Grade 8 students and parents, please see below some activities you can do to keep up your musical growth at home. Activities are tailored to what materials you might have at home - please note that activities in category B and C will require either a ukulele or a piano in the home. Choose whatever looks most interesting to you... what is most important to me is that you are finding time in your day to think about and make music!
A - Thinking Critically About Music
1. Is Classical Music For Everyone?
Listen to the TED Talk below. The speaker, Benjamin Zander, is a famous pianist and conductor (the person at the front of the orchestra who directs them using their arms). Consider and respond to the following questions before you watch the TED Talk:
a) Do you like classical music? Why/why not?
b) Describe the type of person you think would enjoy classical music.
After the video, respond to the following two questions:
c) Why does Benjamin Zander say that classical music is "for everyone"?
d) Do you agree with him?
A - Thinking Critically About Music
1. Is Classical Music For Everyone?
Listen to the TED Talk below. The speaker, Benjamin Zander, is a famous pianist and conductor (the person at the front of the orchestra who directs them using their arms). Consider and respond to the following questions before you watch the TED Talk:
a) Do you like classical music? Why/why not?
b) Describe the type of person you think would enjoy classical music.
After the video, respond to the following two questions:
c) Why does Benjamin Zander say that classical music is "for everyone"?
d) Do you agree with him?
2. A Tribe Called Red
Begin by listening to the song below without watching the music video. On a piece of paper, write down three adjectives (descriptive words) that describe what the song sounds like to you. On the other side of that piece of paper, describe what style of music you think think is. If you can, write a sentence or two that explains why you think that. Here's an example:
Begin by listening to the song below without watching the music video. On a piece of paper, write down three adjectives (descriptive words) that describe what the song sounds like to you. On the other side of that piece of paper, describe what style of music you think think is. If you can, write a sentence or two that explains why you think that. Here's an example:
Ok, now that you've done that, listen to it again but watch the music video this time.
Were you right about the style of music? If you answer included "electronic music", "hip hop", "aboriginal" or "dubstep", you were right! A Tribe Called Red is a Canadian musical group that combines all of these styles when they write music.
If you liked this song, they have lots more on Youtube. You might also like to listen to some of these artists: Jeremy Dutcher, DJ Shub, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (I can't promise profanity-free language from all of these artists, so listen at your own discretion and remember that other people using these words does not mean that you need to use them!)
If you liked this song, they have lots more on Youtube. You might also like to listen to some of these artists: Jeremy Dutcher, DJ Shub, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (I can't promise profanity-free language from all of these artists, so listen at your own discretion and remember that other people using these words does not mean that you need to use them!)
3. Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Warmup question: Would you ever join a choir? Why/why not?
Chances are, if your answer was no, that it had something to do with either not feeling like you're a good enough singer or being nervous to sing in a group.
Ask yourself this question now: what reasons might other people have for not being part of a choir?
Maybe your answer was "because they don't want to be". Other answers might be "because their school/community doesn't have one", or "they're too nervous", or "they don't have time to go to a practice every week".
Eric Whitacre used to be someone who wasn't interested in choir. He thought it was geeky and he definitely didn't think he had time to go to all of those rehearsals. Obviously, something changed, because he is now one of the best-known living composers of music for choir. But... what changed, exactly? Watch the video below to find out... (and answer the questions at the end because, you know, school.)
Warmup question: Would you ever join a choir? Why/why not?
Chances are, if your answer was no, that it had something to do with either not feeling like you're a good enough singer or being nervous to sing in a group.
Ask yourself this question now: what reasons might other people have for not being part of a choir?
Maybe your answer was "because they don't want to be". Other answers might be "because their school/community doesn't have one", or "they're too nervous", or "they don't have time to go to a practice every week".
Eric Whitacre used to be someone who wasn't interested in choir. He thought it was geeky and he definitely didn't think he had time to go to all of those rehearsals. Obviously, something changed, because he is now one of the best-known living composers of music for choir. But... what changed, exactly? Watch the video below to find out... (and answer the questions at the end because, you know, school.)
a) Why was Eric not interested in choir, at first?
b) Why did he decide to join the choir at his university?
c) Describe how Eric felt the moment he heard his choir sing the Kyrie Eleison from Mozart' Requiem? (which you can hear here, by the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAeoV4nBjho)
d) Who benefits from the existence of a virtual choir?
b) Why did he decide to join the choir at his university?
c) Describe how Eric felt the moment he heard his choir sing the Kyrie Eleison from Mozart' Requiem? (which you can hear here, by the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAeoV4nBjho)
d) Who benefits from the existence of a virtual choir?
B - Ukulele
Please see below for a link to the sheet music for some songs you might like to learn, a link to our digital tuner, and a printable resource with some of the most commonly used ukulele chords.
Online tuner: http://www.get-tuned.com/html5-ukulele-tuner.php
Ho Hey: http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/HoHey.pdf (use the F major fingering you've already learned)
The Addams Family Theme Song: http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/addamsfamily.pdf
Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi): http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SomeoneYouLoved.pdf
If you're looking for more, ukulelehunt.com is an EXCELLENT resource. You can look up just about any song by name OR by searching up chords you'd like to learn to play. They'll show you the chords AND teach you a few strumming patterns to use with it. Remember that D = down and U = up.
If you're looking for even more of a challenge, use your knowledge of music notation (check out the Grade 6 tab on this website if you need a refresher) to write out the strumming pattern. Music notation is an important tool to help us remember what something is supposed to sound like - it picks up where things like "D" and "U" leave off and helps us play with accuracy.
Please see below for a link to the sheet music for some songs you might like to learn, a link to our digital tuner, and a printable resource with some of the most commonly used ukulele chords.
Online tuner: http://www.get-tuned.com/html5-ukulele-tuner.php
Ho Hey: http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/HoHey.pdf (use the F major fingering you've already learned)
The Addams Family Theme Song: http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/addamsfamily.pdf
Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi): http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SomeoneYouLoved.pdf
If you're looking for more, ukulelehunt.com is an EXCELLENT resource. You can look up just about any song by name OR by searching up chords you'd like to learn to play. They'll show you the chords AND teach you a few strumming patterns to use with it. Remember that D = down and U = up.
If you're looking for even more of a challenge, use your knowledge of music notation (check out the Grade 6 tab on this website if you need a refresher) to write out the strumming pattern. Music notation is an important tool to help us remember what something is supposed to sound like - it picks up where things like "D" and "U" leave off and helps us play with accuracy.
C - Piano
If you have a piano at home and play regularly, keep doing so. This material may be too easy for you. If you have a piano at home and you don't really know how to play it but would like to try, try the resources below:
1. Review your note names and rhythm values. There are five interactive lessons below and I want you to go through each of them to review the note and rest names you learned in Grade 5 and 6.
Treble/bass clefs & the grand staff: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/10
Note duration: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/11
Measures and time: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/12
Rests: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/13
Notes on the keyboard: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/keyboard
2. Test your knowledge (for fun!) with these interactive games:
Heroic Ants Note Namer:
https://reviewgamezone.com/games4/ants.php?test_id=19594&title=Notes%20On%20The%20Staff
Heroic Ants Rhythm Namer:
https://reviewgamezone.com/games4/ants.php?test_id=22091&title=Rhythm%20Values
Note namer: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note
3. Introduction to Playing the Piano
Follow this link for a step-by-step guide to playing the piano:
https://www.lachsa.net/ourpages/auto/2014/6/27/67460680/AlfredsPianovol1.pdf
If you have a piano at home and play regularly, keep doing so. This material may be too easy for you. If you have a piano at home and you don't really know how to play it but would like to try, try the resources below:
1. Review your note names and rhythm values. There are five interactive lessons below and I want you to go through each of them to review the note and rest names you learned in Grade 5 and 6.
Treble/bass clefs & the grand staff: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/10
Note duration: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/11
Measures and time: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/12
Rests: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/13
Notes on the keyboard: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/keyboard
2. Test your knowledge (for fun!) with these interactive games:
Heroic Ants Note Namer:
https://reviewgamezone.com/games4/ants.php?test_id=19594&title=Notes%20On%20The%20Staff
Heroic Ants Rhythm Namer:
https://reviewgamezone.com/games4/ants.php?test_id=22091&title=Rhythm%20Values
Note namer: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note
3. Introduction to Playing the Piano
Follow this link for a step-by-step guide to playing the piano:
https://www.lachsa.net/ourpages/auto/2014/6/27/67460680/AlfredsPianovol1.pdf