Musical Stories/Musical Bedtime Stories
Description: Popular Children’s picture books with musical themes performed by USC Thornton student mentors.
Please note: these were made with a younger elementary audience in mind, but we also recognize that many of our middle school and high school students have younger siblings and other family members who might enjoy these, so feel free to pass them on to anyone you think would enjoy, including your older students and their families.
Book: Happy by Pharrell Williams. Picture book adapted from the song from “Despicable Me 2.”
Grade level for this video: approx. kinder-3rd grade. Although older “children” may enjoy participating with younger siblings or children!
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Chandler Lawn, Ukulele/Guitar. 2nd year Undergraduate in Music Industry.
Description of video: Chandler introduces the concept of happy and sad sounds and relates them to the musical concept of major and minor chords, and then plays a musical guessing game with the audience. Then she reads the picture book adapted version of the song “Happy”, pausing in between to explore the song form, emotion, rhythm of the song, and teaches background vocals.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqt4PcuRPM
Video with GNG recognition: https://drive.google.com/open?id=157ZNlS2X00EAqIUmD2Jly7yAD5eHjIzG
Book: Becoming Bach by Tom Leonard
Grade level for this video: approx. 2nd-4th grade
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Francesca Boerio, Classical Guitar, 2nd year Undergraduate
Description of video: The video starts with an instrument flashcard game, recognizing different instruments across all instrument family types. She then introduces the composer Bach, who is the main character in the story, and reads the story. After she reads the story, she plays Bach Prelude from Suite in E major on the classical guitar.
Link: https://youtu.be/9fhQ7kr7h88
Book: Animal Orchestra by Ilo Orleans
Grade level for this video: approx. 2nd-4th grade
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Francesca Boerio, Classical Guitar, 2nd year Undergraduate
Description of video: Francesca describes an orchestra and the kind of music played by an orchestra, and plays the flashcard game. She reads the story, pausing to point out different aspects of the orchestra. She ends the story by describing the classical guitar and playing a sonata.
Link: https://youtu.be/HPWyQISuNPc
Book: If you ever want to take a piano to the beach… don’t! by Elise Parsley
Grade level for this video: approx. 1st-4th grade.
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Chandler Lawn, Ukulele/Guitar. 2nd year Undergraduate in Music Industry.
Description of video: Chandler starts the video teaching the hello song, and then teaches the musical concepts of presto (fast) and largo (slow). She then describes the piano and reads the story with some musical accompaniment. After she reads the story, she talks about the outcome of the story, and relates it back to musical concepts of presto and largo. To end the video she teaches the goodbye song.
Link: https://youtu.be/38lnNo5qtSs
Video with GNG recognition: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WNn000uzpJPlGWu5cJrJOFtA99HS7GRl
Book: The Orchestra Pit by Johanna Wright
Grade level for this video: Approx. Kinder-3rd
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Francesca Boerio, Classical Guitar, 2nd year Undergraduate
Description of video: Francesca gives a short lesson on instruments found in the orchestra, and then she reads a story about a snake who accidently finds himself in an “orchestra pit” rather than his home, the “snake pit”. Throughout the story, the snake learns all about the different instruments of the orchestra. Francesca relates the story back to how you can learn new things by going somewhere new, and can incorporate what you learned into your own life at home. After the story she plays a piece on classical guitar that she describes as “sounding like an orchestra even though I am using only one instrument.”
Link: https://youtu.be/kHVojfDSkXQ
Book: Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Little Golden Books Edition
Grade level for this video: Approximately Kinder-2nd. Although older “children” may enjoy participating with younger siblings or children!
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Chandler Lawn, Ukulele/Guitar. 2nd year Undergraduate in Music Industry.
Description of video: Chandler goes through the picture book version of the song “Old Macdonald Had a Farm”, teaching the students how to sing the song, while she accompanies them on her ukulele. She incorporates learning rhythm, and also leads them in a section of the song where they can make up their own animal and sounds to put into the song.
Link: https://youtu.be/UVnTXjqlJmQ
Video with GNG recognition: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qWknX2vwOOv3CY74YXmLfd_VucyohIN5
Book: A Tiggerific Band by Lisa Ann Marisol
Grade level for this video: Approximately Kinder-3rd
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Shelby Wong, Piano Performance, 4th year Undergraduate
Description of video: Shelby reads a musical Winnie the Pooh story in which all the Winnie the pooh characters start a band. She starts by asking the audience questions about what the word “band” means to them, and while she reads the story, accompanies the description of instruments each character plays with musical sound effects with things found around her house. She ends the video with a piano performance of a lullaby that she liked to fall asleep to as a child.
Link: https://youtu.be/bG5FE1lyDyU
Book: Gus and Me by Keith Richards
Grade level for this video: Upper elementary 4th-5th and also middle school
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Francesca Boerio, Classical Guitar, 2nd year Undergraduate
Description of video: This story is about a young Keith Richards visiting his grandpa who introduces Keith to music and the guitar, which inspires him to become a world famous guitar player with the Rolling Stones. Francesca introduces herself and the book’s author, describes his influence on guitar playing and plays some examples of Rolling Stones songs. She discusses instruments included in rock bands before reading the story. She ends the video by describing the differences between electric guitar, and classical guitar which she plays, and then plays a short classical guitar piece that inspires her and is in the same style of music that Keith’s grandfather first taught him how to play.
Link: https://youtu.be/97zZvFSW38g
Book: Duck Ellington Swings Through the Zoo by Andy Blackman Hurwitz and Andrew Cunningham
Grade level for this video: Approximately Kinder-2nd grade.
Presented by Thornton Mentor: Chandler Lawn, Ukulele/Guitar/Piano. 2nd year Undergraduate in Music Industry.
Description of video: Chandler starts the video with a hello song that she teachers to the viewers, and then introduces the book and its relation to famous jazz pianist Duke Ellington and Jazz music. She plays examples of classical vs jazz music, and then reads the book, complete with piano sound effects.
Link: https://youtu.be/tkovdLeXVgk
Video with GNG recognition: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1my_zWaM6QbEYeRWAj-BbSoUpeBYhg8lI
Musical Messages for our Healthcare Workers
Please note: these videos were made for our USC Keck medicine healthcare workers by our Thornton Students, but they might also bring messages of peace and calm, hope and gratitude for you, your students, staff/faculty and families as well.
Mentor: Marley Eder, Flute, DMA 2nd year
Music: Sarabande, Suite in D major, Bach
Message, in a few words: Gratitude. Quote from Marley: “Of all of Bach’s music, this speaks the most to me of gratitude”
Link: TCEP Video.mp4
Mentor: Francesca Boerio, Classical Guitar, 2nd year undergraduate
Music: First Capricho de Goya, Tedesco
Message, in a few words: Hope. Repeated theme in the piece that reminds her “whatever we endure, we will remain strong together as a community.”
Link: https://youtu.be/JlqUWf_MPpA
Mentor: Shelby Wong, Piano Performance, 4th year undergraduate
Music: Schumann, Traumerei, from scenes from Childhood
Message, in a few words: Peace and calm. Especially moving for her because both her parents work in healthcare.
Link: https://youtu.be/nChYHsn_Guw
Mentor: Chandler Lawn, Guitar/Piano/Ukelele, Music Industry, 2nd year Undergraduate
Music: Yellow, Coldplay
Message, in a few words: stay positive, and know this experience will form something meaningful.
Link: https://youtu.be/1hRKJ2O-8nA
Video with GNG recognition: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WJxQ6L3tVDODkaKLeNKgJGgF-A2cGcZp
Musical resources for young children (Kinder, 1st…)
- Created by Thornton Mentor: Chandler Lawn. Guitar, Ukulele, Piano. Music Industry, 2nd year undergrad Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lIMrgjuLwomVG10pyELmhTsi7VHtlE_sTI0-hIwbIPw/edit?usp=sharing
- Created by Thornton Mentor: Francesca Boerio, Classical Guitar, 2nd year undergrad Link:https://docs.google.com/document/d/13swjqDvZ1Y__BkRUaAdUFJQPXwbr_aYuAbwTcbvTbGs/edit?usp=sharing
Musical resources for children (Approx Gr 3-5…)
- “Jazz in the Classroom” extra fun/exploration/activities
Created by Thornton Mentor: Kevin Bryson, Trombone, Jazz Studies, 1st year Masters
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13se_tuAn_qxFaqjT-N3-KhdNHsn9Bv8VLyCci_KyOaY/edit?usp=sharing
- Choir class resources and activities
Created by Thornton Mentor: Ben Makarchuk, French horn, Community Music, 1st year Masters
Link:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NbTFZzhd3MHRhIlylp4AvpC2bDMnE673invcgiruOgA/edit?usp=sharing
Note: This video and content was created originally for our JazzReach choir class at Science Center School, however, please feel free to pass it along if you find it useful or think your own students and families would enjoy.
Musical resources for middle school/high school students
- Trombone resources for MS/HS students
Created by Thornton Mentor: Kevin Bryson, Trombone, Jazz Studies, 1st year Masters
Link:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KBfUN3Lw0sJZEQnjul7Bnc5IrW7pvg0IKD7ML-WRa90/edit?usp=sharing
- Brass Resources for Manual Arts High School Students
Created by Thornton Mentor: Ben Makarchuk, French horn, Community Music, 1st year Masters
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-btpnOt8d9H1dwWSemqjuRvnlcl8H9NkeefE2jRFoVo/edit?usp=sharing
Note: This video and content list was originally made for the Concert band class at Manual Arts High School, however, please feel free to pass it along if you find it useful or think your own students and families would enjoy.
Other musical websites and social media
USC Thornton School of Music Website:
View the “spotlight” section for more music and other resources
USC Thornton School of Music Facebook page:
For posts about special virtual performances by students and faculty
https://www.facebook.com/uscthornton/
Two Button Brass Quintet
A Brass Quintet out of USC Thornton. They upload videos and other content of their playing.