Countdown to the New Year

Let's count down to the New Year with a different music activity for every day in December.

December 1 Nutcracker 2 minute video lesson Click Here

December 2 Hanukkah is fast approaching! Do you know the words to this song? See the "Seasonal Music" page for the lyrics. Click Here

December 3 Carol of the Bells: Notice how the lights show the beat, rhythm, and pitch (high and low sounds) Click here

December 4 Hershey Kisses commercial. Music is a powerful tool in advertisement. Click here.

December 5 Nutcracker story Click here

December 6 Nutcracker Russian Dance Movement Lesson Click here Here is the music to go with the lesson Click here

December 7 Nutcracker Dance of Sugar Plum Fairy rhythm Click here

December 8 Nutcracker Trepack percussion activity TIP: Start with the handdrum/stamp movement and do worry about playing the other symbols. When you are comfortable with that, pick another symbol in the notation and do that movement and the handdrum/stamp movement. Keep going and see how many you can do in one listening session Click here

December 9 Snow Day Rhythms Click here

December 10 Watch Snow Day Rhythms again. Make up your own rhythm pattern using the words ice, winter wonder, snowman. Sing along with the video and say your pattern instead of the pattern the man uses.

December 11 Happy Hanukkah This arrangement of Svivon has only 2 phrases throughout the whole piece. Can you hear them? Click here

December 12 Can you hear the A, B, and C sections in Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah? Click here

December 13 "Hot Chocolate" from Polar Express. Sing along on "Hot, hot" Click here What style of music is this?

December 14 "Dance of Sugarplum Fairy" from The Nutcracker What side of the piano has the high notes? Which side has the low notes? Click here

December 15 "Linus and Lucy" from Peanuts Gang. This actually is not a Christmas song, but everyone associates it with Christmas. I normally wouldn't pick it for a holiday activity, but it is a great example of rondo form and a great chance to get up and move. Try this lesson:

Watch this clip Click here Can you hear the different sections of music? AABACADA
Choose a dance move of one of the characters. Listen again and do that dance move when you hear the A section.
Watch again and choose a different dance move. Do that dance move during the B section and change to the first dance move when you hear the A section.
Create your dance move that contrasts the A and B section moves. For example, if the 2 dance moves you used use your arms mostly, do something low to the ground like crawl or shrink down to the ground like "the swim." Do this move during the C section.
Now listen to a recording by this jazz group Click here Do your movements with this recording and make up one more new dance move for the D section.
What instruments do you see and hear in the jazz group recording?

December 16 "Winter Fantasy," a partner song with an old favorite, "Jingle Bells" Can you guess why this is a called a partner song? Click here and sing along

December 17 "The Snowy Day" Listen to the vocal sounds added to this popular story. Can you add your own vocal sounds to depict the sounds you would hear if you were playing with Peter? Click here

December 18 Sing along and discover some little known facts about "Jingle Bells" Click here

December 19 Make a "Quick Book" about the Nutcracker. This video shows how to make a Quick Book. The book I demonstrate is about a composer. You can pick 3 of your favorite scenes in the Nutcracker, or read about the composer of the Nutcracker, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky.

December 20 Watch this video about how to compose a chant. The chant in the video is about hobbies. You can make a chant about things in the winter, such as, snow, snowball fight, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, hot chocolate.... One sentence could be: "Making snowmen in the yard."

December 21 Happy Winter Solstice! Click here and enjoy a peaceful moment as we enter the winter season.

December 22 Winter Themed Percussion Play Along. What do you have around the house that can turn into a percussion instrument? A box, 2 pencils, a take out food container....anything you can tap can be a percussion instrument. Click here and play along

December 23 Watch this recording of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by the Boston Symphony. Click here Can you identify some of the special guest narrators? What instruments do you hear?

December 24 Look at the book "Twas the Night Before Christmas" illustrated by Jan Brett. (Click here) while listening to MA Governor Baker narrate "A Visit from St Nicholas." (Click here) Take time to look at all the beautiful, colorful details in Jan Brett's artwork. Notice how the music compliments the actions and mood of the poem.

December 25 For years I have said that if I could have only 1 CD of Christmas it would be my CD of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. Enjoy this collection of Christmas songs, not just to celebrate Christmas but to appreciate great singing voices Click here

December 26 What can you do with all those empty boxes after gifts have been opened? Make homemade intsruments! Click here

December 27 Here is a fun dance to Jingle Bells. Get your family together and enjoy! Click here

December 28 Listen to Sleigh Ride and sing along Can you notice the A and B sections? (Click here)

December 29 Listen to an instrumental version of Sleigh Ride ( Click here) During the A section pretend you are playing in the snow. (snowball fight motions, making snow angels...) During the B section trot like a horse. During the bridge ("There's a birthday party...") Make your arms open wide slowly during hte crescendo and clap on the crack of the whip sound.

December 30 A fun version of Auld Lang Syne. Click on the clocks a the end for interesting facts about this historic clocks. https://www.jacquielawson.com/sendcard/preview?cont=1&hdn=0&fldCard=3476826&path=83554&pmode=init

December 31 Sing along with Auld Lang Syne https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WTJ2Yv239z4

January 1 What are you hoping for for 2021? See December 19 and 20 anda write abook or song about your hopes. Have great 2021!!!