Appropriate Music for the Classroom
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1.
“Takin’ Care of Business” - Recorded
by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Album: Bachman-Turner Overdrive II
Year: 1973
Writer: Randy Bachman
Label: Mercury
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmwic9kFx2c
2. Andy Griffith theme song; whistle – Earle Hagen
Composer: Earle Hagen and Herbert W. Spencer
Year: 1960
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzQXeC5O01Y
3. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (instrumental) – Recorded by Israel (IZ) Kamakawiwo’ole
“Over the Rainbow” composer: Harold Arlen
“What a Wonderful World” composer: Bob Thiele
Year: 1993
Album: Facing Future
Label: Mountain Apple Company
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zte33ydKNXE
4. “After the Rain” – By Terry Oldfield
Album: Zen Forest
Year: 2009
Label: New Earth Records
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/zen-forest-meditation-music/id335814903
5. “Everyday” (instrumental) – Recorded by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens
Composer: Jamie Houston
Album: High School Musical 2 Soundtrack
Year: 2007
Label: Walt Disney
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPrW7UM2O5o
6. “Symphony No. 9” – Beethoven
Year: 1824
Composer: Beethoven
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-mvutiDRvQ
7. “Flute Concerto No. 1” – Mozart
Year: 1778
Composer: Mozart
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spb1rSKI3VM
8. “Sunlight Dancing” – Deuter
Year: 2000
Album: Sun Spirit
Label: New Earth Records
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abyq867wSyg
9. “Learning to Fly” – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Album: Learning to Fly
Year: 1991
Writers: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne
Label: MCA
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5BJXwNeKsQ
10. “Down by the Bay” – Raffi
Album: Singable Songs for the Very Young
Year: 1976
Label: New Rounder
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lg_HJXPAE
Album: Bachman-Turner Overdrive II
Year: 1973
Writer: Randy Bachman
Label: Mercury
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmwic9kFx2c
- I chose this piece because it has a good tempo. I would use this song as background music for when the students are working on a hands-on project or when they are cleaning up after a craft or other activity.
2. Andy Griffith theme song; whistle – Earle Hagen
Composer: Earle Hagen and Herbert W. Spencer
Year: 1960
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzQXeC5O01Y
- I chose this song because of the whistling. It would work as transition music as students are moving between one activity and the next.
3. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (instrumental) – Recorded by Israel (IZ) Kamakawiwo’ole
“Over the Rainbow” composer: Harold Arlen
“What a Wonderful World” composer: Bob Thiele
Year: 1993
Album: Facing Future
Label: Mountain Apple Company
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zte33ydKNXE
- This is a song that has been heard by most people at some point in their lives. I really like the tempo of this song. It is not too fast or too slow. It would be a good song to have playing in the background when students are working individually.
4. “After the Rain” – By Terry Oldfield
Album: Zen Forest
Year: 2009
Label: New Earth Records
Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/zen-forest-meditation-music/id335814903
- This is very relaxing music. You could play it as the students are reading, but be careful not to make them all sleepy.
- Activity: An activity that could be done with this song is weather related. Play a short clip of the song and have the students imagine what type of weather it may be referring to. Even though the song is called “After the Rain” (don’t tell them the title), some students may say it reminds them of a beautiful windy day or others might say it reminds them of a rainy afternoon. Then ask them what about the song/instruments, etc. makes them imagine this type of weather.
5. “Everyday” (instrumental) – Recorded by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens
Composer: Jamie Houston
Album: High School Musical 2 Soundtrack
Year: 2007
Label: Walt Disney
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPrW7UM2O5o
- I like this song because of the dynamics. It starts off kind of soft and gets a bit louder as the song goes on. It would be good to have as background music during individual activities or to use as a time limit. You could say, you have until the end of this song to finish your activity.
6. “Symphony No. 9” – Beethoven
Year: 1824
Composer: Beethoven
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-mvutiDRvQ
- This would be good to have as background music when students are working on activities and do not have to be completely quiet. It shouldn’t be too loud in the background or students will try to talk over it and become louder and louder.
7. “Flute Concerto No. 1” – Mozart
Year: 1778
Composer: Mozart
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spb1rSKI3VM
- Using this piece would be good for a creative writing activity. You could play this piece or a few minutes of it and then have the students write a story to go along with it. How does this song make them feel, what is going on in this song, how are they feeling after listening to it, etc. The song starts out in major, but changes to minor after about two minutes. It would be interesting to see if the students notice the change, and if so, what kind of comments they could make about it.
8. “Sunlight Dancing” – Deuter
Year: 2000
Album: Sun Spirit
Label: New Earth Records
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abyq867wSyg
- I like this song because of the tempo. It could be used to settle the class down, even though it is a little bit fast, you could slowly turn the volume down in order to gain the attention of the class. For instance, when the music stops, the class should be silent.
9. “Learning to Fly” – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Album: Learning to Fly
Year: 1991
Writers: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne
Label: MCA
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5BJXwNeKsQ
- I like this song because it has a consistent beat. The message is a good one, and it would be an okay song to have on as students are working individually or in small groups.
10. “Down by the Bay” – Raffi
Album: Singable Songs for the Very Young
Year: 1976
Label: New Rounder
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lg_HJXPAE
- I love this song, I listened to Raffi as a kid and this song is a fun one to get kids singing along. You can also change out some of the words to fit within your classroom. It’s a great rhyming activity.