Teaching composers

[possom]

I have been mulling this idea over for a while but thought i'd throw it out here and see what people think.

When I was taught I zipped through the grades and as a result never really learnt very much about composers and history until after grade 8 (piano). I was thinking about having a different composer month and encourage each pupil to learn a piece by that composer, put up information on the wall etc. etc. so that pupils are appreciating (hopefully) the different styles and learning the history at the same time. Not sure if it will work and how I can make it enjoyable enough, also finding enough pieces by each composer at enough different grade levels.

Comments appreciated

[princessmoose]

That's a really good idea, and I've thought about doing something similar with the pupils I get in September. Being in a school they'd learn a bit at GCSE etc and I wouldn't put things up on the wall, but generally talk about the composer of a piece they're doing and talk about their importance and contribution to music etc.

Fab idea .

[SuzyMac]

Mine get composer homework when they whinge about theory homework...

If we start a piece/arrangement by someone they *should* have heard of, then they have to go away and come back with a little bit about the composer. Depends on the age and ability as to what I ask for.

I get a variety of things back, ranging from the obvious google->word->print to quite impressive posters. Don't know if it helps them learn anything, but it does make a change from 'name this interval' etc.