This song was featured in The Muppet Movie in 1979. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1980 for two categories: best song and best song score. Listen to the recording.
Challenge students to count how many times the word rainbow is sung. (6)
Count how many times the phrases Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection; the lovers, the dreamers and me are sung. (3) Distribute scarves to each student. Students will slowly sway their scarves above their heads on beat one of each measure, under the direction of the teacher, whenever these phrases are sung.
The music is written in triple meter which means there are three beats in each measure.
Move to the beat by performing the following actions: pat, clap, snap.
Choose volunteers to think up three different actions to show triple meter.
Sing the melody of the song. There are many steps and leaps in this song. One leap is particularly noticeable. This is an interval of a fifth.
An interval of a fifth is a leap from the first note to the fifth note of a scale, or from Do to Sol in solfege. Can you think of another song that uses this interval leap? (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Challenge students to find two sections of the song where voices leap an interval of a fifth. So we've been told, and some choose to believe it and I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
Rehearse these two sections until voices are singing accurately.
Add pitched instruments to help keep singers accurate using glockenspiels, met allophones, and xylophones.
Optional: learn the harmony in the second half of the song.
Compare and contrast multiple recordings of "The Rainbow Connection." Listen to the original recording with Kermit the Frog, as well as other recording artists/groups, such as Karen Carpenter, Willie Nelson, Kenny Loggins, Glee, and Sarah McLachlan.
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