Virtual Concert: Vocal Music

Bruno Ammanuelle

Age Range: Elementary

Learning Objective: Students will practice their job as the audience by listening to vocal music from a variety of cultures.

Note to Teachers: Virtual Concerts give your students the opportunity to practice their audience skills and experience a wide variety of genres performed by professional, Minnesota-based musicians. As the teacher, you’ll play the role of Concert Host narrating between each piece of music. This concert is designed to be a simple, no prep lesson that works in most environments. It’s a great activity for a sub or lost-voice day! Please customize the lesson to fit your needs, resources, and teaching style. Use your judgment to cater the concert to your students’ needs and attention span.

ENGAGE students

SING. Review the role of an audience by singing the song. (If you have not had a chance to check out the complete “We are the Audience” lesson plan, it’s a great place to start.)

SAY. “People all over the world sing! You will hear four songs today by four different performing groups.”

EXPLORE sounds

WATCH. “Once of our jobs as the audience is to notice and be curious! Be curious as you listen to Siama’s Congo Roots perform some music from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa.

REFLECT. “What did you notice? What did you see? What questions would you ask the performers if they were here?”

WATCH. “Sometimes our job as the audience means participating. In this next song, we get to join in! First, Ahmed from Border CrosSing will show you some actions, then, you will get to sing along with the group.

REFLECT. “Do you remember what country this song is from?” (Venezuela.) “Ahmed taught us four words in Spanish. Can you remember the meaning of any (or all) of the words?” (Amo= I love, Lloro= I cry, Canto= I sing, Sueño= I sleep.)

WATCH. “Next, meet Gaeylnn Lea! Gaelynn has a disability which requires her to hold her violin up and down, like a cello. We have a part to sing in Gaeylynn’s song, too!” Watch the video to learn your part of the duet. You might pause the video after the first minute and a half and practice your part using the written out words below. Then, play the video to sing with Gaelynn.

Lyrics to the audience’s part of the duet:

“Bird, why do you sing? Fate has clipped your wings.” (Repeat)

REFLECT. “Gaelynn said, ‘I wrote this song about how- even if you feel tied down by your body or the situation- your spirit is always free.’ How did the music represent freedom?”

WATCH. “In our final video, we’ll practice another one of our jobs as the audience: noticing timbre. Each instrument and voice have their own special sound quality, or timbre. Practicing noticing the different timbres as we watch Balanse Fofo performed by Afoutayi Dance, Music, and Arts Company.”

REFLECT. “What timbres did you notice? What instruments did you know and which were new to you?”

EXTEND learning

Choose one or more of the following activities to extend learning.

WATCH. Watch Siama and Dallas explain more about the role music played in Siama’s childhood in the DR Congo.
MOVE. Learn this Bucket Passing Activity and sing and play along with Afoutayi’s Zamn Telele!
WATCH. Learn more about Gaelynn in her introduction video or watch her virtual concert!

Related Lesson Plans

Virtual Concert: Instrument Families

Percussion, Strings, Woodwinds, Brass! These are the four families of instruments. Learn to identify which instrument belongs where in this Virtual Concert featuring a wide variety of Class Notes artists.

Virtual Concert: Heliopsis

Heliopsis is a musical duo featuring Mikaela and Nyttu. Learn about the cello and some percussion instruments in this Class Notes Virtual Concert.

Virtual Concert: Border CrosSing

Border CrosSing is a Twin Cities-based chorale ensemble which makes music that welcomes everyone - regardless of which language they speak, where they come from, or what they look like. Meet Ahmed Anzaldúa, Artistic Director of Border CrosSing and listen to this wonderful ensemble sing!