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Student Guide
By: Mr. Fibelkorn

Words and Music by Jonathan Larson

Arranged by Roger Emerson

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Learning Goals.. 3
Score Study. 3
Text. 3
Historical Significance................................................... 5
Melody. 5
Harmony.... 6
Rhythm. 6
Form and Structure.. 6
The Heart................. 7
Practice Guide.. 7
Assessments.. 8
Seasons of Love Artwork.. 10
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Learning Goals
1. Students will perform syncopated patterns while maintaining musical rhythmic
context.
2. Students will improvise, vocally, to Seasons of Love while maintaining musical
context through the key and time signature.
3. Students will analyze and label chord structures of Seasons of Love while
identifying key signature with 80% accuracy.
4. Students will apply knowledge of key signatures and chord structure to identify
all suspensions within their part of Seasons of Love with 100% accuracy.
5. Students will analyze and evaluate the other musical lines within Seasons of
Love to identify which parts had the melody and harmonies with 100%
accuracy.
6. Students will create musical phrasing/text painting for Seasons of Love while
maintaining musical and lyrical integrity.

Score Study
The Text
About the Text:

From the musical Rent, the song Seasons of Love is about all the different ways life can
be measured. Whether it be in literal sunsets, minutes, relationships, or hardships,
Seasons of Love teaches how life is precious to everyone in their own way. The musical
Rent is all about what do we do with the time that we have. The show deals with
individuals getting STDs and having the option to live their life in fear. Instead, they
learned how short life really is and living their life in love is the best way to be. Seasons
of Love truly can teach someone to think about how they decide to spend every minute
of their daysis it worthwhile? Do I love what I do? Am I fulfilling my dreams? These are
all questions that came to me as I studied the score of the piece, Seasons of Love.

Seasons of Love Lyrics

[All]
525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee

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In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In 525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love?

How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love

[Joanne]
525,600 minutes
525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or man?

[Collins]
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned, or the way that she died

[All]
It's time now to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate, remember a year
In the life of friends

Remember the
Love
Remember the
Love
Remember the
Love
Measure in love

Seasons of love
Seasons of love [Joanne]
You got to, you got to
Remember the love
You know that love is
A gift from up above
Share love, give love
Spread love
Measure, measure your life in love
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Historical Significance/Cultural Analysis:

Rent, by Jonathan Larson, is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohme. La

Bohme is a story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and
create lives for themselves.

From the musical Rent, the song Seasons of Love is about all the different ways life
can be measured. Whether it be in literal sunsets, minutes, relationships, or hardships,
Seasons of Love teaches how life is precious to everyone in their own way. The
musical Rent is all about what do we do with the time that we have. The show deals
with individuals getting STDs and having the option to live their life in fear. Instead,
they learned how short life really is and living their life in love is the best way to be.
Seasons of Love truly can teach someone to think about how they decide to spend
every minute of their days.

This is culturally and historically significant because we are in a society today that is
battling equal rights for all races, genders, and sexualitieswho all come from a variety
of backgrounds. In a secondary setting, students will come from most of these
demographics, which makes the message of this song all the more relevant. This piece
embodies how the choir room is a place for students to feel safe, unified, and free to
express who they truly are.

Melody:
The melody in Seasons of Love is like a game of catchmeaning that every part gets a
chance to receive it and pass it on to others. For instance, all parts begin in unison with
the melody at the beginning (m. 5-20). Altos take over m. 21-27. Then the Baritones take
over 29-32.

After a couple solos, and a repeat of the chorus, Sopranos finally get to take the lead at
measure 62 all the way to 77.

Overall, the melody symbolizes how everyone has their own story to tell in life and
Seasons of Love gives everyone that chance to be heard.

During the learning of this piece, we will discover strategies, such as physical movement
and marking our scores, to unveil the melody within the song.
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Harmony:

The defining harmonic aspects that make this song unique begins with its use of
unison in several sections of the piece. We can easily discuss the text
painting/symbolism that this musical decision can resemble.

Then then other defining harmonies that can be discussed can be the
suspensions/non-harmonic tones that take place on the first chord of each B
section and the final Bass movement and soprano/alto dissonance in the final
chord.

About the Rhythm:

The rhythm is defined by the rests and syncopation that embodies every section. Working
on all of the eighth rests will easily lead into syncopated rhythms, as well as the consecutive
dotted eighth note patterns. Other rhythmic aspects that can be discussed is the
importance of hearing the moving line (aka: more black notes). With m. 62-77 having three
different lines at once going on, it is important to know which line to stress.

Form and Structure:

A (m. 1-20)
B (m. 21-32)
A (m. 33-44)
C (m. 45-48)
B (m. 49-61)
A (m. 62-77)
B (m. 78-85)
This ABACBAB form is kind of an extended rondo form with a slight variation at the end.
This can lead into discussion of the other forms and how to decide the labeling of each
section.
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The Heart:

Students come into choir class with the expectation that this class will be different and
more active than their other classes in the day. The heart of this piece begins with the
unison, showing we are all unified from all walks of life. It then breaks into a beautiful
harmony, showing how beautiful it is when people can get past their differences and
work together. There is then a section where all three voice parts have independent
lines, just like in the show, the characters are trying to each make it in the big city.

The heart of this piece is the message that not only the show and the text gives us, but
the meaning that the choir can create from their interpretation of the musical aspects
that are given in the music.

Practice Guide:
https://youtu.be/hj7LRuusFqo
This is a recording of our piece Seasons of Love. Give it a
listen!

What is Solfege? Watch this video to find out!

https://youtu.be/bJJUG_Elt5g

New to music or want a refresher on key terms and concepts? Visit the site
below!
https://musictheory.net (Explore this site and have FUN)
Search for these terms and concepts:
Melody, Harmony, Triad, Chord,
Suspensions.

What do I need to bring to choir?

Black .5 inch folder
Pencils with erasers
Highlighter

Please download any FREE metronome app! They will come in handy for
rehearsals to come.

Music is a full body, and mind, experience. Be prepared to come to choir

mentally and physically engaged every day!
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Down below are a couple of your larger assignments for the unit. Be sure to keep
these rubrics nearby!

Portfolio Rubric
Criteria 0 1 2 3

Triad Discovery No I, IV, or V triads 1 of the 3 triads were 2 of the 3 triads were All 3 triads were
were identified in discovered in discovered in discovered in
Seasons of Love. Seasons of Love. Seasons of Love. Seasons of Love.
Triads were not Triads were turned in Triads were turned in Triads were turned in
turned in. 2 class periods late. 1 class period late. on time.
Triad Composition There was no use of 1 of 3 triad/chords 2 of 3 triads/chords All 3 triads/chords
a I, IV, or V were used in were used in were used in
triad/chord in the 4 composition. composition. composition.
measure 2 or less measures Only 3 of the 4 All 4 measures were
composition. were composed. measures were complete.
Composition was not Composition was 2 complete. Composition was
turned in. class periods late. Composition was 1 turned in on time.
class period late.
Suspension Suspension was not Suspension was Suspension was Correct suspension
Discovery identified in Seasons turned in 2 class turned in 1 class was discovered in
of Love. periods late. period late. Seasons of Love.
Suspension was not Suspension was
turned in. turned in on time.
Suspension There was no use of 2 or less measures 3 of the 4 measures Correct use of a
Composition a suspension in were composed. were composed. suspension was
composition. Composition was 2 Composition was 1 composed.
Composition was not class periods late. class periods late. All 4 measures were
turned in. complete.
Composition was
turned in on time.
Melody Discovery No melody line 50% or less of 50-75% of melodies 75% or more of
discoveries were melodies in Seasons in Seasons of Love melodies in Seasons
turned in. of Love were were discovered. of Love were
discovered. Discoveries were discovered.
Discoveries were turned in 1 class Discoveries were
turned in 2 class period late. turned in on time
periods late.
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Text Painting No text painting 1 of 3 text painting 2 of 3 text painting All 3 text painting
Discovery discoveries were examples in Seasons examples in Seasons examples in Seasons
turned in. of Love were of Love were of Love were
discovered. discovered. discovered.
Discoveries were Discoveries were Discoveries were
turned in 2 class turned in 1 class turned in on time.
periods late. period late.
Professionalism Portfolio was not Portfolio was turned Portfolio materials
turned in. in, but not in a were turned in with a
folder. folder.

Rubric for: Seasons Rhythm Recording

Criteria 0 1 2 3

Beat No video recording 10 or more 5-9 instance of 4 or less instances

was submitted. instances of losing losing the beat of losing the beat
the beat within the within the rhythmic within the rhythmic
rhythmic performance performance.
performance.
Performance No video recording Submission was 2 Submission was 1 Student submitted
Submission was submitted. class periods or class period late. on time.
more late. Only 50-90% of the 100% of the
Only 50% or less of rhythmic excerpt rhythmic excerpt
the rhythmic was performed. was performed.
excerpt was
performed.
Video Recording No video recording Individual could be Individual could be Individual could be
Quality was submitted. partially heard (49% heard and seen for heard and seen
Individual could not or less) and partially a majority (50%- during the entire
heard in the video. seen (49% or less) 99%) of the video video recording.
in the video recording.
recording.
Rhythmic No video recording 10 or more errors 5-9 errors within 4 or less errors
Quality was submitted. within rhythmic the rhythmic line. within the rhythmic
line. line.
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Seasons of Love Unit Artwork

P.S..We will be using lots of Solfege

Who says we only sing in choir?

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Seasons of Love is more than just a song. Its a message that can be expressed in
many ways.