SQUILT Set 1, #1 - St. Louis Blues

In addition to my posts where I analyze a song, I will also post weekly SQUILT examples.

What is SQUILT?
SQUILT is an activity that many music teacher use for elementary and middle school classes. It stands for:

Super
Quiet
UnInterrupted
Listening
Time

At BAIS, I use SQUILT in Lower and Upper Elementary Choirs. In Lower, students learn a new instrument each week. For Upper, I teach music genres. The students have a worksheet to complete for each song as they listen, and every few weeks I have a review time to see if students remember the instruments or genres they have heard. For this blog, I will only post the Upper Elementary SQUILT examples.

This is a favorite activity of many students, so I wanted to post the songs in case students want to listen again. I am also adding a "Related Artists" section, which I don't cover in class. As I state below, I want to stress again that just because an artist gets posted in "Related Artists" does NOT mean I approve of their music or that I recommend all students listen to every song they have created. I encourage parents to listen with their kid and talk about the music.

Title: St. Louis Blues
Performer: Louis Armstrong
Genre: Blues

Notes: Blues music is based on the "blues form," which was a starting point for much of jazz music. It was developed primarily by African-Americans of the southern United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Spotify's Related Artists: Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Nat King Cole

**Disclaimer: While I believe that all of the SQUILT music chosen is appropriate for classroom use, some songs may not completely align with a Christian worldview. Songs done by related artists are also not guaranteed to be in line with the values of a Christian worldview. Parents should help their children develop discernment in this area.**