With St Patricks Day coming up this year… why not celebrate it with your music classes by showing them a video clip of the musical “Riverdance” featuring loads of Irish Dancing and music? This will be sure to start a great discussion, and you could even adapt it for additional homework exercises or projects.

Here is a inspirational clip I found on You-tube which features the best of Riverdance:

Here are some questions for discussion or research you could use with your classes based on the performance:

Who was the composer of this piece of music?

Why do you think this piece was composed?

Which genre or style is this music an example of?

What is the style or genre of this piece of music?

Are there any solo passages in the piece? If so for which performers or instruments?

What instruments can you hear and see throughout this performance?

What time signatures were used within this piece?

What are the main features of the piece?

What parts of the performance did you enjoy most?

Give this performance a rating out of 10

Today marks an important worldwide celebration? What is the celebration and why do we celebrate it?

If you are looking for some more general information on “Riverdance” or Irish instruments. You may also find the following sites useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverdance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Whelan

http://www.culkinschool.com/education_music.htm