fix the sentence
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Music on Beale Street
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Bring Beale Street music to life with a musician and guitar coloring page. Pair coloring with a reading passage about street music in Memphis.
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Reading activity
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Music on Beale Street
A guitar can fill a street with sound. On Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, people can hear live music.
Beale Street is known for the blues. The blues is a kind of music that can tell about hard times, joy, or love. Singers often use their voices to share strong feelings.
A street musician may stand in front of shops with a guitar. The musician holds the guitar close and plays its strings. Each string can make a different sound.
One hand presses the strings against the neck of the guitar. The other hand moves across the strings. Together, the hands can make a tune.
People walking by may stop to listen. Some tap their feet to the beat. Others clap when a song ends.
Music has been part of Beale Street for a long time. Blues singers and bands have played there for many years. They have shared their songs in clubs and other places along the street.
A guitar is not the only way to play the blues. A band might use drums to keep a beat. A piano can add notes, too. A singer might sing a line, and an instrument might seem to answer it.
The music can be slow and soft. It can also be loud and fast. Each player can give a song a special sound.
People come to Beale Street to hear music and enjoy its long history. A song can make a busy street a place to stop and listen.
Glossary
- live: Happening as people watch or listen.
- musician: A person who plays or makes music.
- tune: A set of musical notes that makes a song.
- instrument: An object used to make music.
- history: Things that happened in the past.
Comprehension questions
Where can people hear live music in the passage?
What is the passage mostly about?
What kinds of feelings or experiences can the blues tell about?
How do a guitar player's hands work together to make a tune?
What might people do after a song ends?
Why might someone stop while walking on Beale Street?
What does the word “beat” mean when people tap their feet to music?
What instruments besides a guitar might people use to play the blues?
If someone enjoys live music, what might they do on Beale Street?
How long has music been part of Beale Street?
Printables & worksheets
More ways to practice with this story — every sheet is built from the text itself, answer key included where it counts.
Get all 4 sheets as one workbook
One PDF with a cover, a contents page and every answer key at the back — color the page in, then keep going on paper.
vocabulary
Match the passage words to their meanings, then fill the missing words back into real sentences.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
Explore Music on Beale Street
Download this free coloring page to introduce young learners to a street musician playing guitar in Memphis. Simple storefronts and open spaces make it easy for children to add their own colors.
This coloring page with a reading passage is a creative way to explore blues and street music. Use the comprehension questions and glossary to help children talk about what they read and learn new words.
Add it to your collection of free coloring pages for classroom lessons or at-home activities. Printable coloring pages make a fun companion to reading and music discussions.