Submitted by Kristy Hewitt, Lake Oswego, Oregon
Idea posted June 3, 2004
One of the characteristics of Baroque music that I enjoy sharing with students is the often unpredictable phrase length. I begin with a classical piece and have the students raise their hand every time the music comes to a cadence. It's easy and pretty predictable. Then, put on one of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos - a fast movement - and have the students do the same thing. It's very funny to watch their hands begin to go up, then pull back, up and down, again and again, not quite there after all until finally, "Yeah! the cadence!"
Another activity is to have the children do crayon squiggle drawings to show the crazy phrases. They should keep the crayon moving until the phrase ends and then start a new squiggle.