No matter what the melodic or harmonic context of music from various cultures might be, the uniting thread that can be traced throughout all music is rhythm. Rhythms of the World teaches students to aurally identify rhythm patterns and instruments from Africa, India, Cuba and Brazil, while also providing a geographical, historical and cultural perspective. Included in the comprehensive kit are a teacher's guide, reproducible student pages, a CD with over 80 authentic music examples, Vocabulary Flash Cards and two challenging games for reinforcing concepts - Country Quest Sound Sequences and Rhythms of the World for 100.

Rhythms of the World: Discovering the Indigenous Rhythms of Africa, India, Cuba and Brazil

Cathy Blair

Heritage Music Press

What fun! Using the concept from the hit show Stomp, these clever pieces feature items like rulers, staplers, wastebaskets, pencil sharpeners and other common classroom "stuff" to create unique rhythmic soundscapes. The pieces may be taught by rote or by using the parts included to help your students build rhythmic independence. Most of the titles may be learned quickly and make a great way to start or end a class. These compositions are also the perfect change of pace for any concert or performance and are guaranteed to be student and audience favorites! A CD with optional accompaniment "effects" is included.

Stomp, Boom, Blast! Creating Music with Everyday "Stuff," Grades 3?6 (w/CD)

About 100 Years of American Musical Theatre in About 100 Minutes: Ten Short Units Covering Broadway Shows from 1900-2000 (Reproducible Activities and CD Enclosed)

Many young musicians often think about writing music, but have no idea how to get started. This book, written for students Grades 5-6, provides an easy-to-understand approach to composing simple melodies, from learning how to draw music symbols to the concept of "shaping" phrases. The teacher's manual includes tips on how to use the student workbook to meet the National Standard for Composition.

A Young Musician's Guide to Composing: A 'How To' Workbook for the Aspiring Composer (Teacher's Manual)

Arts & Photography

Charles W. Lauterbach

Music

Grades 2-6 * The jazz chops of Cathy Blair meet the accessible Orff approach of Donna Dirksing in this exciting introduction to improvisation and other jazz concepts. (Not quite sure what "chops" are? Don't worry; it's defined in the Glossary.) Organized in three sections-Jazz Is Rhythm, Jazz Is Melody and Jazz Is Form-each follows the speech to body percussion to singing and playing instruments sequence used in Orff lessons. And with more than a dozen Orff arrangements, your students will be doing plenty of playing! The included CD features many speech and instrument echo examples, demo recordings of the Orff ensembles, and optional accompaniment tracks for improvisation, many of which feature a real rhythm section. It's just one more component to help you and your students "Get in the Groove!"

Get In the Groove: Discovering Jazz using Orff and Classroom Instruments (Performance/Accompaniment CD Included, Grades 2-6)

Donna Dirksing

Grades 5-8 * The 50-minute DVD that is the centerpiece of "Music Makes the Scene" includes ten short (30-45 second) original movie clips, including "Ancient Egypt," "Crystal Effects," "Do You Like to Fly?," "From the Treetops," "Night Vision," "Mad Rush," "March of the Penguins," "Ocean's Island," "Tales of the Tribesmen," and "Episode in Space." Each is shown once without audio, then three more times, each with different music. Students watch and listen to all four versions of the clip while completing guided-listening activities that highlight how each of the different soundtracks affects the reactions to the movie clip. Reproducible worksheets and listening guides are included in this unique product that brings critical listening alive in your classroom. (The DVD works with any standard DVD player or computer equipped with DVD software.)

Music Makes the Scene: The impact of music on the movies ... and on you! (Grades 5-8; DVD Included)

Children's Books

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