There is a video that you can download through iTunes of Joshua Bell playing the variations of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. While I was teaching, I downloaded this video to teach various lessons. One day, Penelope came across this video on my phone (Summer, Allegro) and became completely entranced by it. The speed at which he plays the music and the beautiful rhythm captivated her. She would take my phone and play this video over and over again as if it were an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!
And so it was that one day I decided we would try out our own variation of a lesson I taught in Elementary School, using this very beautiful music.
When I taught about Vivaldi in school, we read books about the famous composer, listened to his music, wrote opinions about his work, and even tied his famous "Four Seasons" into our own study of the seasons of the year. There are four poems Vivaldi wrote to accompany his music, which lends itself nicely to a poetry unit or to having students write their own poems about the seasons, inspired by his music. We would close our eyes and listen to each season, trying to figure out which season it was and why it represented that season. "Is that the sound of thunder? If so, it is a summer storm? OR Is that sound ice coming down in the winter?"
I played this guessing game with my Penelope. We divided a simple white sheet of paper into four boxes (I folded it twice). I played for her the first season (I think I picked Spring) and had her water color whatever she wanted in that box. What did she see in her imagination when she heard that music? What did it make her feel? What colors did it make her see?
I always had loved this lesson, but had no idea if Penelope would take to it. She did this activity for a little over 1 hour! AMAZING! Normally, we jump from one activity to another and 30 minutes is a max. But, this time, she was completely focused and engaged, just as if she were watching Joshua Bell on the phone.
Click here for Vivaldi Lesson Unit!
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