FEBRUARY MUSIC LESSON TEACHING RESOURCES PART 1 for 2024

February music lesson resources provide a treasure chest of teaching opportunities.

Support the teaching and learning in your music classroom with resources designed to engage your students. 

The best music lesson teaching resources are linked to real-life people and events to grasp information quickly. Many music teachers have found such resources on MusicTeacherResources (MTR).

These resources can be used in the classroom or remotely.

Read on to see how MTR links learning materials with real-life people and events.

FEBRUARY is African-American Heritage Month.

Also known as African American History Month, it begins on the first day of February and ends on the first day of March.

See all the available MTR African-American Heritage Month resources for different grade levels. 
               

1 FEBRUARY is National Freedom Day

Motivate discussion on this important topic through a listening activity.

The six songs in the 'Six Songs about Freedom' resource all have a message about equality and freedom.
After listening to one or more songs, students must answer music theory-based questions and respond to words and phrases in the song/s.

1 FEBRUARY is Harry Styles' Birthday

Harry Edward Styles is an English singer and songwriter. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series The X Factor.

Following his elimination, he was brought back to join the boy band One Direction, which became one of the best-selling boy groups of all time before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Learn more about his life and music using this music listening foldables available at the MTR store!

2 FEBRUARY is Groundhog Day

The fable says that if the groundhog comes out of his burrow and the sun is shining, it will go back into its burrow, and there'll be six more weeks of Winter. However, if it is cloudy, spring will come early.

Recognize Groundhog Day with themed activity sheets to review notes and rests. See all the available MTR Groundhog Day Resources.
 

2 FEBRUARY is Eva Cassidy's Birthday

Eva Marie Cassidy was an American singer and guitarist born in Washington, DC. 

Eva is known for her beautiful interpretations of folk, blues, and jazz songs. 

Treat your student to this restored footage of Eva Cassidy performing her beautiful version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. 

The following resource will guide students to learn more about Eva and her music.

6 FEBRUARY is Natalie Cole's Birthday

Natalie Cole was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Cole was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the hits "This Will Be", "Pink Cadillac", and "Miss You Like Crazy".

These MTR Natalie Cole Resources will give you plenty of music activities to choose from to celebrate the life and music of this talented lady.
    

'Pink Cadillac' Listening Activity   

A fun compare and contrast listening activity is to listen to 'Pink Cadillac'. First recorded by 'The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie's cover version changed some music elements.

I created a Compare and Contrast sheet for this activity. Grab your FREE copy by clicking the image below. 

8 FEBRUARY is John Williams' Birthday

John Williams, an American composer, created some of the most iconic film scores. He scored more than a hundred films.

Williams was born in Long Island, New York, studied piano at the Julliard School of Music, and worked as a jazz pianist.

John Williams' has composed the music for nearly eighty films and some of the most famous themes ever written for cinema. These include Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET – the Extraterrestrial, Jurassic Park, and the Star Wars Pre-episode.

Students love John Williams music! The MTR John Williams Resources are fun academic research and listening activities for students.
    
These activities allow students to learn independently, making them excellent for sub-work.

Try this John Williams FREE DOWNLOAD

Here's a fun 'Star Wars /Mandalorian Theme Rhythm Play-Along that young students will enjoy.

9 FEBRUARY is Carole King's Birthday

Carole King, or Carol Joan Klein, is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters, having written and co-written 118 hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Carole has won multiple awards, including the Grammy Awards and the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

This MTR Carole King resource is perfect for your biography research and listening lessons. 
    

10 FEBRUARY (2024) is the Chinese/Lunar New Year

2024 is the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese New Year, known in China as the Spring Festival and in Singapore as the Lunar New Year, is a holiday on and around the new moon on the first day in the traditional Chinese Calendar.

This Calendar is based on the changes in the moon, which means it moves around between January 21 and February 20.

There are exciting and engaging resources, such as the MTR Rhythm BOOM Deck shown below, available in the MTR Store to help you celebrate this festival with your students.

See all the available MTR Chinese New Year Resources.
     
    

11 FEBRUARY is National Guitar Day

Celebrate this day with your class using MTR's Guitar Music Resources, which you can use throughout the year and can be used in different grade levels.

From guitar basics to guitar ensembles, MTR has everything your students need to know about playing the guitar, supported by visual aids to make it easier for them to understand!

11 FEBRUARY is Inventor's Day

Here is an activity that you can make 10 minutes long to fill at the end of a lesson or create a whole lesson.

Ideas for Lesson Activities

• Start by displaying an image stating that it's Inventor's Day. You could include an image as a springboard to get students thinking.
• Ask your students to list inventions they can think of that have changed the music world.
• Have a few students share their list.
• As a class/small group or individual activity, students read through the inventions listed in the articles below.
• After reading the articles, have students select their TOP TEN inventions and list them in order, with #1 being the most important.
• You could have the students write a small paragraph explaining their #1 choice to extend the lesson further.

Articles
1. Rolling Stones magazine: 24 Inventions that Changed Music
2. Music Greatest Inventions
3. The inventions that Changed the Music World.

Download the 'FEBRUARY Teaching Ideas and Resources' as a PDF to keep in your files for quick access.

CLICK here for your copy.

See PART 2 of this blog post. 

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