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Bach Google Doodle screen shot
Did you see the Google doodle on Thursday and Friday? To celebrate Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday, Google had an app for writing music.
I come from a musical background. My mother has her masters in piano and taught lessons for many years. My brother got the talent in his fingers and still makes a living as a professional musician.
Me? I gave up piano after high school, but I can still read music and sing in the church choir. But I’ve never written music before. That is, until Thursday.
In my last group of students, Madison and I played around with the doodle and discovered we could save a link and return to the song we created. Of course, we also had to write words to go with our songs, all of which proved to be harder than you would think.
I introduced this idea to my first group on Friday morning. We had to borrow headphones from the computer lab because all that composing going on in one room was enough to drive you crazy.
I was fascinated by how challenging this was for my kids. They spent at least an hour on it and would have gone longer, but it was a gorgeous spring day, so I shooed them out for recess.
Here is a link to a tune I created for the words “When I sing this lovely song, I feel a sense of pride.
My students posted theirs on our kidblog site here.
Who would think that you could build a whole class activity around a Google Doodle? Technology never ceases to amaze me.
Reflections on the Teche 
I love this! I played with the doodle myself but didn’t have my students use it. Now I wish I had! We have similar musical backgrounds- I always took lessons as a kiddo but stopped in high school. I can still read music & play a little. The threads that connect us- love this post!
I am just a music dabbler. It took me many places in HS and college so now I’m a great audience member! Love the doodle!
Oh no! I saw the picture but didn’t click o the link. What a miss! And how brave of you to try it out with your students. Sound a fun slice.
What a great idea to work this doodle with your students. They obviously enjoyed the challenge.
I had so much fun with the doodle as well! Made four songs, saved them, but didn’t add words. I don’t even really read music (can follow along well enough to sing in choir), but hearing the notes as I posted them on the bars made it easy to compose!
How cool! I, too, saw the doodle, but I didn’t click on it. I love that you decided to use it with your students, and now I am wondering if I can incorporate it into our poetry month work which is coming right up!
So much fun! I enjoyed listening and reading what the students wrote. I love that you were able to spontaneously use this in your class. Students will remember this.
How fun! I saw it, but paid no attention to it. I can see how this could swallow up kids…in a positive way! 🙂
I find this immensely intriguing on many levels – the Doodle inspiration (so cool that Bach was thus honored) and your experimenting with writing music. Not to mention the mental picture of all those students composing at once (headphones, indeed!). That they would have kept working and had to be “shooed” to recess shows how deeply engaged they were … I expect great things to come from this, from those kids as well as their muse/teacher.
I appreciate your comment and confidence in my students. I didn’t jump to referring any of them to the music talent program. In fact I found a few were somewhat tone deaf. Maybe I need to work music into my plans more often. It may just be a problem of exposure.
Oh, Margaret- this is my laugh for the day, re: the talent referral-!!But you’re likely right about the lack of exposure.
Fun! Teachers are inspired by everything they come in contact with…my biggest issue is always time. My students and I never have enough of it. Thanks for the continued inspiration! (I wish I was in your class!)
What a great deal of fun. I bet lots of your kids re-visit this. Who knew? You did! Great use of spontaneous and challenging learning. Loved hearing about it.
I saw the doodle because on Wed in math we explored a graphing assignment with composers. One of my students came to me on Thurs morn to show me the doodle. I love when what we are learning connects with real life! I just wish I would have clicked on it and found the rest of the gem under the doodle.