Preschool/Kindergarten Music Appreciation: A is for Accelerando

New to Music Appreciation? Check out this post for a quick run-down!

A is for Accelerando, Angels Watching Over Me, and Andersen

                Sing your gathering song.

                Introduce the word.

Accelerando – literally, to accelerate. To gradually go faster and faster

Ritardando – the opposite of accelerando. G get slower and slower.

Atempo – return to original tempo (speed)

Flashcards with Illustrations

               

Activity.

Have the kids do some sort of movement (marching around the room is always a good one. Jumping up and down, pretending to swim, crab walk, wiggling, you get the idea.) Have them do this action when you say go. When you shout "accelerando" they have to keep speeding up and speeding up until you shout “ritardando.” Now they slow down. Shout “atempo” for them to go back to the beginning speed. Continue to play this game, switching the action as needed, until the kids have had enough.

               

Learn the new song for the week.

Angels Watching Over Me is the song for the week. It is a children’s spiritual. As you’ll see in the lyrics below, it is basically a prayer and so much fun to sing! You’ll find a few different versions of the lyrics, but these are the ones I sing.

All night, all day,

Angels watching over me, my Lord.

All night, all day,

Angels watching over me.

When at night I go to sleep.

Angels watching over me, my Lord.

Pray the Lord my soul to keep.

Angels watching over me.

All night, all day,

Angels watching over me, my Lord.

All night, all day,

Angels watching over me.

And here's an adorable groups of second graders singing it if you want to hear how it goes. 

If you want, discuss with your children how spirituals were sung by slaves while they worked on plantations in the south. They usually have a distinct style of a “call” and an “answer.” One person would usually sing the “call” and then everyone else in the fields would “answer.” 

Which parts of this song are the call? Which are the answer?

For more interesting information about African American spirituals as a secret code to send messages, check out the info on this site. http://www.negrospirituals.com/

Sing through the song a couple times with your kids. The words are pretty easy to learn. Give them instruments to play while you sing, have them clap their hands, or pat their legs.

The last time you sing it, designate someone to call out your words for the day. Speed up and slow down the song according to their commands (you might have to sing the song many more times now so that each child can do this)

                Introduce the Composer of the day

Joachim Andersen – He was considered one of the best flute virtuosos and composers of his time. In 1882 he co-founded the Berlin Philharmonic, where he was solo flutist and a conductor. However, in 1893 he had to resign because of a paralysation in his tongue. He then became a great teacher and composer.

Here is his piece, “Hungarian Fantasie Op. 2”  Have children listen, dance, and pretend to play the flute.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7e1eoH8EYs

Additional words you can teach with this video: Piano, flute, pianist, flutist, duet, solo

Can you hear where there is an accelerando or ritardando?

                End by singing a few “requests.”