The last day of the Christmas holidays in London was unexpectedly sunny, crisp and breezy. After the departure of some visitors, my husband Robert and I were about to go out for a walk and some tea and cake, when he suddenly pointed to a patch of light on the wall behind me. The reflections from the garden of waving branches and the wrought iron of a clothes post were casting flickering shadows onto the wall in an astonishing fashion, almost like a silent movie. Robert grabbed his iPhone and captured some video. “You could use that for a film-poem, “ I remarked, thinking about the beautiful short videos some friends had made recently.

When we got home from our walk, I began improvising to the footage on the piano, while Robert, listened and wrote.  Within twenty minutes, we both had something. Remarkably, when Robert read his poem aloud, it was exactly the same length as the video footage. He recorded it, using the free application Audacity, and then I recorded my part onto a different track so that we could experiment with individual volume and color.

I’m not a recording engineer, but I know what works when I hear it. In this case, I knew we needed to take the ‘edge’ off the sound on both tracks. It took a little while to find the right effect for the piano part. It wasn’t until Robert added a little reverb that it harmonized with the imagery. It sounded as if it had been recorded many years ago in a dusty, cavernous ballet studio on a slightly tinny upright. Perfect.

We both could hear that Robert’s voice was also cutting through the texture in a way that sounded too immediate, modern and dynamic. When he equalized it, using an effect called RCA Victor 1947, it all came together. He then exported it as a wav file, and dragged it into iMovie, an easy-to-use Mac application.

Result: a film-poem in one evening. If only making art could be this easy and graceful every time.

During the following week, Robert discovered that there were free time-lapse applications available for the iPhone, and shot some footage from his office window high over the city, using an app called Gorillacam. As he wrote on his blog, www.robertpeake.com,  “Yesterday, with the help of an iPhone app, I propped my phone by the window for several hours and set it to take pictures six times per minute. I composited these images into video at 24 frames per second using Quicktime, then looped the clip back-and-forth, adjusted the colour, and added a panning and zooming effect using iMovie.”

Meanwhile, I was thinking about how best to reflect the images in sound. As I watched the flickering footage at the weekend, I realized that what one often hears accompanying time-lapse cityscapes are minimalistic, repetitive, fast-moving patterns. I wondered what it would be like to go for the polar opposite. I created a slow chord sequence aiming to mirror at once the golden light of the buildings, and the creepy effect of the looping footage.  When Robert read the poem simultaneously with the music, the rhythm of the chordal sequence tended to pull at the poem. However, when we recorded them on separate tracks, they worked beautifully when juxtaposed. Hey presto, another film-poem!

Click to watch “Upon Arrival”

So why am I recounting this on a music teachers’ blog? Well, it seems to me that there are new opportunities here for us to work creatively with students. Imagine a student shooting video footage on their phone during the week, bringing it to the lesson, and then using it as a basis for improvisation. Or, equally, bringing a poem to record on a separate track. It is so easy now to use these applications to create something convincing. This could then be posted on youtube or easily shared on Facebook with their friends. So much of what we do as musicians is temporary, created in a moment and then disappearing once more. Preserving these creative events can be immensely satisfying.

What kinds of creative collaboration inspire you? What kind of applications have you discovered to use with students?  I’d love to hear your experiences.

Based on a Novel Idea by Wendy Stevens.

In her recent website newsletter, Wendy Stevens described a holiday project she designed. She asked her piano students to learn the theme of the “Jingle Bell” chorus and create a variation. Each arranger was filmed debuting his/her arrangement and made into a lovely video.

Fortunately, Wendy shares her marvelous teaching ideas and inspirations on her unique website www.composecreate.com. Subscribing to her free newsletter provides me with numerous ideas and resources. I must give full credit to her for the subject of this blog and am so thankful to find her as a continual resource of inspiration.

The Plot

When preparing for the upcoming holiday recital, lesson time can be zapped by ironing out wrinkles in performance pieces or drilling the performance etiquette routine. Little time is left for covering new concepts or new pieces. This calls for an assignment that captures the students’ attention, challenges their creativity and that can be accomplished in a short amount of time.

 The Production

The following steps were taken to prepare students:

1) A lead sheet featuring the melody and chord symbols was reviewed. Early level students were provided with a simple LH version.

2)  For inspiration, students were asked to listen to Mozart’s Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” and follow along with the score. Next they watched the youtube video of Wendy’s students. (As I offer 30-minute lessons with a 30-minute lab time, this was assigned during the lab time and did not take away from lesson time.)

3) A checklist of composition devices was given to charge up the creative juices. About 5 minutes of lesson time was taken to prod students’ idea bank. We looked over a list of various moods that sparked the imagination engines. Most were inspired to borrow ideas from their current pieces which boosted their confidence as they were not starting with a blank slate. Additional ideas included varying the melody with neighbor tones, repeated notes, rhythmic changes and using standard LH patterns they encounter on a regular basis. Students were encouraged to keep it simple. However, they know I am a huge fan of intros and outros (codas), so most added them to please the teacher

4) Pianists (arrangers) were asked to return to the next lesson with a completed variation.

Action!

The following week was like Christmas as each student “unwrapped” his/her variation for me. Some were perfected and camera-ready, some even had more than one variation, while others needed last-minute tweaking to work out rhythm or harmony issues.

Recording each student usually took more than one “take” but they did seem relieved to know that only their hands would be filmed. They were all reminded to use their best hand position but  some were quite surprised with what they saw while watching their own video. (Note to self: pull out this camera more often–a picture can say so much more than words!)

Cut!

After accumulating the clips, they all headed to the editing table (iMovie). Every student who participated was included in the final cut, however there were so many that a ‘sequel’ was needed.

The Editor’s cut features the top twelve variations (yes, it was hard to choose!). It was just added to my Music Teachers Helper website, a great way to showcase the latest studio activities.

This is the first of MANY similar projects. It offered an opportunity to cover theory topics like the theme and variation form, primary chords, secondary chords, modality, composition techniques…the list goes on. The students enjoyed the creativity and seeing their names and hands “up in lights”–watch out Hollywood!

Reason #1 to Keep Believin’: Chords for Keeps

Most pop songs are really just “four-chord songs.” At least that is what “Axis of Awesome” (a comedic rock band) claim and explain in this PG-13 clip. They begin with Journey’s “Don’t’ Stop Believin” and continue with a medley of countless hits that feature the same four chords (in the same order, too!).  After watching this video I decided that my students must watch it as well (with parental consent), memorize those four chords and learn the opening line of Journey to play anywhere, anytime. Turns out,  they not only enjoy the fact that they can play the “Glee”-remake but also take pride in the fact that they now know the secret behind most of their favorite pop songs.  Bonus: their friends love to sing along and actually “believe” they can play the piano like the “pros”.

Teaching Hint: If your students know the Heart and Soul Pattern, they know the chords of most four-chord songs.

Reason #2: Trash to Treasure

Brian, a 29 year old general contractor, dragged a piano from a neighbor’s trash pile and began to teach himself piano by listening to songs off iTunes and YouTube. One of the first songs he learned by ear was “Don’t Stop Believin”. Since this past November, he comes for weekly lessons with me and even chose to plan his first “gig” at a local Whole Foods store that hosts a community piano. He requested that we play this favorite hit as a duet. After his debut, he has not stopped believin’ in what he can accomplish at the keys.

Note: the magnetic pop-hit-turned-piano-duet captivated many shoppers. They couldn’t leave until it was finished.

Reason #3:  Old and New

I do not claim to be current at all and I did not know that Journey was releasing a new album with a lead singer to replace Steve Perry. Recently, a friend told me of how moved she was by an interview with Arnel Pineda and the band members on “CBS This Morning“. After watching the clip, I was convinced yet again how this tune “Don’t Stop Believin” has power to equip, power to inspire and power to change lives forever.

Reason #4: Patterns and Passion

Even though some songs include only “four chords’ what a gift we can give our students.  When they have the power (and the patterns) to unlock the secret of the latest hits they will be hooked for a lifetime. Thank you Journey for keeping us belieivin!

Central to the idea of exploration at an instrument is the notion of practicing as pure play, as opposed to practice as rehearsing, working, or merely repeating. All students (and professonals too!) need some emotional distance from their goals once in a while in order to fully take the time to pursue where their imagination is taking them. Children already know this innately – are we doing our best to enable this wonderful human quality?

Here are four things that teachers and parents can do to re-start student creativity:

1. Wean students away from constant parental involvement. The creative impulse often requires silence and solitude. From time to time, leaving a young student to their own devices at their instrument is an excellent idea. What they lose in the achievement of daily practice tasks they may gain in understanding, exploration, and fun. If they enjoy this time spent privately at their instrument, it might just pay big dividends down the road when they eventually play at an advanced level, enjoying the rich rewards of both trusting the responses of one’s own body and the practice process.

2. Encourage students to play rather than work at the instrument. It’s no accident that the English word for “operating a musical instrument” just happens to be “play”. The notion of practice as play is all too often forgotten, and rediscovering it will help to animate one’s creative self.

3. Enable students to learn new repertoire and new styles. Several of my students have an interest in playing both ragtime, jazz, and gospel music, and since they have the time over the summer to pursue these styles, I’m more than willing to oblige. Of course, there’s a lot of self-interest on my part in encouraging this exploration, as my students’ discovery becomes a prime opportunity for me to uncover a lot of new and interesting music that will be beneficial to my entire studio over the long run.

4. Encourage students to improvise. In spite of the rich compositional legacy of the European, jazz, and popular traditions, very few teachers ever encourage or teach their students how to improvise at their instrument. Of course, any six-year-old can make up songs without any encouragement, and free time spent at their instrument will increase the chances of crrating their own musical works.

Once students are comfortable in their own skin in the practice studio, discovering new styles and imorovising, there’s a big chance that they might end up creating their own compositions. Next month I’ll look at ways that you can encourage and assist students eager to make the jump into composing.

As I continue on my path towards keeping myself and my students musically fit (see last month’s blog), I continue to seek out musicians/educators who inspire, train, and challenge me–one of them being Bradley Sowash. Inspired by his story above (see link below for entire article), my studio bulletin board exclaims “know your chords, kid”.  All students know we will be hitting chords hard over the next months to build some strong “chord” muscles. Sowash crafts inspiring articles, unprecedented books and videos that help me hone my skills as a musician, teacher AND a jazz player. Of course, many of them will be used this summer to develop students‘ chord playing skills and so much more.

Perhaps you’ve seen Sowash’ series entitled That’s Jazz (can’t help but love the illustrations)? The books provide a gym bag full of workouts for novice to serious jazz players. Sowash understands the need to explain jazz in basic terms and provides “safe” improvisation arenas for musicians who tend to favor the page.

Each piece–a solo gem on it’s own–includes an optional duet part and a swinging’ CD accompaniment. However, what attracted me to the books immediately were the pages entitled “Warm Up” and “Going Further”. The Warm Up page (found prior to an upcoming solo) breaks down an important element of  jazz in a pedagogically pleasing (yes!) format. The Going Further page (found after the solo) gives clear and basic suggestions for improvising like a true jazz player. The soloist is then challenged to play the solo again plugging in any/all suggestions. Sowash is an expert at keeping instructions simple and setting boundaries so that there is little fear of failure and a foundation for creativity to blossom. Students of mine who had never before stepped foot on a “jazz” court  found success unlocking and exploring creative skills fostered by this series. (Note: this series focuses on the jazz style, but instructions are useful to any style of improv.)

Below are links to various resources developed by Sowash so that you too, can make jazz and improvisation accessible to any student.

Bradley Sowash

Check out his wide selection of books, beyond those mentioned above, that should keep any wanna-be jazz pianist busy and satisfied.

http://www.bradleysowash.com/BookThatsJazz.htm

Read a terrific article (mentioned above) penned by Sowash providing ample ideas and basic scale and chord patterns required for building strong improv skills.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/clavier/companion_20110506/#/34

Watch him explain how to use his innovative method on video.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bradleysowash?feature=mhum#p/u/1/dpnxkuYNUIs

Find him on Facebook where you can view his work as an educator, composer and

Performer/Composer/Educator

performer.

https://www.facebook.com/BradleySowashMusic

Hopefully, you may find one or all of Bradley Sowash’s (http://www.bradleysowash.com/ ) resources valuable as you continue to train your students to stay musically fit OFF the page as well as on.

Some Observations…

1) As an organist and pianist with a master’s degree in piano performance and pedagogy, I met the challenges of memorizing Bach, executing the articulation of Mozart, the voicing of Brahms’ inner melodies, and the shimmering tones of Debussy and, succeeded, according to my professors. However, after the diploma was hung, it was quite clear to me that my sight reading skills needed attention AND chord charts for my church’s praise band seemed to be written in a secret code. I kept thinking, what kind of pianist was I? I felt lopsided–I was strong as a classical pianist but very weak as a functional musician.

2) Recently, a student of mine participated in a very unique Creative Pianist Contest and earned a $100 for the best performance of a Contemporary piece and another $100 prize for the most Versatile Pianist. Of course I was so proud of him and can take some credit for helping him to master Copland’s “Cat and Mouse”. However, I wish I could also take full credit for his versatility as well! In general, my “job” as his teacher has been to keep him staying ON the printed page because he has such exceptional skills living OFF the printed page. I can take credit for challenging those skills but the wiring between his hands and ears is an extraordinary gift and very atypical of what most of my present piano students possess.

Question…

If all students can learn to read and play music from the grand staff, should they not be able to learn how to play by ear, read chord charts and improvise as well? Can all students (not just those with a natural gift to play by ear) learn to be versatile, musically fit musicians?

Answer…

Yes! My teaching philosophy stems directly from reactions to my past and present experiences as a student and as a teacher. Although I use the typical piano methods, I interject various activities to develop functional keyboard skills for all students. During the summer months is a great time to focus on specific skills such as composition, improvising, creating with Garage Band, chord charts which all encourage the ability to play by ear.

How…

One online tool that is geared specifically to train the ear is Theta Music Trainer. I am happy to see that after my first review in a past blog, this website continues to evolve and improve its ear training course for ALL levels of musicians. The well organized format, the accessibility and affordability will make an excellent trainer for my “music skill builders”.

Highlights of Theta Music Trainer

A Well-Designed Course

This program was developed from the author’s own desire to play by ear. The site is designed around the four core areas of musicianship–melody, harmony, rhythm and sound. The system designs 30 daily workout sessions that last from 10-15 minutes.

Games that Motivate

According to the site, ” Basic musicianship skills are often best developed by working away from your instrument initially, in short bursts of concentrated practice.” The games found on the site aim to provide a total workout for the ear. The variety and design of the games are fun and in turn, boost motivation.

Highlights of Recent Upgrades

New Games

Knowing that new games have been added and some provide learning for those without prior knowledge of music theory, shows that investment in this site will prove valuable to any level of musician.  More games are coming, again, soon.

Personal Trainer

Feedback of progress is unique to this sight. Instead of bar graphs, percentages or grades, Theta Music Trainer provides each user with a personal trainer that analyzes performance of games played and recommends additional games to strengthen weaker skills. This automated “coach” adapts to individual needs and interests.

Assignment/Gradebook for  Teachers

This feature provides teachers with guidance in using Theta Music Trainer in conjunction with music lessons. Assignments  can be created, tracked, completed and graded online.  Plus, big educational discounts are now offered for teachers and their students.

Other Features

The site continues to be tweaked and improved, which means Theta Music Trainer listens to its customers just as well as it teaches listening.

The trainer is multilingual, currently offering games in English, Japanese, Spanish with more on the way.

Click on Resources for Play-by-Ear tips for insightful instructions on how to strengthen listening skills.

So…

As I teach out of reaction to my above observations, I will continue to accumulate tools like Theta Music Trainer to equip my students to become strong in EVERY music skill a musician needs to stay fit.

Looking forward to using the site and would love to see apps for the mobile phones and the iPad for students on the go!

Last summer, students created pieces and notated their compositions on my Sibelius program. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and many more are signing up for that opportunity this summer. As I make plans for these budding composers, I would like to offer them options so that they can notate their masterpieces at home. This will allow for more lesson time spent on creating and refining and less time on entering data.

Two programs have come to my attention. I am hoping that one or both may equip students for producing a professional-looking composition here, at the studio, and also at home.

Musescore

This free,  downloadable music notation program offers an alternative to powerful but pricey programs such as Sibelius and Finale.  Easy to use, notation can be entered via keyboard, mouse or MIDI keyboard. Scores can also be shared online once you make your own Muse account.

Numerous helpful videos are available and enable anyone to get started with the basics. Apparently, this program easily imports documents to Sibelius and Finale as well. Click on this link to see the basic tour of MuseScore http://youtu.be/0mh6m2mbVHs

Noteflight

This web-based program allows early musicians to notate compositions with ease. From my limited exposure, it was extremely simple to notate, copy and share via email. This would be a great way to check up on progress of students and answer any questions they may have between lessons. You can even embed pieces on your website. Yes, I tried it, and it worked.

The video tutorial will be essential to introducing the basics to new users. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1BrFc1Qjog&feature=player_embedded#at=16

As I have only peeked at both programs that provide excellent tools for music creativity, it is hard for me to determine which one is “write”, perhaps both? Time will tell. Some parents may prefer to download a program instead of their child using the internet browser, while others may prefer not to download yet another application. As I continue to experiment with both, please add your comments, thoughts, opinions, on either Noteflight and/or Musescore. I would greatly appreciate your input before the composition fun begins!

His website states: “One of our primary goals is to help prepare the next generation of composers, arrangers, musicians, music teachers and musicologists to use their music and their love of music to make a difference in their own lives, their community, and the world.”

From the extensive information Simon offers–motivational tips, published books featuring his organized methodology, free downloads, videos and more–he is well on his way to this respectable goal.

I have only perused some of the books in the series and have not used most with any students. However, just today an adult student of mine was thrilled with the visuals and charts found in the Introduction to Scales and Modes book (see below for more details).  Below are some of my early discoveries.

GENERALLY, what you will find in the Music Motivation Series®:

Exciting music which stimulates, motivates and inspires.

Original solos usually power-packed with large chords, demanding rhythmical variety, and uplifting patterns.

Books and the website include an encouraging tone which attracts musicians of all skills levels and their teachers to keep moving forward. A favorite tip for teachers to motivate students: “Ask your students what they want to learn and teach them what t they want to learn.”  I agree–I’ve noticed that customizing lessons attracts and retain students.

Theory explanations that are in-depth but not cumbersome.

Countless visuals of scale, chord and jazz patterns offering a huge resource for budding improvisers and composers.

Repeated instructions to transpose these patterns chromatically–a great reminder for any and all musicians hoping to build improv skills.

Piles of theory facts jam-packed on each page.

A wide variety of material for first-time jazz players to learn and master.

SPECIFICALLY, what you will find in…

Music Motivation®: Jazzed About Christmas

This book limits popular holiday tunes to the key of C “to help piano players learn and understand the concepts.” Simon then suggests moving these established tunes and patterns to new keys chromatically. This format to reinforce concepts in one “easy” key and then transfer to new keys builds secure patterns in eager hands.

The list of  common patterns on pages 8 and 9 provide potential jazz pianists a clear list of “must haves” for the improv back pocket.

Theory Therapy ™, The Building Blocks of Music Theory: Introduction to Scales and Modes

Clear but heavy information loads the front of this book. Perhaps too much to take in as a novice but a great resource when attempting to take improvisatory skills to a new level.

Two visuals or notation systems provide versatility:

1. Standard Music Notation–grand staff
2. Musical Building Blocks.–letters, rhythm but no staff

Organized charts display clear images for those right-brainers who desire letters only and those left-brainers who prefer grand staff notation. As I said earlier, an adult student with little experience with reading music or even playing the piano but, a great deal of passion to learn as much as possible, took to the charts immediately.

Explanation of modes not found in most theory books provides invaluable instruction on how to construct any mode on any  key.

Budding composers will appreciate Simon’s chart on how to modulate to a new key using the “Changing Key Signatures” chart.

The “Mode Application” section provides a clever twist–perhaps not discussed at most piano lessons — and encourages pianists to compare modes immediately and build them on any key.

Perhaps overwhelming for those not immersed with some theory knowledge already, this is an extremely powerful tool for wanna-be improvisers and composers and a “life-time” investment.

Music Motivation® Goal Book, Weekly Lesson Assignment Book

The preface of this student assignment book outlines the well-planned, sequential Music Motivation Methodology.

Checklists of scales, intervals, chords, etc, provide an easy way to track student progress.

Each assignment page includes a “Motivation in a Minute” box.

A favorite: “Do what must be done until you can do what you choose to do.”

Throughout the book, there are reminders of free, downloadable PDFs of essential patterns.

The appendix includes circle of key charts, and a large list of recommended resources.

Perhaps geared for intermediate students, the actual assignment sheet leaves little room for teacher notes. You would definitely need to rely on emailing detailed instructions in your Music Teacher’s Helper lesson notes.

Innovative Improvisation ™ Variations on Mary Had Little Lamb

This unique book takes the tune “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and provides lessons that help pianists play the OLD tune in many NEW styles–from swing to blues to a waltz…This creative and concise tool can help move any pianist out of the fake book “what-do-I-play-in- my-left-hand” syndrome.

There are ample examples of how to create each style notated in standard or “building block” notation.

To reinforce and spur further improvisation, students are asked to apply each style to a number of different tunes.

I could see myself using this for a piano summer camp theme–watch out Mary!

www.Music Motivation®.com

The colorful website is packed with, recommended music resources, motivational advice, books–published and PDF downloads–Simon’s own blog and an invitation to fans for requests, ideas…

Here you will find Jerald Simon’s first CD Hymns of Exultation. The familiar hymns are given a “twist of Simon” providing a fresh take of these timeless tunes. The piano solos are also in print in a book with the same title and include lesson notes prior to each piece.

GENERALLY, what you may miss:

Although inversions are explained and diatonic chords are covered, there seems to be only some attention to the basic terms of harmony (tonic, dominant, etc) and how chords move in common progressions.

There seems to be little attention to how melodies are constructed and developed in the books I overviewed. Jerald Simon’s arranged solos in “Hymns of Exaltation” display his knack for melodic manipulation. His original piano solos do not seem to focus on melody but more on chords and rhythm.

There are MP3′s of most pieces at the website, however, most books do not come with a CD.

On a number of pages, measures seem crowded to keep pieces down to one page. This may keep students from reading the patterns as easily as they may wish.

Although some of the books are written at the intermediate level, many of Simon’s compositions are quite advanced which demand strong rhythmic skills and include numerous 5-note chords which require large hands.

The improvisatory style of Simon’s music is always rhythmically uplifting. His original solo music includes heavy doses of large right-hand chord patterns and booming left-hand octaves which tends to leave little room for melodic content.

If you are looking for motivation to make music and music that motivates, visit Jerald Simon’s website.  His diligent efforts to share his teaching style, music, and motivation are admirable and worth your consideration.

When I first arrived in the States from the United Kingdom, I took a long-term sub job teaching K-6 music in a school in Southern California. Almost as soon as I began the semester, I was asked to begin to prepare the Holiday Program. One of the first things that surprised me was the protocol around this event. In England, when I was growing up, this was known as the Christmas concert and was full of traditional Christmas music. In California by contrast, it was made very clear to me that the only way I would be able to include any Christmas music—carols etc.—was if I were also willing to include a Hanukkah song, and songs relating to Diwali and Kwanzaa.  While I soon realized that this was important as a statement of religious non-partiality, I was disappointed not to be able to include much of the material that was dear to me. I also was a novice in terms of my knowledge of Jewish, Hindu, and Kwanzaa musical traditions.  I eventually worked out a beautiful program of music, and was also happy to learn new secular holiday songs I had not heard before.

Yet eight years on, it is still a source of sadness to me that comparatively few people in America know and appreciate the hundreds of years of traditional Christmas music that are a part of our Western classical heritage. I have no desire to proselytize here.   Religious freedom is one of the great precepts of the American nation.  Yet I wonder if there are still ways to educate our students in this ancient tradition. After all, we would not expect a teacher of art history to refrain from discussing paintings with sacred themes. That would pretty well wipe out the masters of the Renaissance!

In this blog post, I have the great pleasure of introducing to you several Christmas carols that you may not know. Perhaps you may decide to use them as instrumental pieces, or as vocal pieces with those students who are comfortable with the lyrics. In the following blog post, I will focus more on 20^th century additions to the repertoire.

The first carol is “Gabriel’s Message”, originally a Basque carol, but best known in an English translation by S. Baring-Gould. It depicts the Annunciation, and conveys a lyrical poignancy and mystery that is very touching, making a striking contrast with more celebratory carols. “Gabriel’s Message” is sung beautifully here (in an arrangement by Sir David Willcocks) by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, conducted by John Rutter. Educational aspects to point out to students include the switching between two time signatures, 9/8 and 12/8, and the use of natural minor (the Aeolian mode).
Gabriel’s Message

Gabriel’s Message

My second choice is “Of the Father’s Heart Begotten” (originally a Latin plainchant from the 12^th century named “Divinum Mysterium”, and later published in 1582 as part of the collection known as Piae Cantiones). Of the recordings I listened to, the one by Roger Judd and the Choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor, best conveys the majesty and uplift of this ancient melody. Comparing the arrangement with the original plainsong would be a good way to introduce students to plainsong itself, one of the fountainheads of Western melody.

Of the Father’s Heart Begotten

Of the Father’s Heart Begotten

The last carol is a lovely Victorian composition, “See, Amid the Winter’s Snow”, here sung by the St Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, New York, directed by Gerre Hancock. It was written by Edward Caswall (1814–1878), with music composed by Sir John Goss (1800–1880). I would use this an example of how a simple melody and classical harmonies can combine to create a song of such affecting purity, aptly reflecting the text. It would also be easy to create an effective instrumental arrangement.

See Amid the Winter’s Snow

See Amid the Winter’S Snow

All of these carols are of course available in many versions- if you go the iTunes store and search by the name of the carol, you will find everything from Celtic harp arrangements to Tijuana brass to Gospel and pop. I deliberately chose traditional arrangements, as they are my personal favorites. They also provide a good starting place for students because they give the melody unadorned.

Are you familiar with these carols? Are there any carols you particularly love? Do you ever use traditional Christmas music with your students? I’d love to hear your take on this topic.