Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: I'm teaching music...can you help

  1. #1
    Featured Member Sophia_Ashley's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2008
    Location
    in a state of bliss
    Posts
    1,545
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default I'm teaching music...can you help

    I'm going to start teaching my sons for their home schooling, music. I rather stray away from the crap I did in school. Which basically was watching musicals and doing some kind of choir crap at Xmas and the end of the year.

    I want to teach them about bands, singers and classical music. Stories of these people, to watch films based on their lives and surround them for 3 weeks with their work. Even a book if I can find them.

    Does anyone have suggestions for artists? Movies based on them, books you can suggest...things of that nature. We aren't starting this till August so I have a few months. I figured this would be a good time to start rounding up the year studies.

    I have so far

    1. Mozart
    2. Bach
    3. Lou Reed
    4. David Bowie
    5. Dizzy Gillespie
    6. Leonard Cohen
    7. Wendy O
    8. Billie Holiday

    I'd like to have bands that are current to, and after we study them we will go to their concerts etc so they can see them live.

    I'm open to any genre as long as there is more than their music available for learning (docum. books. etc) I want them to be able to connect the personality of the artist with their work.

    Thanks guys!
    as damp as a cellar. . . all mildewy I'm as damp as a cellar. . . all mildewy

  2. #2
    Featured Member needtodance's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Dear FSM plz send money to Oregon K luv you bye
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Classical music nut here... How old are your little ones again?

    A GREAT textbook for beginners is Bach Beethoven and the Boys. Its pretty much an overview of classical composers, but with REALLY odd facts about their personalities. Its written more for teenagers/adults though, as there is some "mature" stuff in there. Also, you might look up Lies my Music Teacher Told Me. Has a lot of interesting facts, and is a good counterpoint to whatever basic plan you have. Helps flesh in areas. Another funny read, "Lexicon of Musical Invective" which is pretty much quotes from all the old music critics about our Great Masters.

    Case in point-this is a favorite....

    Beethoven always sounds to me like the upsetting of nails, here and there with a dropped hammer.

    Written in 1881.

    I can compare Le Carnival Romain by Berloiz to the caperings and gibberings of a big baboon, overexcited by alcoholic stimulus.
    written 1866.

    Heh. Plus, the book has lots of great vocabulary words and is just funny.
    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticEngineer View Post
    My pussy eats vibrators like skittles.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    temporary abortions for everyone?

  3. #3
    Yekhefah
    Guest

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Scott Joplin would be an absolute necessity for any music curriculum. So is Tchaikovsky, and you should look into Bela Bartok. For more modern stuff, obviously the Beatles and Jerry Lee Lewis, and Miles Davis, and Tom Waits, and B. B. King. You might want to get into R. L. Burnside and other bluesmen, though the lyrics can get a bit racy.

  4. #4
    Featured Member needtodance's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Dear FSM plz send money to Oregon K luv you bye
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Oh, my recommendation for organizing it would be to do a little overview of different periods of music, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, Modern, Electronic, Jazz, etc. Go into a few of the better known composers, look at the lifestyle and political cllimate of the time period. For instance, french impressionistic music(such as Debussy) and french impressionistic ART(like Monet) line up. What type of music was popular during xxxxxxx? You can tie it in with your history curriculum, and it provides a nicer background for it than simply listening to the music and learning that the composer was deaf, or whatnot. my mother's technique, which I loved, was to buy a long sheet of butcher paper, or teachers paper, unroll it on the floor, and then we drew a timeline. As we learned history, we'd write important dates and events on it. As I studied music and music history, I'd put THOSE on too. Same with scientific discoveries, etc. It was nice for a visual "big picture".

    After you've done somewhat of an overview, and they can identify basic periods and sounds or formats(Opera, Chamber music, Orchestral), THEN get more in depth on the composers, like you discuss.
    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticEngineer View Post
    My pussy eats vibrators like skittles.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    temporary abortions for everyone?

  5. #5
    Featured Member needtodance's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Dear FSM plz send money to Oregon K luv you bye
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Do any of your children study any instruments? Will they be learning them?

    I really would try to focus more on classical, and more "accessible" modern artists while t hey're younger. As they get up in age, and study the world wars, and Communism, you'll have interesting studies ahead of you with Arnold Schoenberg(German Jew, wrote VERY avant garde dischordant modern music), and russian nationalist composers charged with "keeping the people in line" like Dmitri Shostakovich. But more complex topics like this are probably better saved for when they're approaching their teens.

    You might also pair them with books. For instance, Jane Austen-the lifestyle popular in her time was "picturesque". You can study the architecture and fashion of the time to see elements of classical greece. It was somewhat of a backlash against the decadence seen in classical opera, and Rococo art. Musically, you see composers turning more and more to "folk" roots. Look up Elgar, and Vaughn, drawing the melodies and influences for their works from "uncultured" folk ditties.
    Last edited by needtodance; 05-25-2008 at 02:56 PM. Reason: spelling
    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticEngineer View Post
    My pussy eats vibrators like skittles.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    temporary abortions for everyone?

  6. #6
    Featured Member needtodance's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Dear FSM plz send money to Oregon K luv you bye
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    If they ARE studying an instrument, than you can also introduce elements of composition.

    Melody, phrase, accompaniment, Chord, broken chord(arpeggio), major and minor scale modes(later, pentatonic) as well as showing other greek modes(nowadays seen more in blues music)

    I don't know if its still available, but i grew up with SimTunes music software. You would "paint" dots designating notes, could choose from ALL hte scale modes, different instruments, including percussion and electronic instruments... It was GREAT for a hands on way of learning the different sounds and capabilities of instruments, textures, scales. And you didn't have to read sheet music. It wasn't the best for rhythms or truly complex things, but for a fun introduction....
    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticEngineer View Post
    My pussy eats vibrators like skittles.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    temporary abortions for everyone?

  7. #7
    Featured Member needtodance's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Dear FSM plz send money to Oregon K luv you bye
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Oh, here's a site for the game i mentioned.



    I have to see if i can get it running with dosbox or something, for nostalgias sake.

    ANd here's some youtube videos of ones that adults did on it, heh.





    and a half finished thing, shows more about how you build things in it.
    Last edited by needtodance; 05-25-2008 at 03:22 PM. Reason: YOUTUBE!
    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticEngineer View Post
    My pussy eats vibrators like skittles.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    temporary abortions for everyone?

  8. #8
    God/dess
    Joined
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    8,031
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 143 Times in 42 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    I wonder if I still have my college History of Rock and Roll textbook somewhere -- that was pretty comprehensive.

  9. #9
    Moderator Djoser's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Key West
    Posts
    16,343
    Thanks
    1,395
    Thanked 5,487 Times in 2,768 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    This is so cool that you are doing this! I was going to suggest Miles Davis, but I see someone already did.
    You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.
    Friedrich Nietzsche

    Free your mind, and your ass will follow.
    George Clinton

    ______________________________________

  10. #10
    Featured Member Sophia_Ashley's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2008
    Location
    in a state of bliss
    Posts
    1,545
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    I need to book mark this thread, I've had a busy weekend so I've not had a fucking moment to stop and just say thank you guys for all the suggestions! There are some mentioned I know nothing about (which is what I'm going for) it'll make the lessons more interesting as I'll be learning right along with them.

    Will I be teaching them instruments. No. They will have the option of going to classes though that do teach. My eldest plays bass now, although i'd like to get him into some formal classes.

    They do both know how to read music so that is a start. They were taught that this last year at school.
    as damp as a cellar. . . all mildewy I'm as damp as a cellar. . . all mildewy

  11. #11
    Featured Member needtodance's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Dear FSM plz send money to Oregon K luv you bye
    Posts
    1,491
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    WEll, I didn't mean You Personally... I meant would they be learning them. STudying with someone else counts.

    If they already know how to read music than that opens up options a bit as well, One thing they might enjoy, that's somewhere between music composition, math, and logic.....

    Early counterpoint/harmony.

    STart with a melody line(called the "cantus firmus") They have to, either above, or below it, write the harmony.

    There is a set of rules that govern it, for instance, you can only start an octave, or a fifth, below the C.F. If you skip more than a step, your next move HAS to be either a step above, below, etc. If they have good interval skills, and critical thinking, its all very wrote.

    If you'd like any more inforamtion on games like that, just ask me or PM me. I can go through my old textbooks and copy out the details of the "rules", as well as sample lines and answers.

    I'm actually kind of having fun watching how this goes for you! I used to teach piano, theory, and history, myself, so it's kind of fun remembering the "good ol days".

    But yeah, good basic music analysis terms to make sure they can identify-

    harmony, melody, accompaniment, arpeggio, blocked chord, major, minor, orchestral, chamber, solo, basic tempo notations(allegro, andante, adagio, largo, presto) and time signatures( waltz time, common time,)basic sysmphonic form(3 or four movements, generally something to the affect of allegro, adagio, allegro or presto)


    More complex terms for later might be

    pedal tone, ostinato, minimalism, dense or sparse texture, modulation(moving between major/minor modes, or key signatures) theme and variations, complex meters(Pink Flloyds money, for unusual time signature I'm trying to recall what it is... 7/4? Its beena while since i heard it, Debussey's first arabesque for layered rhythms. RH eigth notes, L hand 8th note triplits)

    Maybe cover solege and talking through rhythms. (ear training) THis is closer to actual musical study, but its a "fun" game to keep going, and hte skill will help him on the bass, for reading new sheet music, sight reading and identifying rhythms properly. Its a good thing to practice---ESPECALLY if either of them ends up studying music at a higher level. ITs shocking how many of my fellow collegiate classmates had never done this and struggled massively with it.

    A lot of this is more music theory, than the music history you were talking about, but with even a basic knowlege of music theory, it will help them a LOT for hearing differences in music, style, instrumentation, etc. It REALLY is a good foundation that a LOT of people skip. How in depth you wa nt to go depends on your kids, and on your comfort level.

    Good luck with it!
    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticEngineer View Post
    My pussy eats vibrators like skittles.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    temporary abortions for everyone?

  12. #12
    Featured Member Christany's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2005
    Location
    oblivion
    Posts
    1,356
    Thanks
    307
    Thanked 337 Times in 241 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    ...............
    Last edited by Christany; 03-12-2010 at 01:02 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by markx View Post
    I'd have to have a "4 simease twin strippers gave me head and then lite themselves on fire" story to blow anybody's mind here.

  13. #13
    Veteran Member AmArticia's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Dancing for Strangers, CO
    Posts
    659
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 3 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Brian Eno is absolutely required too. He's affected sooooo much music that it's rediculous. Not just producing but also his own stuff.

    For books, I'd suggest "No One Here Gets Out Alive" which is the premire biography of Jim Morrison and The Doors. Also "Glam: An Eyewitness Account" by Mick Rock is like the coolest music coffee table book ever.
    "You are NEVER too old to storm a bouncy castle!"~Jade Puget

    My Current Pet Band Is: LAZRtag!

  14. #14
    BrunetteGoddess
    Guest

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Don't forget Ella Fitzgerald if you are talking about ladies in jazz. She was often referred to as the Queen of Scat.

  15. #15
    Featured Member Christany's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2005
    Location
    oblivion
    Posts
    1,356
    Thanks
    307
    Thanked 337 Times in 241 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    .................
    Last edited by Christany; 03-12-2010 at 01:02 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by markx View Post
    I'd have to have a "4 simease twin strippers gave me head and then lite themselves on fire" story to blow anybody's mind here.

  16. #16
    Yekhefah
    Guest

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Quote Originally Posted by Christany View Post
    Elvis Presley - tons of media there too, in a time period of segregation, not only racially, but also musically, he fused multiple styles (r&b, rock and roll, country, gospel) and also the American ideals of what was "white music" and what was "black music"
    Oh, I disagree. Elvis took credit for it, but didn't really do much of it. The Elvis phenomenon was largely due to his (undeserved) reputation as a good clean-cut boy, and Col. Tom Parker's marketing genius. Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Pat Boone did more for race and music fusion than Elvis ever could have.

    Quote Originally Posted by Christany View Post
    you mentioned Mozart - there is a movie called "Amadeus" (one of my favorite movies ever) which you may want to consider, although there are certain biographical portions which aren't completely accurate, but it's loosely based.
    QFT. Not the most historically accurate, but a damn good movie nonetheless and one every kid needs to see. Also be warned: it's LONG.

  17. #17
    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Home
    Posts
    13,598
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 28 Times in 23 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    There are several Bachs who were famous for their compositions, so make sure not to confuse them. They were all good, but can sometimes get mistaken for each other.

    I would also throw in Chopin.

    Basically, you can run down through the styles of music and pick a few composers from each time period. What amazes me is that as much as music changes, it can all be linked together.

    I was a Music Theory and Composition Major in college and so if you have any questions, let me know!!

  18. #18
    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Home
    Posts
    13,598
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 28 Times in 23 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Quote Originally Posted by Yekhefah View Post
    QFT. Not the most historically accurate, but a damn good movie nonetheless and one every kid needs to see. Also be warned: it's LONG.
    It's a great movie...one of my faves. The music in this movie are just fabulous. My all time favorite is Concerto for Flute and Harp in C, K.299. Heavenly.

  19. #19
    God/dess MrChristopher's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2004
    Location
    philadelphia suburbs (delaware, actually)
    Posts
    4,857
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    Quote Originally Posted by BrunetteGoddess View Post
    Don't forget Ella Fitzgerald if you are talking about ladies in jazz. She was often referred to as the Queen of Scat.
    I really don't think I would want to be known as the "Queen Of Scat".

    There are some really great suggestions in this thread, and a few I'm going to check out myself.
    waffles are just pancakes with little squares on them.

  20. #20
    Featured Member Christany's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2005
    Location
    oblivion
    Posts
    1,356
    Thanks
    307
    Thanked 337 Times in 241 Posts

    Default Re: I'm teaching music...can you help

    ...............
    Last edited by Christany; 03-12-2010 at 01:01 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by markx View Post
    I'd have to have a "4 simease twin strippers gave me head and then lite themselves on fire" story to blow anybody's mind here.

Similar Threads

  1. Need some advice about teaching.
    By Holly Snow in forum Life Support
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 08-27-2011, 08:59 AM
  2. No more teaching handwriting?
    By papillonluvr in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 03-29-2011, 09:24 AM
  3. loving teaching
    By papillonluvr in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 06-11-2008, 05:57 AM
  4. Teaching and stripping?!
    By pr317 in forum Stripping (was Stripping General)
    Replies: 28
    Last Post: 03-05-2007, 09:36 PM
  5. teaching
    By cheetahchick in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 02-23-2007, 04:30 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •