Giants of American Music

Hey Macarena! Third graders keep time while they sing a Latin Folk Song. To practice keeping a steady rhythm and singing in pitch, the class sings the Folk Song together and in a round while keeping a beat. They then learn to do the...

Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 

Students complete a unit of lessons on a variety of types of American music. They record their impressions of music samples on a worksheet, identify types of instruments, and choose a musical selection for their family to respond to.

A brief overview of composer George Gershwin, accompanied with audio samples of his music.

A short biography of George Gershwin (1898-1937 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.

Several radio shows with music clips regarding "Rodeo" and other works by Copland. Click to a short biography.

A short biography of John Phillip Sousa (1854-1932 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.

A brief biography of American composer, George Gershwin.

Interested in popular and serious music, Gershwin (1898-1937) played a big part in bringing jazz to a more important place in American music. He helped mix it with classical music in his compositions. Read more about his work, including...

Aaron Copland (1900-1990 CE) was one of the first composers to put jazzy music into symphonic music, Copland was also one of the greatest American composers. Read more about him and his work. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to...