Where are The Nutcracker and Handel's Last Chance?
1. The Story, the Composer
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learn about the story of the Nutcracker
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learn about the composer.
2. Tea Dance
- Listening map (flute/pizz. strings)
- Move like mice with flute, like soliders with pizz. strings
- Listening Log
- Rhythm play alongs
- 1st - animated instrument play along ta titi
- 2nd - animated instrument play along with ta, titi, sh
- 3rd - animated body percussion play along
- Move with red, white, green plates to the music
- Demo of plates with the music
- Kids demo of movement with flashlights
3. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
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Listening Map introduces form, instruments
- Paper Plates
- Listening Glyph
- Animated play along
- Compare and contrast styles
- listen to two very different arrangements and compare them
- Demo of kids playing along
- Very cool flashlight idea sent by one of our Musicplay teachers
4. Dance of the Mirlitons (Reed Pipes)
- Listening Log
- Animated Play Along with sticks, triangle, drum (or B/P)
- Flashcard Play Along
- illustrates form (AB)
- Form play along
5. Trepak
- Listening Log
- Score Play Along
- Animated Play Along
- Movement with Scarves class demo
- Movement with Scarves black light
6. Waltz of the Flowers
- Listening Log
- Movement with Paper Plates
- Note: we've created a shortened version (about 2 min.) of this. The audio of the short version is available to download
7. March from The Nutcracker
- Bucket Drum Arrangement
Did you know that Musicplayonline has aquired exclusive rights to the Composers Specials videos?
Level 1 Worksheets Available for Handel's Last Chance
1. Booklet Cover
Color Handel 
2. Synopsis of the Video
The video is set during the time that Handel wrote Messiah in Dublin. He wrote the work in 18 days, and the first performance was a charity concert to benefit people who were in debtor's prison.
In the movie Handel's Last Chance, Handel got Jamie's mother out of debtor's prison - these movies are very much based on historical facts, as well as including a story about a child.
3. Biography of Handel
4. Vocabulary Worksheet (Level 1)
5. Discussion Questions
You could invite students to complete this as a written assignment OR use them to discuss the film.
We've made a slide show with screen shots from the film, because it's easy to miss some little details. The slide show also includes discussion questions. Use the slide show to review the plot and better understand the film.
Slide show review and discussion questions.
I've found this really helpful to remember and understand many of the details in the film.
6. Respond to the film
7. Listen and respond to the music
Listening selections by Handel can be found by searching "Handel" in the listening kits.
8. Then and Now
Compare when Handel lived to now
9. Show what you know - Assess the learning
10. Color the Performance
Watch our webinar on The Nutcracker and using Handel's Last Chance in your classroom here!
Programs Available on MusicplayOnline:
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By John Jacobson
By Denise Gagne
By Denise Gagne
By Denise Gagne
By Denise Gagne
By John Jacobson
Additional Resources published by Themes & Variations
These are available as downloads (or print/ship) at www.store.musicplay.ca
All are affordably priced ($20-40) and include perf/acc mp3s, piano/vocal scores, and musicals or reviews include scripts.
These include permissions to perform, and permissions to reproduce vocal scores or lyrics for your students.
Celebrate Around the World
This collection includes traditional and composed songs from many different cultures. You could use this as your winter concert, or you could teach the songs any time of year as part of a multicultural study
Festival and Holidays
Festivals and Holidays is a musical revue exploring celebrations around the world. The songs are unison or easy two-part suitable for classroom or choir, and staging is simple.
Snowtastic
This is a fantastic musical about our favourite season! Includes lyrics, script, performance/accompaniment tracks, and PDF to project. Use it as your holiday concert
Is Santa Smarter?
Is Santa smarter than the kids in your school? It’s a Christmas musical/revue featuring your school’s fifth graders on a game show with Santa as a celebrity contestant trying to win enough money to pay for the high cost of gas to power his sleigh.
The Best Gift Ever
The Buymore Shopping Mall has a contest - tell what the best Christmas gift is, and WIN that gift! The shoppers have many unique gift ideas - toys, candy, new teeth, slippers, and baking. But it’s the Charity Bell ringer that has the best gift idea - a Christmas meal for the homeless.
Slapshot Santa Scores Again!
Santa dreams that he’s scored a goal in the NHL and decides that he’s going to practice hockey until he can play with his favorite hockey star.
Production on the Christmas toys falls further and further behind while Santa is out practicing his slapshot. The elves make some hasty phone calls and Santa’s favorite hockey team flies to the North Pole to have an exhibition game.
Christmas Favorites
Thirteen songs for your class or choir that will be sure to be student favorites! The teacher's guide includes the piano/vocal arrangements for 10 songs, choreography suggestions for some, and reproducible student pages for 7 songs.
Includes Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
The Christmas Concert Idea Book
Would you like some drama in your Christmas concert without producing a full length musical? The ‘Christmas Concert Idea Book’ is a collection of skits and songs, each of which is suitable for a K-6 class (or choir) to perform at a Christmas concert.
Kinder Christmas Collection
Here is a collection of songs ready for your next Christmas concert! Your students will enjoy performing them, and their parents will love watching! This collection includes traditional favorites and original songs. You'll find something for everyone!
K-3 Christmas Concert Ideas
Do you need an idea for your K-3 class for a Christmas assembly or concert?
Here are 20+ ideas: Songs, plays, poems, reader’s theatre, dances - each of which is suitable for a K-3 class to perform at a Christmas concert.
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays is a collection of Christmas and Holiday songs. Not only have we given several traditional carols a fresh new sound by weaving together interesting medleys but there are also new carols to help you and your singers rejoice in a festive spirit this holiday season.
Chants de Noël
Each year teachers request music materials for French Immersion classes. This publication has wonderful unison or 2 part arrangements of seven Christmas songs for your French Immersion classes or your English school choir!
Holiday Songs for Guitar and Ukulele
This collection of holiday songs for Guitar and Ukulele includes arrangements of 40 Holiday, Christmas, and Hanukkah songs. Many of the arrangements are given in alternate keys, so they are all playable on both the guitar or ukulele and in appropriate ranges for children’s voices!
We Remember
Your Remembrance Day/Veterans Day assembly will be easy to plan when you use the songs, poems, and quotes in this collection. The entire collection is beautiful and very singable for young classes or choirs. The songs will be a moving tribute to all veterans.
Holiday Songs for Recorder
14 traditional and multicultural songs for unison, 2-part and 3-part soprano recorder. Includes 30 reproducible student pages in regular and “kid note” notation. This is an excellent way for you to incorporate recorders into your Christmas or winter concert.
Holiday Orff Source
NEW!!! The Holiday Orff Source includes 14 lessons using the Orff process and instruments that vary from simple songs for PreK-K-1 to accompany a storybook, to interesting instrumental arrangements for older students. The students will have opportunities in the lessons to sing, play, move, listen and improvise.
