Download Cloudy Music

Cloudy Music
Teaching Objective
Students will analyze how music can describe weather.
Vocabulary
Representative art- art that depicts something definite
Abstract art- art that does not portray something definite
Resources
• Drawing paper
• Recording of the “weather” music that can be found in The Music Connection, Silver
Burdett Ginn, 1995
• Grofe’s “Cloudburst” from the Grand Canyon Suite (excerpt), available in The Music
Connection, grade 4, p. 163, CD 6-21.
• Debussy’s “Clouds” from Nocturnes (excerpts), available in The Music Connection,
Kindergarten, p. 115, CD 3-16
• Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King, available in The Music Connection, grade 2, p. 57,
CD 2-23
• Copland’s Variation on Appalachian Spring (excerpt), available in The Music Connection,
grade 6, p. 180, CD 7-15
Teaching Sequence
NOTE: "Clouds," from Debussy's Nocturnes, and "Cloudburst," from Grofé's Grand
Canyon Suite, are dramatically different musical depictions of weather. Debussy is
quoted as saying "Clouds" is a picture in sound of "the slow, solemn motion of the
clouds fading away in grey tones lightly tinged with white". Grofé's "Cloudburst",
on the other hand, vividly imitates the sounds of thunder, lightning, and rain. This
lesson can be taught with either piece, or, if time permits, with both.
1. Distribute art supplies.
2. Tell students they will listen to a piece of music and draw whatever it makes them
imagine or feel. Their drawings may be representational (pictures of something
definite) or abstract (designs which do not portray anything definite). Do not
share the title of the music with the students at this time.
3. Play the piece. Repeat as many times as needed for students to complete their
drawings.
4. Display some of the drawings and let students discuss and list qualities in the
music that suggested what they drew.
5. Tell the class the composer created the piece to paint a sound picture with
sounds of (Debussy) clouds moving across the sky or (Grofé) a thunderstorm. Play
the piece(s) again, asking students to list characteristics they hear in the music
that suggest clouds or storms.