Composer Of The Month (theme-based)

Submitted by Jennifer Komassa, Wisconsin

Idea posted November 26, 2001

Each year I try to have a listening theme to focus on. Some years I have chosen only BIG name composers - Bach, Beethoven, etc. Other times I've gone the birthday route - chosen a composer whose birthday was in a particular month. Last year, we listened to space music all year (for 2001!). This year, I have spread out the Top 25 list of pieces that were discussed on this list (probably at least a year ago) as being pieces everyone (especially children) should be familiar with.

I looked at my school year calendar and spread out the pieces to fill the year. What's really neat is that I was able to tailor the pieces to the season. For example, we started with Copland's "Fanfare For The Common Man." I told the kids that it was THEIR fanfare for the whole year. We just finished "Summer" from "The Four Seasons." We will do "The Nutcracker" at Christmas, "Toccata And Fugue In D Minor" at Halloween, "Stars And Stripes" for Memorial Day... you get the idea.

Some of the absolute music was good for fill-ins - Beethoven's 5th, for example. I have the music playing as the kids enter and leave the room, and we start class with a short, age-appropriate discussion of the piece, composer, instruments, etc. I also made a bulletin board with all the pieces listed, and I cut out silver stars to attach to the name of the piece after we have studied it. I think the kids will be proud of their listening efforts at the end of the year.