Composing with Music and Lyrics!
In L.O.S. KIDS at HOME, The Little Orchestra Society teaching artist Daniel Levy invites viewers to create their own new mini-songs. Fun, engaging, and educational. Students rap and sing using texts found in books or magazines they might have around the house; instrumental accompaniments are provided.
Daniel clearly models the songwriting process in a playful, relaxed way that puts the viewer at ease and encourages creativity. At the same time, the work itself is quite substantive: this lyrics-first improvisatory process is very similar to that used by Mozart, Debussy, Stravinsky, and other artists featured in The Little Orchestra’s 19-20 season. As Daniel addresses each viewer as a composer with the greeting Hello Composers!, students self-identify as artists, aware of their connection with music of the past and present. The instrumental accompaniments used include El Colas from Radio Jarocho’s album Son and Fandango from Mexico, Ija Mia from Basya Sheckter’s album Pharaoh’s Daughter, and On Broadway (karaoke version) based on George Benson’s arrangement of the written song by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, in collaboration with Leiber & Stoller.
Video host Daniel Levy is a composer and working musician in New York City. A leader in urban teaching artistry and arts program design, he has worked with numerous arts-in-education institutions, including the 92nd Street Y, The Little Orchestra Society, Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and Lincoln Center Education. Author: A TEACHING ARTIST'S COMPANION: How To Define and Develop Your Practice (Oxford University Press 2019).