Found a Friend is the last Level 2 piece before students move on to Level 3. A major goal of Level 2 is to bring students to a point where they can read all notes in the G Major Scale on the top three strings (see Level 2 G Major Scale). Once students can comfortably read all of those notes, they are ready to move forward to Level 3. Found a Friend is an opportunity to execute the G Major Scale in the context of a beautiful piece. Use the G Major Scale as a consistent technical warmup from this point forward. And keep in mind that, even though this is a carefully constructed technical piece of music, the primary goal of this - and every - piece of music should be joyful, expressive music making.
Opportunities for Social Emotional Learning
Found a Friend revolves around the idea of friendship and shared experiences with the people in our lives that we love. There is something unique and very special about the relationship a young person shares with a friend, and that relationship is even more special when it revolves around music and the arts. Taking time to think about our friends can (much of the time) be a calming experience. Ask your students to think about their friends - it can be a group of friends, or a single friend. Some students might have a number of their friends with them in your class at that moment. Ask your students to come up with a playlist of songs (3-4) that best describes their friendship. It can be songs that they share a love for, it can be songs that describe the essence of their friendship, anything! Compile your students’ playlists and ask certain students to share the songs they have chosen and share why they chose them. Note - some students may feel anxiety, disappointment, or anger when it comes to friends and friend groups, so be aware of any negative feelings that begin to arise and adjust your plans accordingly.