Felix Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words” are beautiful pieces of music that offer an excellent opportunity for K-12 teachers to teach their students about classical music. These pieces are instrumental compositions that were written for the piano and are meant to convey emotions and stories without any lyrics. Here are some tips for teaching your students about Felix Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words.”
Introduce the composer
Before playing any music, it is essential to introduce Mendelssohn to your students. Discuss his life, including his accomplishments, the time period he lived in, and his musical style. This information will help students appreciate Mendelssohn’s music better and understand the context in which he created these pieces.
Discuss the concept of “Songs Without Words.”
Explain to your students that “Songs Without Words” are instrumental compositions meant to emulate the style of a song or poem without any lyrics. Talk about the different emotions and stories that can be conveyed through music without any words and how music can express things that cannot be put into words.
Play some songs and discuss them.
Play a few pieces of Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words” for your students and have a brief discussion about each piece. Ask them to describe the music’s mood, tone, and story, and encourage them to think about what emotions the music is conveying. You can have students write their observations and share them with the class, which will help them develop their critical thinking and writing skills.
Encourage active listening
Encourage your students to listen actively while the music plays. They can close their eyes and visualize the story the music is conveying or focus on different elements of the music, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, or dynamics.
Create a collaborative project
To put what they have learned into practice, you can encourage your students to create a collaborative project inspired by Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words.” They could, for example, write stories or poems inspired by the pieces, create artwork based on the music, or even choreograph a dance routine. This project will allow students to express their creativity while putting into practice the skills and knowledge they have learned.
Teaching your students about Felix Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words” can be a fun and engaging way to introduce them to the world of classical music. By following these tips, you can help your students appreciate and connect with Mendelssohn’s music while developing their critical thinking, writing, and creative skills.
