- Level: Early to Mid Elementary
- Pages: 4 pages, 2 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Big and Bold
- Series: American Adventure, Rote and Reading®
- Bonuses: Mp3 performance track
- Format: PDF instant download
Bison were nearly hunted to extinction in North America in the late 19th century, but now they are back. And they are back with a bang! This big and bold piece is excellent for encouraging confident playing. Bison Are Back is a part of the Rote and Reading® collection of music which can be taught by rote, reading or both. This piece is one of four pieces in the American Adventure Rote and Reading® collection.
What Level is Bison Are Back?
Bison Are Back is early to mid elementary level. The piece is on the black keys and can be used with students who aren’t even reading notation yet. There is a picture of the black key hand position on the music and the A section can be read by finger number. The B section is easily taught by rote.
The smallest note value in Bison Are Back is the quarter note.
The piece includes 2 places where students can hold down the damper pedal, but these are optional. The piece will sound big and bold even without the pedal!
Bonus Mp3 Included
Your purchase of Bison Are Back includes a bonus mp3 performance track that you can send to students to introduce or help them learn the piece.
Part of the American Adventure Series
Bison Are Back is one of four pieces in the American Adventure Series which includes these solos:
- Bison Are Back
- Legend of the Eagle
- Mountain View
- Booming Beast
You can purchase the American Adventure Series at a discount here.
The Power of Rote and Reading® Teaching
When you combine rote teaching with teaching to read music, students are much more excited about their progress and usually stay motivated longer. This is because kids know that they can play music that is much more difficult than they can read.
Think of the way kids learn to read. They first learn to “do” the language (i.e. speak it) before they ever learn to read it. In the same way, students best learn when we show them how to “do” the piano before they learn to read the notes. For more thoughts on the value of rote teaching and how long it really takes a child to learn to read music, read: How Long Does It Take to Learn to Read Music?
Nancy Arnold –
I gave The Bisons are Back to a beginning first grader last night… he’s only had two months of instruction, but half way through playing it, he stopped and hollered, “I’m so excited!” His mom and I burst out laughing. Your music is fun to play and learn.
Vanesa Read –
My energetic young students who like to play with a heavy touch love Bison Are Back. Even after passing the song off, one of my students plays it every time he starts his weekly lesson. The rote pieces are a nice break for some of the kids who have difficulty reading music and need to feel successful.
Kerri Sox –
I gave this to a student last week, and she came to her lesson this week so excited to play it! She said, “I love playing this one!” It’s a new staple in my studio – very encouraging for kids who are not too far along but like the sound of a big piece. Thank you, Wendy!!
Vanesa –
My energetic young students who like to play with a heavy touch love
*Bison Are Back*. Even after passing the song off, one of my students
plays it every time he starts his weekly lesson. The rote pieces are a
nice break for some of the kids who have difficulty reading music and need to feel successful.