José Feliciano Music Lesson Plans & Activities

Originally published November 10, 2022
Latest Update September 15, 2026

Find interactive Jose Feliciano music lesson plans including Orff arrangements (Feliz Navidad), rhythm activities, and biography info.

I remember my older brother playing (on guitar and recordings) José Feliciano songs. I instantly fell in love with Feliciano’s sound and cool vibe and have followed him for years.

Laura

José Feliciano is a musician, singer, and composer. His greatest hits include “Feliz Navidad” and “Light My Fire.” “Feliz Navidad“, was written in 1970. Feliciano said the feeling behind the song was what he felt in his home country of Puerto Rico, celebrating Noche Buena, Christmas Eve, eating pasteles and lechon, and caroling in parrandas.

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José Feliciano Biography

José Feliciano, one of 11 children (all boys), was born in 1945 in Puerto Rico and moved with his family to New York City when he was 5. He was born blind from congenital glaucoma.

By the age of 9, he was performing in theaters. One of his first instruments was a concertina but then he switched to guitar.

He continued to perform and gain in popularity because of his ability to play the guitar (virtuoso) and sing, and how he arranged the songs to make them sound so unique. He became popular in the 60s and still tours today. (2020s)

Feliz Navidad Song & Orff Arrangement

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Find other great musician lesson plans for Hispanic Heritage Month!

Light My Fire

This shows his incredible guitar and arranging skills.

Rhythm Activity: Listen to the Falling Rain

I’ve been in love with the song “Rain” by Jose Feliciano for years.

🔹It has the children’s song “it’s raining it’s pouring, the old man is snoring…” plopped right into the middle. I think kids will get a kick out of this “surprise.”

Rhythm Lesson Plan
The form: verse 1, verse 2, the children’s song interlude, then a final verse 3.

Because of the quick tempo, I’d do a 2 eighth note quarter pattern (instead of steady beat activity) using different body percussion type movements and I’d let the students make up the three patterns.

Here’s what the final activity might look like.

Verse 1: pat-pat snap
Verse 2: Partner foot tap-tap tap (right) with partner. Then left foot, etc. Interlude: skip around room making it back to original position for last verse. Verse 3: with partner two hand leg pat-pat pat, clap-clap clap, partner hand pat-pat pat, clap-clap-clap

Here’s another recording of it years later.