Playing off of the included activity on the song card for this week’s folk song (Click here to download the Jasmine Flower Song Card), I thought it would be fun to create a music map to feel the melodic lines and the phrasing. This is such a beautiful, lyrical song that lends itself well to feeling the lines and exploring through a music map.
I have shared several music maps before, but if you’re not familiar, they are a wonderful tool to help children explore written music, without necessarily having to be able to read music, although some more advanced music maps include elements of typical written music like a rhythmic motif, dynamics, or repeat symbols, etc. A well designed music map can help a child read a piece of music and understand that music can be written down, you can find places with recurring musical themes/motifs, music is read left to right, and so on. They are an incredible tool in the music classroom, and can be used for both masterworks/symphonies, etc. as well as folk songs. Children can also work to create their own music maps after exploring a song, and a lot of my SongWorks training explored that process which was just fascinating.
As you explore the music map with your class or children, begin with a discussion. Where can you see two lines that seem like they should sound the same? Are there any spots that look like they might indicate that we are holding a note for a while? Does this song look like it will be full of quick/short sounds or smooth/long sounds? What makes you think that? Sing and track through the map a few times to get the hang of it. We like to use pencils or chopsticks to trace the line, but a finger works well too! Children can feel so proud for being able to read a song they know off of a written out music map, it really is quite special. You could also project this music map up in a larger format on a wall or smart board and give the children scarves for exploring the lines, as this song is so lyrical and flowy.
I hope this is a useful tool, and that you are able to use it as you explore more about this folk song! I also wanted to share a few special recordings with you. Because this is such a beloved folk song in China, there are many wonderful arrangements and interpretations of the song. I’ll share a few with you here:
I shared this arrangement with my students when I taught them the Jasmine Flower folk song. I love that the ensemble uses traditional Chinese instruments and the arrangement still has clear repeating motifs from the folk song:
Here is a recording of an orchestration by Chinese composer Li Wenping. It is absolutely gorgeous. Students will enjoy finding the snippets of the folk song in this piece!
This next recording is from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The composer used the Jasmine Flower folk song in creating the music for the medal ceremony. Here you can see the musicians recording this new piece for use in the olympic medal ceremony.
I’m including this final recording because I think it is so fun to see the mix of traditional Chinese fan dancing with ballet, set to an arrangement of the Jasmine Flower folk song. You could share this recording with your students after learning a bit more about the history of the fan dance. I believe this ensemble also competed in America’s Got Talent and got fairly far? The dance is certainly incredible! I think the fans are such a lovely way to show the lyrical lines of this folk song.
I hope you enjoyed the recordings as well as the music map I’ve provided. Let me know if you give it a try, and enjoy learning more about the folk song and the many ways it has been arranged and performed throught the years!
Click here to download the music map
Happy Singing!
-Lauren