Lesson #1: Halloween in the Classroom!

October 27th: Music Listening Activity

Today the Fox Hollow sixth graders and I got prepared for Halloween by listening to Edvard Grieg's popular, Halloween-sounding piece "In the Hall of the Mountain King." I delayed telling the students what the title of this piece was, but simply told them that we would be listening to a song several times and that they would be creating their own story that they felt went along with the music. The students were very energetic and excited about this! Some students even drew illustrations that went along with their picture without being asked.

 

Listen to "In the Hall of the Mountain King"

Assessment/Sharing Time:

After everyone had finished, three students came up to the front of the class to share their stories. One girl wrote about a little boy who was alone in his room and was doing a crazy dance that got faster and faster, under the influence of some kind of magical spell. She read this story very animatedly, and the speed of her story almost perfectly matched the speed and intensity Grieg's piece. Another girl told a personal story this song reminded her of--she told the class how one Halloween her sister had been hiding behind a couch and eventually popped out and scared her. The last boy told a similar story involving a kind of chase scene. Many more students were bursting with excitement to share the story they had written!

Musical Elements & Concepts Present:

Though there was not time to hear everyone's stories, from the three we did hear, I feel confident that all the stories had similar subject matter and dramatic intensity. I would say that it specific musical qualities that led the students to create these type of stories. Some of these musical elements and concepts might include:

• The piece is played in a minor key
• The increasing tempo of the piece--beginning at a walking pace, then ending with a running place
• The dramatic use of percussion at the end of the piece
• The song sounds creepy at the beginning and frantic towards the end



Illustration of "In the Hall of the Mountain King"
 (Free Sheet Music Scores)

• The use and articulation of the various instruments--the melody beginning with a wind instrument, later appearing with pizzicato in the strings, and then finishing dramatically with arco in the strings

Background to the Music:

After hearing some of the stories that the students had written, we read the real story that goes along with the piece. The story follows a young mischievous man named Peer Gynt who, at the beginning of the story, kidnaps a bride from her own wedding and abandons her on a mountainside. Some villagers begin looking for him, and Peer sneaks away. He runs into a Troll Princess who convinces him to come with her to her palace in the mountain. He follows her and eventually arrives at the palace of the trolls--filled with gold, two or three-headed trolls, and the King of the Trolls. The King tries to persuade Peer to marry his daughter (who is quite ugly, being a troll). By marrying her, Peer would become the next King of the Trolls. Peer first agrees but after hearing that he would have to have his eyes slit like the other trolls, Peer refuses and the King orders the other trolls to "dash him to pieces!" Peer runs and escapes from the troll's mountain just as there is a huge earthquake. The trolls and the troll king are never heard from again.

Wrap-up:

It was so fun to see the students so involved and excited about the stories that they had invented! I look forward to building on these skills and concepts in future lessons with this fun classroom! Below are listed the Music Curriculum Requirements for sixth graders that were met during this lesson.

Standard 6.M.R.4

Standard 6.M.R.6

Until next time!