1, 2, 3 compose with me!

2nd grade is starting to become young composers! As part of their music curriculum each month there is a composer that they learn about.  This month happens to be Ludwig Von Beethoven.  In the spirit of learning about composers, the students have started writing their own compositions as well!

Ludwig Van Beethoven was born in Germany and started composing his own music at the age of 7! Beethoven's Dad, Leopold, was his first teacher who started Beethoven out learning the piano and violin.

To get the students use to reading music, and introduce them to the instruments they are doing picture compositions.  Each block of the composition the students have to draw one of the instruments that they are learning about that week.  Then they work with a partner (each with their own instrument) and they create their own composition that they then will give a title.  After every student has written their own composition they have 5 minutes to practice and then we have they're own mini concert in class. 

As an add on extension plan, the class following their compositions the students go to the computer lab and create their own music compositions on a website called musicgames.co  Here they can layer instruments on top of each other and hear their own compositions come alive!