Ella Fitzgerald Steady Beat Play-Along to Old MacDonald
In celebration of Ella Fitzgerald’s special day this week (April 25) and the fact that April is all about Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), I've whipped up a groovy play-along video to Ella's rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" from her appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show back on November 29, 1964.
Body Percussion Steady Beat Patterns
The patterns are grouped in eight beats and consist of the following body percussion:
Hand clapping
Foot stomping
Patting the knees
Raising the roof
Individual kickline
There are also fun gifs related to each animal and the pitchfork that she sings about during the song.
Manipulatives
Just like my other recent play-along videos, there's a manipulative file waiting for you, and you can snag a copy right here! Dive in for some cool tidbits about Ella, jazz, and the groovy rhythms in the play-along video.
Who is Ella Fitzgerald?
She spent most of her childhood in Yonkers, NY.
She loved music as a child.
She sang a lot.
She took piano lessons.
Her big break came when she won a competition at the Apollo Theater.
She then auditioned for the famous bandleader, Chick Webb, who hired her.
She recorded more than 100 albums in her career.
She performed several types of music including jazz, swing, pop songs, and show tunes.
She performed with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Dizzy Gillespie, among many other famous musicians.
Won 14 Grammys.
Honored with lifetime achievement awards by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Learn more about Frederica von Stade by clicking here! (https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Ella-Fitzgerald/353131)
What is Jazz?
Jazz, a music genre originating in the United States, blends African-American and European musical elements. Emerging in the 1910s, jazz continues to be a favored genre due to its diverse styles and enduring popularity.
In the early 20th century, the term "jazz" encompassed various American popular and dance music styles. From the 1920s onwards, jazz has predominantly represented an Afro-American musical tradition, originating as folk music in the South and evolving into a refined modern art form. Despite classical and rock music occasionally incorporating elements of jazz, they are distinct from the core jazz tradition.
Learn more about Jazz here:
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/jazz/353314 (Grades K-5)
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/jazz/275139 (Grades 6-8)
Steady-beat PLAY-ALONG
Enjoy the steady-beat play-along as you enjoy Ella and jazz!