Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | Homeschool Music Lesson Plans

from the Hey Kid's Meet the Composer Index

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | Hey Kids, Meet the Composer Biography

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was born in 1844 in Tikhvin, a village east of St. Petersburg, Russia. Though Nikolai showed a talent for music at an early age, he pursued an education at the School for Mathematical and Navigational Sciences in St. Petersburg and later joined the Imperial Russian Navy. It was not until he met Mily Balakirev in 1861 that he decided to concentrate on developing his musical skills. When Rimsky-Korsakov was not at sea, Balakirev encouraged and taught him how to compose music. It also was through Balakirev that Rimsky-Korsakov met four other composers who later became known as the The Five. Read more....

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Writing Assignment

Write a few paragraphs on Rimsky-Korsakov that includes facts about his life and music. Then ask your child to complete the project by watching and describing a recorded performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee on YouTube.com. Ask them to begin with a list of adjectives and then follow with paragraph form. The following questions will help to guide their critique.

1) What instrument/type of group is performing Flight of the Bumblebee? (Brass quintet.)

2) What is the tempo of this performance of Flight of the Bumblebee: Adagio (Slow), Andante (Walking Speed), Moderato (Moderate), Allegro (Fast), or Vivace (Lively/Faster than Allegro). (Allegro or Vivace are acceptable answers.)

3) What dynamic levels are heard in this performance of Flight of the Bumblebee: Piano (Soft), Mezzo Piano (Medium Soft), Mezzo Forte (Medium Loud), or Forte (Loud). (All of them is an acceptable answer.)

4) Is Flight of the Bumblebee absolute or programmatic music? Absolute music is non-representational. It doesn't paint a picture anything in particular. Programmatic music wants us to think of specific images. Examples of absolute music are Symphony No.1 and Sonata - which simply means played. Examples of programmatic music include Dvorak's Symphony No. 9: New World Symphony and Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring. (Flight of the Bumblebee is programatic music, as Rimsky-Korsakov sought to write music that would represent the sound of a bumblebee.)

Flight of the Bumblebee - Canadian Brass

Music Lesson Plan Worksheets

Learn about Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov with a printable famous composer worksheet.

"Meet the Composer" Job Application | Worksheet
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | Word Search Worksheet

Beginner and Easy Sheet Music

Appreciating the talent of a great composer is never richer than when you're playing their music. Ask your child's music teacher about including the study of Rimsky-Korsakov's music in their music lesson.

Scheherezade (Theme) Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3
Flight of the Bumblebee for Easy Flute Solo by Rimsky -Korsakov
Flight of the Bumblebee for Easy Clarinet Solo by Rimsky -Korsakov
Flight of the Bumblebee for Easy Trumpet Solo by Rimsky -Korsakov
Flight of the Bumblebee for Easy Violin Solo by Rimsky -Korsakov

Rimsky-Korsakov Music Lesson Plan

After the lesson consider playing a game with the neighborhood kids to review what you learned about Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Materials
1) Masking Tape (if small group)
2) Flight of the Bumblebee Recording - Download it from iTunes to play the game and enjoy it in the car as well.

Small Group (2-12)
Create a tape line on the floor in the shape of a circle. This will serve as the bee hive. The children are the bumblebees. When the music starts the bumblebees run in and out of the hive. When the music stops the children caught inside the "hive" are out. Repeat the process until only one bumblebee remains. This bumblebee is the winner of the game.

Large group (13-24)
Ask half of the children to stand in a circle facing into the center. This group will be the hive. The other half of the children are the bumblebees. When the music starts the bumblebees run in and out of the hive. When the music stops the hive members take the hands of the other hive members and trap bumblebees inside the hive. The trapped bumblebees now become members of the hive. Repeat the process until only one bumblebee remains. This bumblebee is the winner of the game.

Ask the children about the things they learned about Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov or his music during breaks in game play.

Download a Famous Composer Ringtone

Download Flight of the Bumblebee as your cell phone's new ringtone. When the phone rings, ask your kids who the composer is or facts about the composer. You may find yourself frequently asking, "Is that my phone?" because you don't remember the ringtone, but your kids will be enriched.