Let's Learn Music History!

One of the families I teach is going to be going on a European adventure for part of this year, and instead of trying to cram new music into the last few lessons leading up to their departure, we decided instead to create a couple music history lessons that would follow their trip!
Choosing a composer, ensemble or artist from each city they will be visiting, and highlighting some of their music.

This was a lot of fun to prepare for, as it is a really fascinating part of music that does not always get the spotlight in lessons. We discuss composers whose pieces we learn, but never really get to do a survey of several of them altogether. It's also a great opportunity to discuss artistic periods, and how they influence creativity in the artists of that particular time and place. Everything from Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina to the London Symphony Orchestra performing John Williams soundtracks made it onto this particular list, and I am really looking forward to starting this unit!

To my students, if you are planning a trip this summer, or looking for a way to enrich your childrens' musical experience as you attend a play, concert, or museum, let me know! I had so much fun putting this together, I would love to do some for the history and evolution of genres beyond classical music too. I am always excited to find ways to incorporate our musical learning into my students' lives beyond the piano bench. (Although, the piano bench is great too.)