“The Stars and Stripes Forever”
“Semper Fidelis”

Facts your child might know:
1.  they called him the March King
2.  he loved writing marches
3.  he wrote marching music and conducted marching bands
4.  he played for five presidents
5.  he played in the Marine Corps Band
6.  he was born in Washington D.C.
7.  he always wore his uniform
8.  he helped to design a new kind of tuba called the sousaphone after him
9.  the sousaphone makes the music go up in the air so people can hear it
10.  he had three children – one boy and two girls

1.  he wrote Peter and the Wolf

2.  he was born in Russia

3.  he was afraid of the black keys when he was little so he only played the white keys

4.  he told people whatever he thought even if it wasn’t very nice

5.  he played the piano like he was attacking it

6.  he liked to play chess and walk on stilts

7.  he had a dog named Mendoza and a cat

8.  his fingers would move like he was playing the piano even when he was asleep

9.  he would listen to music on the radio that he liked and then realize that he wrote it

Last week the children read the story of Peter and the Wolf and listened to the music from the book/CD set.

The children have been listening to:

Carnival of the Animals

Facts your child might know:

1.  He wrote Carnival of the Animals.

2.  He had an old piano and his aunt fixed it so he could play music.

3.  When he was learning to play the piano, he didn’t like the music played with the left hand.  He said “the music didn’t sing”.  His aunt found music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for him to play.

4.  He was born in France.

5.  His favorite place to visit was Algiers, Algeria.

6.  He died in Algeria.

7.  He was 86 when he died.

8.  He is the first composer we’ve talked about who came to the United States to perform.

9.  He lived the longest of the composers we’ve talked about.

If you would like to purchase the books that the children have been talking about in class please use the links below! (Remember: our school will receive a portion of every purchase)

Facts your child might know:
1.  from the Romantic period
2.  born in Germany
3.  played the piano
4.  threw his clothes on the floor before he went to bed
5.  snored loudly so no one wanted to sleep by him
6.  played with toy soldiers
7.  when he went for walks he took candy and pictures to give to children that he met
8.  wore checkered underwear
9.  didn’t have TV
10.  sometimes while conducting he’d forget to fasten his suspenders so he’d have to grab to keep them from falling down

Listen:
Für Elise (English: “For Elise”)
Moonlight Sonata
5th Symphony

Facts your child might know:
1.  born in Germany
2.  one of the greatest pianists of his time
3.  from the Classical period
4.  loved macaroni & cheese
5.  had crazy hair
6.  if he didn’t like the way an audience looked or acted he would get up and leave
7.  he went deaf but was still able to compose because he could hear the music in his head
8.  Mozart heard his music and told people, “Keep your eyes on him.  Someday he will give the world something to talk about”.

An activity you can do with your child:
Tell them a fact that we sent in previous emails and ask them which composer it applies to.

Here is the Amazon link if you would like to purchase the book to read at home with your child.  CD is included. (reminder: purchasing through our website helps our school!)

Listen ~The following are a few of Handel’s most famous works:
Water Music
Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah
Music for the Royal Fireworks

Facts your child might know:
1.  Was born in Germany
2.  from the Baroque period
3.  lost his eyesight but was still able to play music
4.  moved to Italy to learn about Opera, but when he went to England to perform them they couldn’t understand the language so he began writing    Oratorios in English

He is the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb.
– Ludwig van Beethoven, quoted in Percy M Young, Handel (1947)

Handel understands effect better than any of us — when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.
– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, quoted in Percy M Young, Handel (1947)

Ask your child what this song sounds like:
Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Bach’s influence on popular music – can you hear the similarity?
Air in G String by Johann Sebastian Bach
A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harem

Facts your child might know:
1.  Born in Germany
2.  from the Baroque Period
3.  he had 20 children
4.  he went to jail for refusing to write music for the Duke, but the Prince let him out
5.  the violin was the first instrument he played

The Baroque Song (Sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”):
If your music’s fresh and free,
With fancy, wild melodies,
If that music breaks the rules,
That were learned in music school,
You can bet, it ain’t a joke,

You’re listening to Baroque!