauss

Johann Strauss

Johann Strauss was born in Germany in 1825. His father was a horn player in a famous orchestra and Strauss loved to learn about music at the opera house and from his father. He started writing music when he was 6 years old. He loved to write operas and even married a soprano opera singer. He also wrote waltzes and other dance songs. Strauss became a famous conductor. A "Galop" is a dance, named after a quick running horse. Strauss calls his piece, "Banditen-Galopp" (Galop of the Bandits). In Purple Magic, this piece comes alive as ice skaters have fun showing off their skills in our puppet show, "Skaters"!

Puppet Show - Waltz of the Flowers

The Red Balloons have been performing a puppet show to Waltz of the Flowers! Waltz of the Flowers is a piece in the familiar ballet The Nutcracker, usually appearing around Christmas time. The video doesn't have a caterpillar, bird, or a mean cloud, but I think you're children will still love it! 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 

Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. (May 7, 1840 - November 6, 1893). Doesn't the music and ballet just sound romantic?

The Magic Lamp

The very first puppet show the kids see in Let's Play Music is The Magic Lamp! It's very exciting and exposes them to major and minor sounds as well as very clear themes. The puppet show is the favorite part of the class for most students!

G.Bizet: Carmen Suite n, 1, Aragonaise

Puppet Show: Who Made This Song Anyway?

Originally posted in 2011

We were all movin' and groovin' to our puppet show we call The Pirate Ship. It's great fun and usually the highlight of the class time for the kids. One curious student asked me, "Who made this song anyway?"

The composer is Johannes Brahams and the title of the piece is Hungarian Dance No. 5.

So there you go you little cutie!

Doing puppet shows to classical music is our way of teaching classical form, tonalities, and themes. The children experience the music and characters as they move the puppets to the music and "act" out each part. Lots and lots of experiencing here allows the child to fully understand these concepts (and many others) of classical music.

-Kendra

Puppet Show Music!

In Let's Play Music we do puppet shows to classical music! This teaches active listening and mostly the enjoyment of classical music! They are developing their ears and learning the techniqes for Form, Variations, Themes, Dynamics, and Articulations. They will in turn take what they learn and be able to compose great music by the 3rd year! Great Stuff!
So, I'm THRILLED to provide you with a list of great classical pieces that we do not use in class, but that let the imagination soar! Can you make up a story and characters for your favorite one?

Tritsch-Tratsch Polka by Johann Strauss Jr
Themes for Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Superman
In the Hall of the Mountain King also by Edvard Grieg
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring
Danse Macabre-Saint-Saens
The Nutcraker Suite-Tchaikovsky
Rondo a la Turk-Mozart
Fledermauss Polka-Strauss
Aquarium-Carnival of the animals Sheherezade
For Christmas - Sleigh Ride
Gustav Holtz...The Planets... Mars, I think, bringer of war
Vivaldi's Four Seasons
Brahms hungarian rhapsodies
Debussy 'Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
"Peter and the Wolf or Sorcerer's Apprentice which actually ARE tone poems, but don't leave too much to the imagination...
Berlioz's March to the Scaffold
Want to be macabre?  Bach's tocatta and fugue in d minor is great... or maybe Mussorsgky's Night on Bald Mountain
Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite' the morning song


a great resource: http://www.classicsforkids.com/music/

"Monsters" on Dancing with the Stars

On Monday, April 30th, this couple on Dancing with the Stars danced to Prokofiev's "Montagues and Capulets" from Romeo and Juliet! Did you see it? I just love the music. In the 3rd Year of Let's Play Music, we do a fun and scary puppet show to this very song. We call it Monsters!

Gioachino Antonio Rossini

Happy Birthday, Rossini!

Leap day, 1792

Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born on February 29, 1792. Leap day!! He was born in Italy to a family of musicians. His father played the horn and his mother was a singer. He was just six years old when he joined his father's band - he played the triangle. When he was only 10 years old, he was asked often to play the piano and sing at their church. At that age, he began composing and soon became the most celebrated composer of Italian Opera. The Blue Bugs' new puppet show, "the Fox Hunt" is from the Opera, William Tell. He and Verdi were friends!

Sergei Prokofiev

The 3rd year Let's Play Music students are studying the music of Sergei Prokofiev this winter!

Sergei Prokofiev was a Ukrainian composer born in 1891.  Everyone around him could see what a great musician he was becoming.  By the age of 5, he wrote his first piece, called “Indian Gallop,” which was written down and saved by his mother.  She knew he would be famous one day!  

at the keyboard in 1900

http://www.prokofiev.org/pic10piano.html

At 11, he wrote his first symphony.  His family moved to Russia so he would have a better education.  When he was older, he spent time living in San Francisco and New York and Paris.  Each place he lived influenced how he wrote his music.  Not only famous as a composer, he was also an excellent piano player.  You can still find recordings he made on piano with the London Symphony Orchestra.  


One of his most famous works was something he wrote for children:  Peter and the Wolf.  

Our puppet show comes from his ballet, Romeo and Juliet, “Montagues and Capulets”. We call it "Monsters" as we listen to and act out the combined themes of Frankenstein, an Ogre, a dragon and more! 

Click here for a video of the ballet for this section of music!

PROKOFIEV - Romeo & Juliet - Ballet

Or, in the 3rd year of Let's Play Music, Monsters puppet show!
I loved this! But kinda missed the drama of the alligator chomp :)

Road Trip Entertainment

My dad, 2 kids, and I traveled to small town, USA, aka Delta, Utah to celebrate the 4th with family this year!

I was sure to pack some movies, books, toys, and music for the 10 hour drive (12 w/ these kids :). One of the CD's we listened to was Baby Einstein's Playtime Music. The kids really love it!

We listened to Carson's favorite song about 20 times! One of the songs was the William Tell Overture. We were stopped at a construction site for a little while, so I started doing our puppet show (no puppets, just actions), The Fox Hunt for the kids. What a great trick to have up my sleeve to boost spirits and make the wait painless! They then requested, "I want the dog one!" Gave a little variety to the songs they wanted to listen to too. :)

 We had LOADS of fun while we were there!