Music In Our Lives
An Interactive Music Program for Older Adults
Lesson Plans
The lessons are presented in the order that I delivered them. Although most lessons do not build off any previous lessons, they become progressively more interactive, so I suggest that they be delivered in this order.
Lesson 12
Combining the Lessons to Revisit Mood Evoked by Music​
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The focus of this lesson is to combine all the previous lessons together and look at the mood evoked by a musical piece by looking at the different components of the music. It is different from Lesson 4 because it requires a more comprehensive knowledge of the various components of the music, which the seniors will have developed by this point.
Lesson 9
Solfege -- The Notes Used in Music​
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The focus of this lesson is to introduce the seniors to the solfege system of naming notes. It starts with the song from The Sound of Music to introduce them to the "Do Re Mi" system.
Lesson 10
Chords and Harmony Lines in Songs
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The focus of this lesson is to discuss the harmony lines in different pieces of music, since the harmony line often shapes the music. It requires a musical instrument on which to play the harmony lines of various songs.
Lesson 11
Memories Evoked by Music
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The focus of this lesson is to discuss the different memories that the seniors associate with certain musical pieces. It is one of the most interactive lessons in the program because it requires the seniors to recall memories of their past.
Lesson 8
Use of Rhythm in Songs
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The focus of this lesson is to continue the last session on rhythm, this time looking at popular Broadway songs with distinctive tunes.
Lesson 5
Feelings Evoked by Music​
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The focus of this lesson is to discuss the emotions that a particular piece of music causes the seniors to feel. Since the last lesson was purely classical music, this lesson has some more modern music.
Lesson 6
Genres of Music​
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The focus of this lesson is to discuss the different styles of music. This could include discussing the qualities and history of specific music styles, or perhaps discussing famous musicians.
Lesson 7
Basics of Rhythm
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The focus of this lesson is to introduce the seniors to the different rhythms used in music. The next lesson will focus more on the rhythms of popular show tunes, so this lesson is just to get them acclimated to the different types of notes (quarter notes, half notes, etc.)
Lesson 4
Use of Music to Create Imagery​
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The focus of this lesson is to understand how a particular piece of music can create a mental image. The piece used is Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
Lesson 1
Introduction to the Program​
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The focus of this lesson is to get to know everyone and provide a brief introduction to yourself and the program.
Lesson 2
Example of Storytelling Through Music​
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The focus of this lesson is to look at a sample of how a story is told through music.
Lesson 3
Different Types of Instruments
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The focus of this lesson is to introduce the seniors, especially the ones with little to no musical experience, to the different musical instruments.
Tips for Delivering the Curriculum
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Here are some general suggestions for delivering the curriculum.