Submitted by Sandra Elder, Michigan

Idea posted November 1, 2002

So many musicians, who do I have them listen to, right??? Here's an idea that is working wonderfully for me this year.

In the hallway I have a "Happy Birthday To Me" bulletin board. Each month, I enlarge the birthday list from the back of Music K-8 mags, dig up as many pictures or photos and facts of the people on the list (Dover publishes inexpensive collections of famous composer and opera singer photographs!!!), xerox them, mount them on colored construction paper, label them, and laminate them. Then, I put them all on the board.

Each week, I choose one from the board to play for the kids, sometimes just a snippet, other times a longer piece which I build a lesson around. Today we listened to Yo-Yo Ma playing one of the Gershwin piano preludes.

This Birthday Board has provided me with the structure I needed myself, and gives me an instant excuse for playing a particular person. "Why are we listening to Charles Ives today?" "Because he's having a birthday..." They're all so birthday conscious that that's all the explanation they need.

In addition, I allow any student who's having a birthday that month to check the board to see if any famous musician is also having a birthday on their exact date.

Here's how I label each person:

Name (birth-death dates and place, if possible): musical role (composer, conductor, etc...)
Style or genre.
A few interesting facts about his/her life and/or music. If I don't know anything about them, I simply say where they're from.

Examples from September:

George Gershwin (b. Sept. 26, 1898. d. 1938) Composer and pianist.
Style: Modern-Romantic (with some jazz elements)
American composer of orchestral music and popular songs. He liked to combine the sounds of jazz with his classical music. Some of his most famous works are the orchestra pieces Rhapsody In Blue, American In Paris, and an opera Porgy And Bess. He also wrote over 200 songs with his brother Ira. Miss Elder's favorites are his song Love Is Here To Stay, and his many piano preludes.
B.B. King (b. Mississippi, Sept. 16, 1925) Composer, guitarist, and singer
Style: Blues
His real name is Riley, but after getting hired to play his songs on a radio show, he started getting fan mail addressed to "The Blues Boy." That's where the B.B. came from.
Mel Torme (b. Sept. 13, 1925) Singer
Style: Jazz
They call him the "Velvet Voice." One listen and you'll know why!