Practice Space Store Update - Spooky & Educational!
Every month, we update the avatars available in the Practice Space shop. We love to make them both fun and educational! These new avatars are a great opportunity to teach students about composers and musicians from our history - with a spooky twist just in time for Halloween!
In Practice Space your students can add avatars and background to their inventory so they can keep their home screen fresh! They can only do this after completing a practice session that day. Each one comes with their own quotes so the composer can tell us about themselves and their musical period. Below are the six composers for this month with the facts they’ll share. Each of them have composed a piece perfect for spooky season - We’ve also included a little biography if you’d like to share with your students!
Aaron Copland was an American composer from the 20th century. He sculpted a sound reflective of America’s spirit, notably in Appalachian Spring (1944) and Rodeo (1942). Grohg: A Ballet in One Act is perfect for spooky season!
Facts in app:
I was born in Brooklyn, New York.
I loved helping young musicians learn and even wrote books about making music!
I traveled to Europe to learn more about music and composing.
I loved incorporating jazz and American folk tunes into my pieces.
I wasn’t only a composer, I was also a conductor for orchestras!
I was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for my music.
I composed the catchy ‘hoedown’ tune from my piece, Rodeo!
Camille Saint-Saëns was a luminary of the Romantic period from France. He showcased versatility from the playful Carnival of the Animals (1886) to the monumental Organ Symphony (1886). Listen to Dance Macabre to get you in the mood for Halloween!
Facts in app:
I started playing piano when I was only 3 years old.
In my piece, Carnival of the Animals, I wrote tunes for kangaroos, elephants, and even fish!
I once wrote a piece that can be played both forwards and backwards.
In addition to music, I loved math and astronomy!
I have traveled to Egypt and South America!
I also played the organ.
I was one of the first composers to write music for films.
Edvard Grieg was a Norwegian compose of the Romantic era. He beautifully melded Scandinavian motifs into his works. He’s celebrated for his Peer Gynt Suite (1875) and Piano Concerto in A minor (1868). His piece, Hall of the Mountain King, is a magical mischievous tune perfect for the Halloween season.
Facts in app:
I loved including Norwegian folk songs into my pieces.
My piano had its own room in my house with a view of the mountains.
By the time I was 15, I went to school in Germany for music.
My Peer Gynt Suite was made for a play about trolls, adventures, and a mischievous boy named Peer.
I was proud of my small wooden hut by the sea where I composed my pieces!
I was a conductor as well!
I was friends with famous composer, Tchaikovsky!
Hector Berlioz was a French composer from the Romantic era. His music pushed musical boundaries with daring works such as Symphonie Fantastique (1830) and La Damnation de Faust (1846). Dream of a Witch’s Sabbath is fantastically witchy!
Facts in app:
I wanted to be a doctor before I realized music is my passion!
My music is so big and bold, I sometimes needed over 1,000 musicians to play it!
I included cannons and bells in my music.
I loved traveling and wrote tunes inspired by my adventures in Italy, Hungary, and more.
I loved writing about love, passion, and dreamy concepts.
I also played the guitar and flute.
I was both a composer and a music critic.
Modest Mussorgsky was a Russian composer from the 19th-century. He evoked profound emotions and scenes in masterpieces such as Pictures at an Exhibition (1874). And don’t forget Night on Bald Mountain (1867) for Halloween!
Facts in app:
I played piano really well by age 10!
I used Russian folk tunes in my music.
I was also in the army!
I always loved wearing comfy robes!
I was in a group of composers called The Five and we loved working together.
I wrote an opera that was a drama about power struggles in Russia.
I was mainly self-taught with only some early training.
Paul Dukas was a French composer from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He bewitched audiences with his harmonious blend of music and magic, most famously in The Sorcerers Apprentice (1897).
Facts in app:
I liked to keep a lot of my works secret!
I was also a music critic.
I loved to teach music too!
I loved to add fun surprises to my music.
You can hear my music in Disney’s “Fantasia!”
I wrote a magical piece about a golden flower called La Pèri.
I was close friends with Claude Debussy.
Background Update
Some other fun additions
These all cheer the student on but also talk about tempo and other musical terms!
