Optional: Recording of "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin
Optional: Kazoos
Instructions
As you listen to "Alexander's Ragtime Band," pass a ball around the circle to keep the steady beat. Once the beat is established, begin passing laminated facts about the song around the circle, such as:
Irving Berlin
1911
Bugle call:
"Swanee River"
Hit cover song
Ragtime
After listening to the song, have volunteers read the laminated facts.
Irving Berlin wrote this song. He was an American composer and lyricist, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. He also wrote "God Bless America."
This song was released in 1911.
It includes a sung bugle call. (Doo)
It includes part of the famous song "Swanee River."
Within 50 years of its release, this song had at least a dozen hit covers.
Ragtime is a style of jazz piano music with a syncopated or "ragged" rhythm in the melody. This kind of rhythm places accents where they wouldn't normally occur. Another example of ragtime is Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer."
Sing the song. Let's practice the melody first.
Did you notice there is harmony in this song? Practice these parts:
That's just the bestest band what am.
Swanee River played in ragtime
the echo: come on and hear, come on along, and up to the man
ending: Ragtime Band
Divide class in half to sing melody and harmony parts. Repeat and switch parts to allow everyone to try every part.
Perform: Sing the melody and harmony. Add kazoos (for the students to keep) to the bugle call sung on doo.
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