How to Use and FAQ

Welcome to Sound Bites: Jazz Music Appreciation!

Get ready to dive into the captivating world of jazz music! In this course, you will learn about the rich history of jazz, its key characteristics, influential musicians, and how it has evolved over time. From the swinging rhythms of the Big Band era to the improvisational genius of bebop and beyond, you will gain a deeper appreciation for this iconic genre. Throughout the course, we will explore the different styles of jazz, including Dixieland, swing, cool jazz, fusion, and more.

How to Use and FAQ:

Enjoy 30 weeks of done-for-you music appreciation that the whole family will love! You’ll get to know major composers, from Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie, along with some lesser-known composers.

For families who want to go deeper into their composer studies, you will enjoy the Bonus Music Appreciation Notebook, which includes many additional resources for K-12, including music appreciation prompts, vocabulary, timelines, notebooking pages, creative writing ideas, coloring pages, and much more.

Here are the composers we'll be learning about and listening to for the next 30 weeks:

(In chronological order of the composers based on their birth years.)

Fletcher Henderson (1897)
Duke Ellington (1899)
Louis Armstrong (1901)
Bix Beiderbecke (1903)
Count Basie (1904)
Fats Waller (1904)
Cab Calloway (1907)
Benny Goodman (1909)
Art Tatum (1909)
Thelonious Monk (1917)
Dizzy Gillespie (1917)
Charlie Parker (1920)
John Coltrane (1926)
Ray Charles (1930)
Ornette Coleman (1930)

How to Use Sound Bites: Jazz Music Appreciation:

Each day, do one lesson. Optional: add a notebooking page from one of the bonuses (Music Appreciation Notebook, Music Appreciation Coloring Pages, Study-a-Composer pack).

What is included in each day's lesson?

They are a very simple format. The first lesson for each composer includes information about the composer and one musical piece's video embedded to listen to. The other lessons simply introduce a piece and include the video to listen to.

How long does a Sound Bites daily lesson take?

We have pieces that are as short as a couple of minutes. Others are longer than a half hour. That being said, you do what works for you. Obviously, the shorter ones are pretty easy to find time for, but for the longer ones, you can choose to play it in the background while doing other things or only listen to part of the piece.

Remember, some is better than none.

The main things I want to encourage you about are:

* Keep it enjoyable for the children. Find a way that works for the ages and stages you have in your homeschool or classroom. Let music be a gift and a joy in your home!

* Some is better than None.

* It doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.

* Just begin.

I don’t know if I have time to use this.

Sound Bites is ready when you are. You can watch & listen when it works for you. Weekends, car rides, while eating, or doing chores–whatever works for you will work for Sound Bites.

How is this arranged? Is the music presented in chronological order or by composer?

Yes! Baroque & Classical, Romantic & Modern, Women Composers, and Jazz Music Appreciation Sound Bites all follow a chronological order (based on the composer's birth year) where we learn about one composer at a time.

In Jazz Music Appreciation, we follow a chronological order where we get to know 15 major jazz composers. During the first semester, we will spend a week on each and then revisit each one again for a week during the second semester.

What time period does Sound Bites: Jazz Music Appreciation cover?

The 1900s.

Bonuses include:

Music Appreciation Notebook (53 pages)
Music Appreciation Coloring Pages (39 pages)
Study-a-Composer Printable Pack (4 pages)

Warning about the Videos:

This course was created by Erica Johns. Gena Mayo's warning: I have not viewed all the videos included in this course. Since every family is different, I recommend you preview for content, graphics shown on screen, photographs, clothing/costumes, etc., to make sure they are appropriate for your family's viewing. If you choose not to watch, you can still use the videos to listen to the music!

How to use the course site:

You will see three sections as part of the course. This top section contains the FAQ and printables needed to complete the course. The next sections contain all the lessons. As you work on the course, it automatically keeps track of where you are. When finished with a lesson, click "Complete and Continue" to move on. You can always come back to past lessons, though.

Can I see a free sample?

Yes, head here to do a week's worth of lessons, learning about composer and Jazz musician Duke Ellington:

What do I do if a link is broken or a YouTube video is no longer available?

Simply leave a comment right there at the lesson or email Gena at [email protected], and I'll get it fixed ASAP! Thank you for your help and for taking the extra time to let me know about them.

What to do if you see inappropriate ads with YouTube videos?

We are thankful for the "free" resource of YouTube, but we do occasionally have to let their ads run. If you are noticing that you are seeing some inappropriate ads, see this link which will give you ways to block advertisers. You might also need to clear your cookies/history. And be sure YouTube is set to restricted mode. https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662850?hl=e...

What is the Copyright information?

All rights reserved. No portion of this course may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted outside the immediate household in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

How many copies can I make?

Photocopies of lessons and notebooking pages may be made for only one household or classroom of children.

Can I use the course to teach at a school or co-op?

Purchase of the course is only for one classroom at a school or one family in a household. To obtain a license to use in multiple classes at school or a homeschool co-op, contact Gena Mayo at [email protected].

Refer a Friend Program:

I'm excited to share that Music in Our Homeschool now has a referral program! If you successfully refer a friend to make a purchase at Music in Our Homeschool, both you and your friend will earn a 10% discount on your next purchase! See a separate section labeled "Refer a Friend Program" below for all the details and your unique link to share.

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Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool contains links from a number of affiliate programs. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. This does not cost you any more, and it helps cover costs associated with running the website. I am honest in my review of the products and only recommend products I would actually find useful myself.

Definition of "Lifetime Access:"

"Lifetime Access," as used anywhere on this Site, refers to the lifetime availability of the site itself. If the Site no longer exists, you will no longer maintain or retain access to any resources that were available only on the Site.

Complete and Continue