Book Week Planning for Symphony of Stories Part 4a : Meet the composers and musicians.

A composer is a person who creates original music, typically by piecing together melodies, harmonies, rhythms and structural elements. The term originates from Latin, simply meaning "one who puts together". The title is principally used for those who write classical music or film music.

A musician is someone who composes, conducts, or performs music. They may sing, play musical instruments, or create original songs. Their work often involves hours of rehearsal, studio sessions, and live performances across various settings like orchestras, bands, and solo acts. 

To start on this adventure read about classical music in general first, then look at the composers and specific music next. It is possible to learn so much about musicians from reading picture book biographies and there is so many to choose from.

• Listen to the Birds; An Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Gerhard & Cecilia Varela

Here we learn about some of the pieces of classical music inspired by birds, with descriptions of twenty different works by Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Saint-Saëns amongst others.  There is an accompanying CD.

• My First Classical Music Book  by Genevieve Helsby

Readers are asked to think about the different places in which we might hear music. Then, each of the major composers and musical instrument families are introduced and brought to life in a vivid and enchanting way. 

• Ketzel the Cat Who Composed by Leslie Newman & Amy June Bates

Moshe Cotel was a composer who lived in a noisy building on a noisy street in a noisy city. But Moshe didn’t mind. Everything he heard was music to his ears. One day, while out for a walk, he heard a small, sad sound that he’d never heard before. It was a tiny kitten! “Come on, little Ketzel,” Moshe said, “I will take you home and we will make beautiful music together.” 

Where to start with composers and their music? I'm not sure. Everybody has their own favourite composers.  So everybody has a different idea about who is great. Alphabetically? I have only included those where there are books to support learning about them.

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) German 

• Ludwig van Beethoven 

• Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) Norwegian 

• George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) German-British

• Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934) English

• Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 - 1921) German

• Charles Ives (1874-1954) American

• Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881) Russian

• Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) German

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Austrian

                                                                                                          

The rest of the alphabet tomorrow!

Book Week Planning for Symphony of Stories Part 3c: What instrument should I play? Percussion?

The fourth section of the orchestra is percussion. Here's where the instruments become FUN. There is more flavour to this section—comprising a host of instruments that make a sound when hit a certain way. This huge family consists of percussion staples such as cymbals, timpani, xylophones, triangles, various types of drums and much more. Percussionists play a LOT of instruments!

Here's some books about drums and drummers!

• Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle & Rafael Lopez

In this picture book bursting with vibrance and rhythm, a girl dreams of playing the drums in 1930s Cuba, when the music-filled island had a taboo against female drummers.

•  Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker & Devon Holzwarth

This inspiring picture book biography tells the story of world-famous deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. This is a story of music. Of obstacles. Of strength and hard work. Of all you can accomplish when you dream.

• Drum City  by Thea Guidone & Vanessa Brantley-Newton

What begins with one boy's beat on a kettle soon spreads to pots and pans and cartons and cans all across the neighborhood. When everyone joins in, together they create the catchy, driving tempo. A summer parade, a drummer parade, a magical bucket-and-bowl serenade!

• Poke and the Drum  by Matthew Forsythe

The biggest mistake Pokko’s parents ever made was giving her the drum. When Pokko takes the drum deep into the forest it is so quiet, so very quiet that Pokko decides to play. And before she knows it she is joined by a band of animals —first the raccoon, then the rabbit, then the wolf—and soon the entire forest is following her.

• Everything a Drum  by Sarah Warren & Camila Caroline

Our hero drums his way through the day from room to room and page to page, experimenting with objects and surfaces the way all children do. As the day winds down, we also see the rhythm of calmer moments, like the gentle heartbeat heard when snuggling with Mum, “Thrum, thrum, thrum.”

• Life-Changing Music - Drumming by Nandi Bushell

Learn how Nandi Bushell, the young drummer who has played with the Foo Fighters at Wembley, discovered drumming when she was just five years old. She shares how she plays - from the simple drumming beats she first learned to drum rolls, fills and backbeats - and offers insider tips and sage advice for young fans around the world.

• Donald Loves Drumming  by Nick Bland

Donald loves drumming, all day and all night. But his family all say he is TOO LOUD. So Donald tries other activities-but nothing seems right.

•  Max Found Two Sticks  by Brian Pinkney

A young boy is introduced to the joys of making music through this imaginative story. Max picks up two twigs and begins tapping out the rhythms of everything he sees around him, from distant church bells to the rumble of the subway. Then, when a marching band rounds his corner, something wonderful happens.

• My Possum Plays the Drums  by Catherine Meatheringham & Max Hamilton

Night-time falls and the possum orchestra begins. Drums bang, violins scratch and I can't sleep!

• The Drummer Boy  by  SooHyeon Min
Rukundo, a boy known for his drumming ability, carries big responsibilities in his village in Rwanda. Each day he must walk many miles just to collect dirty water from the watering hole and often times he can't attend school. When his younger siblings get sick from the dirty water, Rukundo knows that something must be done to provide a water pump for his village. With the assistance of his drumming skills, he draws attention from across the country to help his family gain access to clean water.

• Drummer Boy of John John by Mark Greenwood & Frane Lessac

Carnival is coming, and the villagers of John John, Trinidad, are getting ready to jump up and celebrate with music, dancing, and a parade. This exuberant story inspired by the early life of Winston “Spree” Simon, a pioneer in the development of the steel drum.

Sometimes the piano is included with the percussion instruments and there are more picture books about pianos than the rest of the percussion. I have written about pianos in picture books before, on Piano Day here and here.

Book Week Planning for Symphony of Stories Part 3b: What instrument should I play? Wind instrument?

 

Wind instruments are divided into Woodwind and Brass. 

There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed instruments. The main distinction between these instruments and other wind instruments is the way in which they produce sound. The modern orchestra's woodwind section typically includes flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons. 

A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by vibration of air in a tubular resonator  in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Modern brass instruments generally come in one of two families:

• valved - the trumpet, French horn, euphonium and tuba.

• slide - the trombones.

It is harder to find picture books for this section of the orchestra. Our library has these.

There isn't any fun/silly  stories about flutes, but the library has several picture book versions of The Magic Flute  and  The Pied Piper of Hamelin.