Weiner Elementary
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    • Additional PLACES
  • Artists
    • YEAR 1 & 3 >
      • Artist of the Week - 1st 9-weeks >
        • Monet
        • Artisans of the Ozark Folk Center
        • Renoir
        • Wood
        • Rembrandt
        • O'Keeffe
        • Hokusai
        • da Vinci
        • Durer
        • Bierstadt
        • Adams and National Parks
      • Artist of the Week - 2nd 9-weeks >
        • Raphael
        • Munch
        • Rivera
        • Titian
        • Rockwell
        • El Greco
        • Constable
        • David
        • Christmas art
      • Artist of the Week 3rd 9-weeks >
        • Degas
        • Vermeer
        • Cassatt
        • Turner
        • Homer
        • Whistler
        • Seurat
        • Van Gogh
        • Disney
      • Artist of the Week 4th 9-weeks >
        • Sargent
        • Chagall
        • Kandinsky
        • Picasso
        • Dali
        • Remington
        • Mondrian
        • Pollock
    • YEAR 2 & 4 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Chihuly
        • Moses
        • Durer and Line
        • Matisse and Shape
        • Van Eyck and Texture
        • Velazquez - Space
        • Christy - Constitution Day
        • Monet and Color
        • Rembrandt and Value
        • Art Review- 1st 9-weeks
      • 2nd Nine Weeks Art >
        • da Vinci and Drawing
        • Cassatt and Painting
        • Hokusai and printmaking
        • Picasso and Collage
        • Rivera and murals
        • Michelangelo and sculpture
        • Relief Sculpture
        • Rodin and modern sculpture
        • Schulz and cartooning
        • Van Allsburg and illustration
      • 3rd Nine Weeks Art >
        • Warhol and Pattern
        • Escher and positive negative space
        • Van Gogh and rhythm
        • O'Keeffe and scale/proportion
        • Caravaggio and Emphasis
        • Kandinsky and Variety
        • Cezanne and Balance
        • Art in ancient culture
      • 4th Nine Weeks Art >
        • Bruegel and genre
        • Illuminated manuscripts
        • Adams and photography
        • Wright and architecture
        • Seurat and art displaying
        • Toulouse-Lautrec and graphic art
        • Tiffany and decorative arts
        • Drake and crafts
        • New Media Art
    • Halloween Art
    • Veterans Day & Art
    • Thanksgiving art
    • Valentine's Day art
    • Presidents Day Art
  • Musicians
    • YEAR 1 & 3 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Beethoven
        • Tribute to Aretha Franklin
        • Jimmy Driftwood
        • John Phillip Sousa
        • Claude Debussy
        • W. A. Mozart
        • John Williams
        • Idina Menzel
        • Amy Beach
        • Marching Bands
        • Carl Orff
        • William Grant Still
        • Scott Joplin
      • 2nd Nine Weeks >
        • Stephen Foster
        • Andrew Lloyd Webber
        • Johnny Cash
        • Aaron Copland
        • Musical Elements: Rhythm with Infinitus
        • Thanksgiving Music
        • Tchaikovsky
        • Handel
        • Johnny Marks
      • 3rd Nine Weeks >
        • Stephen Sondheim
        • Pentatonix
        • Sergei Prokofiev
        • Elton John
        • Louis Armstrong
        • Glen Campbell
        • Cher
        • The Gershwin Brothers
        • Henry Mancini
        • The British Invasion
        • Woody Guthrie
        • Dr. Seuss Music
        • Alan Menken
      • 4th Nine Weeks >
        • Florence Price
        • Yo-Yo Ma
        • George M. Cohan
        • Rimsky-Korsakov
        • Rodgers & Hammerstein
        • Antonio Vivaldi
        • Albert Ketelbey
        • Bette Midler
        • Gustav Mahler
        • Robert Rodriguez
        • Stevie Wonder
        • Carrie Underwood
        • Keith Urban
    • YEARS 2 & 4 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Elvis Presley
        • Glen Campbell
        • Dolly Parton
        • Beach Boys
        • Richard Wagner
        • John Lennon
        • Camille Saint-Saens
        • Rossini
        • Mark Alan Springer
        • Review Week
        • Bobby McFerrin
        • Randall Standridge
      • 2nd Nine Weeks >
        • Chicago
        • J. S. Bach
        • Banjamin Britten
        • Leonard Bernstein
        • Ella Fitzgerald
        • One Voice Children's Choir
        • Christmas Around the World
        • Jingle Bells
      • 3rd Nine Weeks >
        • Bedrich Smetana
        • Disney Composers
        • Garth Brooks
        • Edgar Varese
        • Joni Mitchell
        • Frederic Chopin
        • Valentine's Day
        • Koji Kondo
        • Philip Glass
        • Lin-Manuel Miranda
        • Review Week
      • 4th Nine Weeks >
        • Marian Anderson
        • Johann Strauss, Jr. >
          • Johann Strauss, Jr.
        • John Denver
        • Moses Hogan
        • Barry Manilow
        • F. J. Haydn
        • Wynton Marsalis
        • Gloria Estefan
        • George Strait
        • Jake Shimabukuro
        • Yanni
  • CHARACTER WORDS
  • School of Innovation!
    • Laying a Foundation
    • Art Music Plan
    • It's OFFICIAL!
    • Rationale
    • Mission & Vision
    • ADE Approved Plan
    • Graphic Plan
    • Implementation Plan
  • Library
  • G./T.
  • National Blue Ribbon School Info
  • Parents' Page
    • Resources for Parents
  • Home
    • Blended Learning >
      • Kindergarten Blended Learning
      • 2nd Grade Blended Learning
      • 3rd Grade Blended Learning
      • 4th Grade Blended Learning
      • 5th Grade Blended Learning
      • 6th Grade Blended Learning
      • Digital Learning Blended
    • Mrs. Pam Hogue (Principal)
    • Weiner Elementary Calendar
    • What Makes Us Different!
    • School of Innovation SLIDES
    • S documents
  • Places
    • YEAR 1 & 3 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Rio
        • Giant Sequoias
        • Great Wall of China
        • Mount Everest
        • Taj Mahal
        • Grand Canyon
        • Pyramids of Egypt
        • Stonehenge
        • Kyoto
        • Tokyo
      • 2nd 9 Weeks >
        • Venice
        • the Vatican
        • Crystal Bridges
        • Arlington National Cemetery
        • Cave of Crystals/Others
        • Westminster Abbey
        • Sydney Opera House
        • Seattle, Washington
        • Christmas Places
      • 3rd 9 WEEKS >
        • Westminster Palace/Parliament
        • Easter Island
        • ISS
        • Paris
        • Amazon Rainforest
        • Serengeti
        • Festivals!
        • Walt Disney World
        • Pompeii
      • 4th Nine Weeks >
        • Tibet in Exile - INDIA
        • Istanbul
        • Sri Lanka
        • Jerusalem
        • Washington D.C.
        • Florence
        • WEINER!!!
    • YEARS 2 & 4 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Memphis
        • Petra
        • Cinque Terre
        • Yosemite
        • Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
        • Galapagos Islands
        • Keukenhof
        • Thorncrown Chapel
      • 2nd Nine Weeks >
        • Chicago
        • Machu Picchu
        • Scandinavia
        • The Dead Sea
        • Rome
        • Beijing
        • Christmas Week
      • 3rd Nine Weeks >
        • GREECE
        • Mecca
        • Ireland
        • Moscow, Russia
        • Chichen Itza
        • Palace of Versailles
        • Dubai
        • Cairo, Egypt
        • Freedom Tower / 911 Memorial
      • 4th Nine Weeks >
        • Barcelona, Spain
        • New York City
        • Angkor Wat, Cambodia
        • Terracotta Soldiers
        • Mount Rushmore
        • Parkin Archeological State Park
        • Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
    • Additional PLACES
  • Artists
    • YEAR 1 & 3 >
      • Artist of the Week - 1st 9-weeks >
        • Monet
        • Artisans of the Ozark Folk Center
        • Renoir
        • Wood
        • Rembrandt
        • O'Keeffe
        • Hokusai
        • da Vinci
        • Durer
        • Bierstadt
        • Adams and National Parks
      • Artist of the Week - 2nd 9-weeks >
        • Raphael
        • Munch
        • Rivera
        • Titian
        • Rockwell
        • El Greco
        • Constable
        • David
        • Christmas art
      • Artist of the Week 3rd 9-weeks >
        • Degas
        • Vermeer
        • Cassatt
        • Turner
        • Homer
        • Whistler
        • Seurat
        • Van Gogh
        • Disney
      • Artist of the Week 4th 9-weeks >
        • Sargent
        • Chagall
        • Kandinsky
        • Picasso
        • Dali
        • Remington
        • Mondrian
        • Pollock
    • YEAR 2 & 4 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Chihuly
        • Moses
        • Durer and Line
        • Matisse and Shape
        • Van Eyck and Texture
        • Velazquez - Space
        • Christy - Constitution Day
        • Monet and Color
        • Rembrandt and Value
        • Art Review- 1st 9-weeks
      • 2nd Nine Weeks Art >
        • da Vinci and Drawing
        • Cassatt and Painting
        • Hokusai and printmaking
        • Picasso and Collage
        • Rivera and murals
        • Michelangelo and sculpture
        • Relief Sculpture
        • Rodin and modern sculpture
        • Schulz and cartooning
        • Van Allsburg and illustration
      • 3rd Nine Weeks Art >
        • Warhol and Pattern
        • Escher and positive negative space
        • Van Gogh and rhythm
        • O'Keeffe and scale/proportion
        • Caravaggio and Emphasis
        • Kandinsky and Variety
        • Cezanne and Balance
        • Art in ancient culture
      • 4th Nine Weeks Art >
        • Bruegel and genre
        • Illuminated manuscripts
        • Adams and photography
        • Wright and architecture
        • Seurat and art displaying
        • Toulouse-Lautrec and graphic art
        • Tiffany and decorative arts
        • Drake and crafts
        • New Media Art
    • Halloween Art
    • Veterans Day & Art
    • Thanksgiving art
    • Valentine's Day art
    • Presidents Day Art
  • Musicians
    • YEAR 1 & 3 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Beethoven
        • Tribute to Aretha Franklin
        • Jimmy Driftwood
        • John Phillip Sousa
        • Claude Debussy
        • W. A. Mozart
        • John Williams
        • Idina Menzel
        • Amy Beach
        • Marching Bands
        • Carl Orff
        • William Grant Still
        • Scott Joplin
      • 2nd Nine Weeks >
        • Stephen Foster
        • Andrew Lloyd Webber
        • Johnny Cash
        • Aaron Copland
        • Musical Elements: Rhythm with Infinitus
        • Thanksgiving Music
        • Tchaikovsky
        • Handel
        • Johnny Marks
      • 3rd Nine Weeks >
        • Stephen Sondheim
        • Pentatonix
        • Sergei Prokofiev
        • Elton John
        • Louis Armstrong
        • Glen Campbell
        • Cher
        • The Gershwin Brothers
        • Henry Mancini
        • The British Invasion
        • Woody Guthrie
        • Dr. Seuss Music
        • Alan Menken
      • 4th Nine Weeks >
        • Florence Price
        • Yo-Yo Ma
        • George M. Cohan
        • Rimsky-Korsakov
        • Rodgers & Hammerstein
        • Antonio Vivaldi
        • Albert Ketelbey
        • Bette Midler
        • Gustav Mahler
        • Robert Rodriguez
        • Stevie Wonder
        • Carrie Underwood
        • Keith Urban
    • YEARS 2 & 4 >
      • 1st Nine Weeks >
        • Elvis Presley
        • Glen Campbell
        • Dolly Parton
        • Beach Boys
        • Richard Wagner
        • John Lennon
        • Camille Saint-Saens
        • Rossini
        • Mark Alan Springer
        • Review Week
        • Bobby McFerrin
        • Randall Standridge
      • 2nd Nine Weeks >
        • Chicago
        • J. S. Bach
        • Banjamin Britten
        • Leonard Bernstein
        • Ella Fitzgerald
        • One Voice Children's Choir
        • Christmas Around the World
        • Jingle Bells
      • 3rd Nine Weeks >
        • Bedrich Smetana
        • Disney Composers
        • Garth Brooks
        • Edgar Varese
        • Joni Mitchell
        • Frederic Chopin
        • Valentine's Day
        • Koji Kondo
        • Philip Glass
        • Lin-Manuel Miranda
        • Review Week
      • 4th Nine Weeks >
        • Marian Anderson
        • Johann Strauss, Jr. >
          • Johann Strauss, Jr.
        • John Denver
        • Moses Hogan
        • Barry Manilow
        • F. J. Haydn
        • Wynton Marsalis
        • Gloria Estefan
        • George Strait
        • Jake Shimabukuro
        • Yanni
  • CHARACTER WORDS
  • School of Innovation!
    • Laying a Foundation
    • Art Music Plan
    • It's OFFICIAL!
    • Rationale
    • Mission & Vision
    • ADE Approved Plan
    • Graphic Plan
    • Implementation Plan
  • Library
  • G./T.
  • National Blue Ribbon School Info
  • Parents' Page
    • Resources for Parents
Patriotic Assembly Song of the Week
"Hail to the Chief"

KOJI KONDO

MONDAY
Listening Example:  Punch Out Theme Song

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Koji Kondo is a legendary Japanese sound director and video game composer. He is most famous for having composed the scores to the ‘Super Mario’ and ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Series.
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Kondo was born in Nagoya, Japan, on August 13, 1961. He began taking lessons in the electronic organ from the age of five. He improved his skills in the instrument in a cover band that played jazz and rock music.  Kondo studied at the Art Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, but was never classically trained or particularly dedicated to music. However, he gained some experience in composing and arranging pieces, using both the piano and a computer to assist him.
Today’s listening example is the theme from “Punch Out” which was Kondo’s first composition for a video game.  This one was actually an arcade game.  In college he would frequently visit  the local coffee shops to play arcade games like Nintendo's Donkey Kong, which had just been released. "I was really interested in them," says Kondo, "because they were the only place where you could find the kind of sound creation I was looking for."  

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TUESDAY

Listening Example: Super Mario Brothers Theme Song
Kondo is most known for writing the themes to arguably the most popular melodies in the video game industry and probably, world over.
During his senior year, Nintendo sent a recruitment message to his university stating that they were interested in hiring people dedicated to composition and sound programming. An LCD and arcade gamer, Kondo successfully applied for the job in 1984 without requiring any demo tapes.

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Kondo was the third person hired by Nintendo to create music and sound effects for their games; however, he was the first at Nintendo to actually specialize in musical composition. The first game he worked on was the arcade game Punch-Out!!, although it was before he had officially joined Nintendo. 
Today’s Listening Example is the "Super Mario Bros. theme", officially known as the "Ground Theme" It is a musical theme originally heard in the first stage of the 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System video game Super Mario Bros.. It was one of six themes composed for the game by Nintendo sound designer Koji Kondo, who found it to be the most difficult track to compose for it. The theme has a calypso rhythm and usually receives a corresponding orchestration in games whose sound synthesizers can imitate steel drums.


WEDNESDAY

Listening Example:  The Legend of Zelda Theme Song
Video games use electronically produced sounds and music.  One of Koji Kondo’s most popular tunes is Saria’s song, “Lost Woods” from Legends of Zelda:  Ocarina of Time.  This melody usually serves as background music for places that are related to forests or woods. In 1985, he wrote the music and sound effects for the super hit game ‘Super Mario Bros’; a game which would be later be called ‘The Greatest Game of All Time’.

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In 1986, Kondo wrote the music and sound effects for ‘The Legend of Zelda’, which was second in popularity only to ‘Super Mario’ itself.
The first editions of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda sold over sixty million copies worldwide.

Today’s Listening Example, "The Legend of Zelda Theme", also known as the "Overworld Theme", is a recurring song in the Legend of Zelda series. It serves as the main theme for most games in the series.Originally, the song appeared as a simple 8-bit music track used whenever Link entered the game's overworld. The song continued to appear in later games in the series, often being given re-instrumentation as computer game music technology developed. Since then, the song has grown in popularity and fame to become the official theme song for the franchise and among the most recognizable video game music of all time.

THURSDAY

Listening Example: Song of Healing from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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Koji Kondo is a genius with a computer and a keyboard, but do you know where he gets most of his ideas?
"When I'm thinking of the main theme — the melody and the main theme of any game, I don't really come up with those at work," said Kondo. "For some reason, they don't come to me when I'm in the office!"


"Usually, I'll be in the bathtub, I'm it's like 'oh, there it is!' Or I'll be sleeping, and the melody is in my head. Or even, you know, I'll be walking down the hallway in my house, suddenly the music pops into my head. It really doesn't happen at work, it's always somewhere outside of the office."

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Every game that Kondo writes music for usually has a storyline.  Today’s Listening Example is The Song of Healing from The Legend of Zelda:  Ocarina to Time.  In the game, the "Song of Healing" is taught to Link by the Happy Mask Salesman after Link, cursed in the shape of a Deku Scrub, retrieves the stolen Ocarina of Time from Skull Kid. The notes of the song heal Link's soul, and the young hero returns to his Hylian form.

FRIDAY

Listening Example: Kakariko Village [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]
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No matter where inspiration strikes, Kondo revealed that the process for making music for a Nintendo game is intensely collaborative. Kondo meets with a game's designers and director long before he starts putting notes together.
"The director will walk me through the game they're thinking of putting together," said Kondo. "And we'll talk a little bit about about overall music direction. Until we have a prototype ready for me to play, what I'll do is I'll take that conversation and listen to different kinds of music and try to come up with what I think may work."
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"Then, once we have prototype ready, a version that I can play, It's all about playing again and again and again, trying to find the music that I think would fit what I'm seeing onscreen and what it feels to play the game."
While he isn't as much involved with the game soundtracks as before, Koji Kondo still provides a few tracks for some relevant titles such as Super Mario Galaxy. Nevertheless, Kondo would return to the role of main composer for the first time in years in Super Mario Maker.  Today’s Listening Example is from the Legend of Zelda.  It is about the setting of the game.  Kakariko Village is one of the main stops in the game that a player goes to in order to get to  other destinations.
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