Howard Solis
Additional Recorded and Popular Songs
Title: O Fortuna Album: Orff: Carmina Burana Composer: Carl Orff
This piece gives the students the opportunity to understand usual triple meter. Also, students
can use this song to get better at knowing some popular classical music that is performed still
today.
Title: Eine kleine Nachtnmusik I. Allegro Album: Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtnmusik etc.
Composer: W.A. Mozart
This piece contains a very famous opening and has constantly changing “moods” throughout. It
is in a major key and is in common meter. This would be great for listening and sing hand
motions to describe how the piece is progressing.
Title: Morning from Peer Gynt Op. 23 Album: The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music.
Composer: Edvard Grieg Performer: London Philharmonic Orchestra
This song grows slowly in dynamic contrast and tempo. It is in a major key. This song could be
used with scarves to show how the piece gets more and more involved with the instruments and
then goes back down to where it started.
Title:Stars and Stripes Forever Album: John Philip Sousa: Great American Military Marches
Composer: John Philip Sousa Performer: The President’s Own United States Marine Band
This classic Sousa march begins with a rigid march in duple and moves to a different flowing
melody also in duple. This could be used as a listening activity tht nvolve marching in a circle
according the style of the music being played.
Title:Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Album: Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Composer: Pyotr
Ilyich Tchaikovsky Performer: San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
This piece is synonymous with Christmas time and its unique use of the celesta and other
percussion make it very distinct. It could be used as a listening activity where students practice
showing their knowledge of dynamic contrast to show the very soft section and those where the
orchestra gets loud quickly.
Title: Here Comes the Sun Album: Abbey Road Artist: The Beatles
This classic melody by George Harrison and The Beatles features a catchy diatonic melody and
simple form that makes it a great song choice for children to sing along to. I would do an activity
that involved them learning the first verse of the song and chorus and practicing tonal patterns
and intervals that occur throughout the song.
Title: Counting Stars Album: Native Artist: OneRepublic
This song by OneRepublic features simple melody and is in 4/4. I would do an activity that
involves adding both a rhythmic ostinato though beatboxing and a tonal ostinato with the chord
roots.
Title: What Makes You Beautiful Album: Up All Night Artist: One Direction
This popular song by one direction provides a very repetitive form and is known by many
students. Because it contains a very distinctive percussion track I would do an activity that
involved playing unpitched percussion instruments.
Title: Clocks Album: A Rush of Blood to the Head Artist: Coldplay
This song contains an unusual rhythm that repeats constantly. The simple 4/4 measure is
grouped 3+3+2. This would be great for an activity with older students to introduce movement in
unusual meters. By having them step to the macrobeat the can understand that the groupings
change from what they are used to.
Title: Roar Album: Prism Artist: Katy Perry
This song by Katy Perry has a simple melody that students are familiar with as well as as imple
four chord harmonic progression and a steady beat. This activity would be great in having a
classroom performance. Some students could play chord roots on pitched percussion while
other play the rhythm on hand drums.