Chrissy Ricker
  • Home
  • Publications
    • Piano collections
    • Pop & rock arrangements
    • Video game arrangements
    • Vocal music
    • Instrumental music
  • Search
    • Search my catalog!
  • About
  • Blog
  • Free Stuff
  • Contact

Halloween Freebies for 2020

9/18/2020

6 Comments

 
Picture
The official start of fall is (finally!) just around the corner!

​Since I have recently updated my Free Stuff page, today I am sharing a round-up of all of the free resources I have available for the fall/Halloween season.

Looking for some spooky music? Or maybe a Halloween composing project to do this month? Read on for several free resources you can use with your students in the month ahead!


Read More
6 Comments

A Spooky Classical Freebie!

9/28/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture
October is a great time to introduce a few spooky pieces in your studio--and a great way to introduce your students to Classical favorites that they might hear around Halloween!

Today I am sharing a free, elementary-level arrangement of the opening theme from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This fun piece includes several concepts that are great for elementary students: playing both hands in unison, listening carefully for dynamic contrasts, crossing finger 2 over the thumb, and moving both hands down an octave.
​

​Click HERE or on the picture above to get your free copy. And don't forget to check my Free Stuff page HERE for more fun Halloween music!

2 Comments

Free "Falling Leaves" Composition Activity

8/18/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
It has been a long, hot summer around here. As my studio gears up for the new school year, my thoughts are turning toward fall--cooler weather, changing leaves, and everything pumpkin spice!

With that in mind, I have created a fun, fall-themed composition activity that can be customized for beginning to intermediate students. Use this activity to jump start creative thinking in your beginners, or to review scales and notation on the staff with your returning students.

Click HERE to get all three pages of the "Falling Leaves" composition activity, including an instruction sheet and staff template page for notating each student's composition.


​What do you think? Are you planning any special fall activities for your students this year? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!




0 Comments

A Classical Music Halloween Listening Activity

10/14/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I am always looking for ways to introduce my students to important composers and pieces from the Classical repertoire. With just a couple of weeks left before Halloween, now is a perfect time to use a few spooky Classical pieces to do just that!

Thanks to YouTube, there are plenty of recordings of well-known Classical pieces that are used often around Halloween--your students might recognize them from movies, commercials, or TV shows.


HERE is a fun YouTube playlist of several Halloween favorites that you can share and discuss with your students. My favorites from the playlist include "Toccata in D Minor" by Bach, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Grieg, "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky, "O Fortuna" by Carl Orff, and "Danse Macabre" by Saint-Saens. 

Encourage your students to listen to the pieces from the playlist, or listen to portions in your lessons over the next two weeks. Ask your students: do any of the pieces sound familiar? Do you recognize the names of any of the composers? What story do you think the composer is telling in each piece?

Listening to these familiar classics can also give students insight into how composers think. What techniques did the composers use to make these pieces sound spooky? As you listen to each piece, ask students to consider the following characteristics:


  • Mode: This is the most obvious characteristic of spooky music--the use of the minor mode! For a fun experiment, play for your students the opening motive from Bach's Toccata in D minor, first in the original key (D-C-D,  C-Bb-A-G-F#-G), then in D major.  Just changing two notes makes a big difference! How many pieces on the playlist are in the minor mode?
  • Instrumentation: The instrument a composer uses for a piece makes a big difference as well. Going back to our Bach example, what if that famous opening melody were played by the tuba instead of the organ? It would sound pretty comical, wouldn't it? The use of the organ in the piece creates an extra layer of meaning, because we often associate the organ with church, funerals, and other solemn occasions. Listen to the drama that is created by Orff's use of both orchestra and choir in "O Fortuna!" 
  • Articulation: Listen to the opening of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and the use of pizzicato strings. Doesn't this staccato sound create a feeling of anticipation, as if Peer Gynt is sneaking through the halls of the Mountain King's castle? The articulation a composer chooses can help tell the story of a piece more effectively.
  • Dynamics: Is the piece quiet and suspenseful, or loud and dramatic? Or both, as in the opening of "O Fortuna" by Orff? Does the composer use crescendo and diminuendo to create drama? Grieg does this very effectively in "In the Hall of the Mountain King." As you listen to each piece, talk about what role the dynamics play in contributing to the mood of the piece.

What do you think? Do you encourage your students to listen to Classical pieces like these? What are your favorite Classical Halloween pieces? Let me know in the comments!

​

0 Comments

Free Halloween Resource Round-Up!

9/25/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
 
​Looking for a few Halloween activities to do with your students this October? Today I am sharing links to the Halloween resources available on my website! 

Click on the pictures below to download free music, a composition activity, and a rhythm game. Or, scroll down to find a link to search for all of the Halloween-appropriate solos and duets in my music catalog!




Picture
Free primer piece
Picture
Free early elementary piece with optional teacher duet
Picture
Free elementary piece
​ 
Picture
Free composition activity
Picture
Free rhythm activity

​
For more Halloween fun, click HERE to search my catalog! Select the level you are looking for, then select "Halloween" under "Search by genre." You will be able to listen to each piece, as well as click on a link to see and/or purchase the music.


Do you have any fun activities planned for your students for Halloween this year? Please leave a comment below--I'd love to hear from you!
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Chrissy Ricker is a pianist, teacher, and composer from North Carolina. These are her thoughts on teaching, composing, and all things music.


    Looking for teaching ideas related to a specific topic? Use the "search" feature or scroll down to see blog posts organized by category!

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    2 Minute Teaching Tips
    Composition
    Duets
    Ear Training
    Fall/Halloween
    Free Stuff
    Friday Funny
    Games
    Group Classes
    Holiday Music
    Lesson Planning
    Living Composers
    Memorization
    Music For One Hand
    Musicianship Monthly
    NFMC Selections
    Online Lessons
    Patriotic Music
    Pop Arrangements
    Practicing
    Professional Development
    Repertoire
    Rote Teaching
    Saint Patrick's Day
    Sight Reading
    Summer
    Technique
    Technology
    Thanksgiving
    Theory
    Tips For Teens
    Transposition
    Travel Teaching
    Valentine's Day
    Young Beginners

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe to my monthly newsletter to stay informed about my latest publications and free teacher resources!

    *Your email will never be shared or used for any other purpose besides this once-monthly newsletter, and you may unsubscribe at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of your newsletter email or contacting me HERE through my website.

Subscribe
Copyright 2020 Chrissy Ricker. All Rights Reserved.