Free lesson plans for elementary music: We Don’t Talk About Bruno
Looking for free lesson plans for elementary music? This We Don’t Talk About Bruno free elementary music curriculum unit is perfect for elementary music teachers. It also works great for classroom teachers looking to integrate music activities kids will love.
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Meet the teaching artist: Jairo Puello “JP”
Born in the Dominican Republic, Jairo Puello has been singing and song-writing since he was a kid. At ten years of age, Jairo learned that he could sell newspapers a lot faster if he sang the news. By fifteen he was the invited singer at summer church camps. At nineteen he released his first acapella quartet recording to help cover college expenses in Puerto Rico. By twenty-one, he released his first duo album with his sister Any Puello. Not long after, he released three more solo albums: Me Quedo Contigo, Atado a Ti, and Sobre la Roca. He also produced a bilingual children’s album called Jubilee.
Jairo has performed on tours in more than 20 countries, was nominated for Los Premios Cassandra (the equivalent to the Grammys in the Dominican Republic) with his Atado a Ti album. Jairo has performed for a few people on a pew in a small country church and for more than ten thousand fans in a baseball stadium. He is currently teaching Spanish at a charter school in South Carolina and continues to sing on the worship team at church and assists in musical productions as time allows.
Free lesson plans for elementary music: why teachers love rhythm play-alongs
If you’ve never used a rhythm play-along video in your elementary music classroom, you may not understand why other teachers do. But here are four of the top reasons I love to use them!
1. Rhythm play-alongs engage students, especially when they are based on one of their favorite movies.
1. Rhythm play-alongs engage students, especially when they are based on one of their favorite movies.Kids are going crazy about Disney’s Encanto movie. In case you haven’t seen it yet, Encanto is a Walt Disney Animation that tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals. The Madrigal family lives hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charming place called an Encanto. In fact, the magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel. Now Mirable is the only ordinary Madrigal. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she might just be her exceptional family’s last hope.
2. Rhythm play-alongs engage students, especially when based on one of their favorite songs.
The We Don’t Talk About Bruno song is currently ranking high on YouTube charts. It’s written by Emmy®, GRAMMY® and Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (author/composer of Hamilton and Moana). The music reflects Caribbean rhythms and flavor. The chorus is super catchy. But perhaps the biggest draw is that the song speaks to the biggest secret around the plot of the story. In a quest to discover her own purpose, Mirabel tries to solve the mystery behind her Uncle Bruno. She goes on a quest to figure out why he disappeared and where he is. And the song comes right before Mirabel finds all of the answers.
3. Rhythm play-alongs give elementary music students a chance to practice reading notes and rhythm patterns in a fun, engaging way.
Our We Don’t Talk About Bruno rhythm play-along presents students with more than ten different rhythm patterns. First, we introduce the following notes: quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, and quarter rest. Second, we start with the simple pattern of quarter-quarter-quarter-quarter and progress to the most advanced pattern of eight-quarter-sixteenth-quarter.
4. Rhythm play-alongs don’t require instruments.
If you have percussion instruments or rhythm sticks, you can have your students use them to mark the beat of the song and match the rhythm pattern. However, you don’t need any instruments at all. Students can use their hands and have just as much fun.
Free lesson plans for elementary music: how to teach rhythm play-alongs
- First, introduce students to the notes: quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, and quarter rest.
- Second, how students how to clap to the beat of the video by clapping on the blue note highlighted in the rhythm pattern.
- Third, the We Don’t Talk About Bruno play-along focuses on the chorus of the song, and the audio track repeats twice. Play the video once to see how students respond to the notes and rhythm both times.
- Fourth, after you show the video one time, assess your students’ performance. Then review and practice rhythm patterns that are difficult for students without the video.
- Fifth, play the video again to test students’ understanding.
We Don’t Talk About Bruno Lyrics
Our We Don’t Talk About Bruno rhythm play-along only focuses on the chorus of the song. However, you might enjoy reading the lyrics if you’re interested in understanding the story of the song.
Chorus
We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no!
(Repeat) We don’t talk about Bruno… but
It was my wedding day
(Echo) It was our wedding day
We were getting ready, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky
No clouds allowed in the sky
Bruno walks in with a mischievous grin-
Thunder!!
You telling this story, or am I?
I’m sorry, mi vida, go on
Bruno says, “It looks like rain”
Why did he tell us?
In doing so, he floods my brain
Abuela, get the umbrellas
Married in a hurricane
What a joyous day… but anyway
Chorus
We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no!
(Repeat) We don’t talk about Bruno!
Hey! Grew to live in fear of Bruno stuttering or stumbling
I could always hear him sort of muttering and mumbling
I associate him with the sound of falling sand, ch-ch-ch
It’s a heavy lift, with a gift so humbling
Always left Abuela and the family fumbling
Grappling with prophecies they couldn’t understand
Do you understand?
A seven-foot frame
Rats along his back
When he calls your name
It all fades to black
Yeah, he sees your dreams
And feasts on your screams (hey!)
Chorus
We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no! (Echo) We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no!
(Repeat) We don’t talk about Bruno! (Echo) We don’t talk about Bruno!
He told me my fish would die
The next day: dead! (No, no!)
He told me I’d grow a gut!
And just like he said… (no, no!)
He said that all my hair would disappear, now look at my head (no, no! Hey!)
Your fate is sealed when your prophecy is read!
He told me that the life of my dreams would be promised, and someday be mine
He told me that my power would grow, like the grapes that thrive on the vine
Óye, Mariano’s on his way
He told me that the man of my dreams would be just out of reach
Betrothed to another
It’s like I hear him now
Hey sis, I want not a sound out of you (it’s like I can hear him now)
I can hear him now
Um, Bruno…
Yeah, about that Bruno…
I really need to know about Bruno…
Gimmie the truth and the whole truth, Bruno
(Isabella, your boyfriend’s here)
Time for dinner!
Reprise
A seven-foot frame (it was my wedding day, it was our wedding day)
Rats along his back (we were getting ready)
When he calls your name (and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky)
It all fades to black (no clouds allowed in the sky!)
Yeah, he sees your dreams (Bruno walks in with a mischievous grin-)
And feasts on your screams (thunder!)
You telling this story, or am I?
I’m sorry, mi vida, go on (óye, Mariano’s on his way)
Bruno says, “It looks like rain” (a seven-foot frame, rats along his back)
In doing so, he floods my brain
Married in a hurricane
He’s here!
Don’t talk about Bruno, no! (Why did I talk about Bruno?)
Not a word about Bruno
I never should’ve brought up Bruno!
Free lesson plans for elementary music: We Don’t Talk About Bruno
Elementary music teachers or classroom teachers looking to integrate music activities kids can join our elementary music membership for free! As a member of our community, you get lesson plans for elementary music, videos for elementary music class songs, and everything you need to make teaching music fun and easy! Sign up today!
We Don’t Talk About Bruno Songwriter: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda is an award-winning composer, lyricist, and actor. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning musicals, Hamilton and In the Heights. Hamilton – with book, music and lyrics by Mr. Miranda, in addition to him originating the title role – was awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and earned a record-breaking 16 Tony Nominations, winning 11 Tony Awards including two personally for Mr. Miranda for Book and Score of a Musical. The Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton won the 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Both Mr. Miranda and Hamilton won the 2016 Drama League Awards for Distinguished Performance and Outstanding Production of a Musical, respectively. Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Alex Lacamoire were awarded a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors for their collaborative achievement in Hamilton and its continued artist impact.
Lin Miranda’s Hamilton
For its sold-out Off-Broadway run at The Public Theater, Hamilton received a record-breaking 10 Lortel Awards, 3 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 8 Drama Desk Awards, the New York Drama Critics, Circle Award for Best New Musical, and an OBIE for Best New American Play. So material from the show was previewed at the White House during its first-ever Evening of Poetry & Spoken Word in 2009, Lincoln Center Theater’s 2012 American Songbook Series and New York Stage and Film’s 2013 Powerhouse Theatre Season at Vassar College. In fact, the Chicago production of Hamilton opened in October 2016, with a 1st National Tour and London production both opening in 2017.
A second national tour launched in 2018, with a third national tour premiering in 2019. Subsequently, the London production of Hamilton went on to win 7 Olivier Awards in 2018, including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in Music for Mr. Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire.
Meanwhile, the Hamilton Mixtape, a concept album inspired by the show’s score was released on Dec. 2, 2016. Miranda received a 2017 MTV VMA Award in the “Best Fight Against The System” category for the video “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” off of The Hamilton Mixtape.
Lin Miranda’s In the Heights
Mr. Miranda’s In the Heights (originally conceived by Miranda, with book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, and direction by Thomas Kail), received four 2008 Tony Awards with Miranda receiving a Tony Award for Best Score, as well as a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. In the Heights also took home a 2009 Grammy Award for its Original Broadway Cast Album and was recognized as a Finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. In 2016, Miranda won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music for the Original London production of In the Heights. As a result, Off-Broadway, In the Heights received a Drama Desk award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance, the Lucille Lortel Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and Mr. Miranda received an Obie Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.
Lin Miranda’s songs
Mr. Miranda is the co-composer (with Tom Kitt), and co-lyricist (with Amanda Green) of Broadway’s Bring it On: The Musical (2013 Tony Nom., Best Musical, 2013 Drama Desk Nom., Best Lyrics). He contributed new songs to the revival of Stephen Schwartz’ Working and Spanish translations for the 2009 Broadway Revival of West Side Story. In 2014, Mr. Miranda received an Emmy Award with Tom Kitt for their song, “Bigger” from the 67th Annual Tony Awards. He collaborated with J.J. Abrams on the song, “Dobra Doompa” for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. For instance, Mr. Miranda contributed music, lyrics and vocals to several songs in Disney’s feature film Moana which earned him 2017 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and a 2018 Grammy Award for the original song, “How Far I’ll Go.”
Lin Miranda’s TV/film credits
Mr. Miranda’s TV/Film credits include: His Dark Materials, Fosse/Verdon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Curb Your Enthusiasm (2018 Emmy Nomination, Guest Actor), Saturday Night Live (2017 Emmy Nomination, Guest Actor), The Electric Company, Sesame Street, The Sopranos, House, Modern Family, The Polar Bears, Do No Harm, Smash, How I Met Your Mother, Freestyle Love Supreme, Inside Amy Schumer, Bartlett, Difficult People, Billy on the Street, Hamilton’s America, Drunk History, DuckTales, Nina’s World, BoJack Horseman, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, 200 Cartas, Speech and Debate, Moana (2017 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, Grammy Award for Best Original Song) and Mary Poppins Returns (2019 Golden Globe Nomination, Best Actor). He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 2002. He lives in NYC with his wife, sons and dog.
