Month of March Play-Along Videos Featuring Female Solo Artists: Lady Gaga
Check out our latest March Rhythm Play-Along Video starring none other than the fabulous Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga, who's turning 38 this week on March 28! There is also a bonus of Ariana Grande as this rhythm stick play-along is to the song, “Rain on Me”! Ready to groove to some tunes? Show some love by treating me to a virtual coffee boost at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/
Note: This play-along is meant for upper elementary. It is also geared toward those who can utilize Lady Gaga’s music in their classrooms. If you cannot use her music, please feel free to skip this play-along video.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, was born on March 28, 1986. She is a globally recognized singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and also known for her unique style, diverse fashion sense, and exceptional vocal talents.
Her breakthrough came in the late 2000s when her debut album, "The Fame" (2008), launched her to stardom with popular tracks like "Just Dance" and "Poker Face." Gaga's avant-garde fashion and extravagant stage shows quickly made her a pop culture icon.
Lady Gaga has consistently pushed creative boundaries in her music and visuals, delivering critically acclaimed albums such as "The Fame Monster" (2009), "Born This Way" (2011), "ARTPOP" (2013), "Joanne" (2016), and "Chromatica" (2020).
In addition to her music, Gaga has ventured into acting and received praise for her portrayal of Ally in the 2018 movie "A Star Is Born," which earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Shallow."
Apart from her artistic contributions, Lady Gaga is known for her advocacy work, focusing on mental health awareness, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice issues.
Lady Gaga's influence on music, fashion, and pop culture is profound, and she continues to evolve with each new project, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
Some Fun Facts about Lady Gaga
When she was just 4, she started playing the piano.
She started writing songs when she was just 13.
She even started acting from a very young age. Gaga starred in Guys and Dolls as Adelaide and Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Her stage name was inspired by the Queen song, “Radio Ga Ga!”
Gaga’s father, Joe Germanotta, pioneered the installation of wireless internet access in hotels in 2002.
At the age of 20, Lady Gaga wrote songs for singers such as Fergie and New Kids on the Block while she worked at Interscope Records.
Her favorite food is Peach Cobbler.
Her sister Natali Germanotta is a fashion designer.
Lady Gaga is the Godmother of Elton John’s two sons and they call her “GaGa-mother.”
She suffers from fibromyalgia. It is a long-term condition that causes widespread pain.
Lady Gaga was the first woman to win a Grammy, an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Critics Choice Award, and a Golden Globe in the same year for her role and songwriting in the movie, “A Star Is Born.”
More Fun Facts about Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is a singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and entrepreneur.
She launched her own makeup line called HAUS Laboratories in 2019.
She took voice lessons from Christina Aguilera's vocal coach.
Two of her songs, “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” are Certified Diamond. This means that they have gone platinum 10 times, passing 10 million sales and streams. Only 74 songs in America have done this.
If she had not become a singer, she wanted to become a combat journalist.
Learn more about Lady Gaga by clicking here! (https://kids.kiddle.co/Lady_Gaga)
Bonus: Ariana Grande!
Ariana Grande is a Nickelodeon child star.
She loves dogs.
She is allergic to cats.
She did not attend college.
She is one of the most followed stars on Instagram.
She has won multiple Grammys.
She started her own makeup company.
She has performed at the White House.
Ariana Grande’s fans go by the name “Arianators.”
Learn more about Ariana Grande by clicking here! (https://kids.kiddle.co/Ariana_Grande)
Manipulatives
This play-along is meant for upper elementary. It is also geared toward those who can utilize Lady Gaga’s music in their classrooms. If you cannot use her music, please feel free to skip this play-along video.
The rhythm concepts for this play-along are quarter, dotted quarter, eighth, half, whole, and sixteenth notes, with accents and crescendos. The Google Slides included with this play-along give you fun facts about Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, as well as the rhythm patterns used in the song. To download a copy, please click here.
TEACHING THE PLAY-ALONG
To teach this, I do the following:
Begin with a steady beat move-it.
Show and discuss the fun facts about Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.
Introduce or review the rhythm patterns found in the song.
If you are reviewing, use the wheel of names to have the students perform the patterns by either adding the patterns to the wheel using jpgs or pngs, or adding the students’ names to the wheel and having them perform the pattern when their names appear.
Use rhythm sticks to perform the play-along.
If there is too much sound, divide the class into groups and have them play and rest at various times.
Try various ways to perform on the rhythm sticks. For a whole note, have the students drop the sticks on a carpeted floor (if there is one). For eighth notes and sixteenth notes, have the students perform them by rubbing the sticks together so that they do not sound so loud.
