Lesson kernels may include materials and ideas for using the materials in teaching a music class, ranging from general ideas to fully developed lesson plans. Submissions for this page are welcome. Submissions for under-represented musics are especially welcome. Please use the Contact Form
Below left is a lesson kernel formed around a lecture/recital of the Haydn "Joke Quartet." The lecture/performance is a fully developed--taught, performed and presented well. To be fully developed lesson or class it needs an objective(s), preparation for instruction, and some kind of learning application or assessment. I have included a very rough draft of some of my ideas for using this wonderful video presentation for my gen.ed. students as an introduction to the string quartet and to Haydn's music, and a review of form.
The middle column is a description of some of my personal observations on how my students have reacted to the Instruments of the Western European Orchestra apps listed on the Western Historic Musics page (Learning to identify the instruments of the western orchestra). The columns to the right pose some possible future content of this page.
My students are enthusiastic about the LSO's interactive video of Ravel's Bolero, (although it requires a good internet connection). Some students need to be shown how to change the camera angles and where to locate the pull-down tabs for information on the instruments. They also like the "Perfect Pitch" game, since sound files of individual instruments can be selected, and the historic development of the orchestra (size, and introduction of new instruments). "Perfect Pitch" allows students to spend as much time as they want on learning to identify instruments aurally and visually. Although Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" is often used to introduce the instruments of the orchestra, it is less than ideal for this. For the link to these sites: Learning to identify the western orchestral instruments
Future directions for this section can include playlists (perhaps links to a spreadsheet or database), teaching tips, well-formed or partially-formed teaching ideas. To contribute to this section please use the Contact Form
Links to the playlists you provide your classes (for outside listening) or what you use in class. We may wish to develop this in a format similar to SoundCheck
