For today’s listening lesson, we’re doing Toora Loo Ra Loo Ra from our March playlist. It’s great for getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day this week!
When I do listening lessons with students, I like to begin with having them listen to the chosen piece without giving any information. If the piece isn’t very long, I’ll play it through in its entirety. If it is longer, I’ll just play a short clip. With younger children, I will sometimes have a movement activity for the initial listening.
After listening to the piece once, it’s a good chance to talk about what they’ve heard, and to give some background information about the music (I would recommend finding a version of the story geared for children). You’ll listen to the piece several times.
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As you get started, here are some questions you might want to ask:
Introducing Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral
- Have you have heard this song before?
- What kinds of things did you hear in the music?
- Do you know what the word lullaby means?
- Discuss lullabies-are they usually loud or quiet? Are they usually fast or slow?
Behind the Music
- written by James Royce Shannon in 1913
- composed for a musical
- it is an Irish-American song
- the original recording became a #1 hit on the charts
- regained popularity again in 1944 when Bing Crosby recorded his version
- during one of the listening times, give them a blank paper to draw what they hear
2. Listening pages
- fill out a listening log while listening- too ra loo ra (click on the link to download the pdf file)
- SQUILT notebooking pages (download on the homegrown learners website)
3. Additional activities
- pass out props to go along with the music (baby dolls or small rocking chairs are nice for lullaby practice)
- come up with movements to do during the listening (try gentle swaying, like they’re singing a baby to sleep)
- read a children’s book about Ireland, or a lullaby book