Music Appreciation and Composition Presented by Joe Francavilla
The benefits of including music in the class curriculum are numerous and well-documented – but music can often be a daunting subject. It is easy to get bogged down by the complexity of musical lessons and lose sight of the joys music can bring to the classroom.
In this one-day session, we will look at the fundamentals of music (rhythm, meter, pulse, melody, and form, to name a few) with an eye toward exploring how these elements come together to form a piece of music. Through a combination of live music (played on piano and harpsichord) and classroom materials, you will learn techniques to present music fundamentals more effectively to Elementary students, introduce musical composition to students of various levels, and lead discussions on what to listen for in lessons on music appreciation. Also covered in the session will be the importance of incorporating singing into the music curriculum. Topics will include:
- A survey of classical music written over the past three centuries, observing how history’s great composers used music fundamentals in different ways
- How to teach students to listen to music – and talk about it
- Common vocal problems in classroom singing (singing off-key, not blending, etc.) and how to fix them
- Using classroom materials like tone bars and conducting shapes, and the use of musical CDs in lessons
- Exploring the language of music notation
- How to compose with younger children
- Helping children successfully set poems to music by identifying musical elements in the poems themselves
This session is designed to be as much an educational experience for participants as it is a forum to develop more successful methods to presenting musical materials. You will leave with clear strategies to put to use in the class to make music lessons more effective, as well as a better sense of the musical “big picture,” which will help you approach every music lesson with purpose and direction. Joseph Francavilla brings more than ten years of experience as Music Director at Countryside Montessori School, and a lifetime of musical experiences as a performer and instructor to help you develop your inner-musician. Working with Joe, Wendy Calise will lead the work with the Montessori materials including the tone bars.*
*While there is much to be learned by all with regard to teaching music to the elementary aged child, this presentation will start with the basics. If you are an accomplished musician looking to greatly advance your musical knowledge, this class may not be for you.
