November in the Music Room...
October 17-28, 2016
4th Grade
The 4th graders designed pumpkin faces out of music notes, rests and symbols (fermata, treble and bass clefs, accents)! The winners--Fillipo and Ernest-- received their own pumpkins carved from their original designs!
3rd Grade
3rd Graders decorated the music room with their own pumpkins designed with music notes and rests! They've also enjoyed learning about new rhythms ("galloping") in their Halloween song They're Out Of Sight (quarter and 8th rests).
2nd Grade
The 2nd Graders reviewed their rhythms by singing songs such as Picka' Picka' Pumpkin' (16th notes), how to hold a note (with a fermata) and explored beat v. rhythm by listening to Haydn's "Surprise Symphony" (two 8th notes v. quarter notes!)
October 10-14, 2016
4th Grade
The 4th graders have been having fun with some old and new Halloween Songs! In the process, they've been making two-part harmony singing in a round. The students also learned a new song style (Big Band) in "The Boogie Woogie Ghost!" This week the students took a quiz on notes and rests.
3rd Grade
The 3rd graders are having fun with Halloween songs, but there is a lot of learning to be had along the way! Ask your 3rd grader what an "X" means when it is on a note head, or to describe a fermata...
2nd Grade
Lots of fun in the second grade as we explore musical mapping in our Halloween songs! Repeat signs, fermatas, ties and slurs have all been a part of our new repertoire. They are also learning about notes and rests, and how beats can have more than one sound...
October 3-7, 2016
4th Grade
The 4th graders learned how beats can be grouped differently (meter) and we're exploring strong and weak beats in songs such as I Let Her Go! and Caribbean songs such as Four White Horses and Don't Worry, Be Happy! Ask your 4th grader which beats are accented in Reggae music! During class we've been reviewing notes and rests (values and proper names)
3rd Grade
Third graders have learned movement to an American game song (Jubilee), sung a "Tall Tale" song (Autumn to May) and are exploring the unique ways in which composer Steve Reich used instruments to get the effect of a train accelerating...
2nd Grade
The second graders have been having fun learning about accents by putting movement to the Spanish game song, Bate, Bate. This week they learned what a fermata does (it holds a note) and matched some rhythms to the trotting, jumping, galloping and walking done in Trot Old Joe...
September 19-23, 2016
4th Grade
This week the 4th graders are working on an African American call and response song called Way Down Yonder in the Brick Yard (which essentially requires a lot of right-brain/ left-brain coordination through movement!)
3rd Grade
The 3rd graders are writing rhythms to a speech piece (Bone-fish, Blue-bird) and jumping rope to keep the steady beat! We are also learning about pitch through our Bluegrass song, Rocky Mountain!
2nd Grade
The 2nd graders are learning more songs focusing on quarter notes and 8th notes this month! Ask your second grader to show you I Have a Car, If You Need a Buddy and the Spanish song, Bate, Bate!
September 12-16, 2016
4th Grade
4th graders are learning about rhythm v. beat as well as two sounds to one beat (8th notes) in the speech piece, "I Wish..." Do you know what a canon is? Your 4th grader does!
3rd Grade
The 3rd graders have been working very hard on an African stone passing game. (Precise movement to a steady beat is great for strengthening hand-eye coordination!) The students got a chance to use the big hand drums as well to show the strong (accented) beat!
2nd Grade
The second graders have been listening to "Voices Around the World," experiencing how very different voices (and cultures) can sound. They also continue taking turns leading the class with Kye, Kye, Kule. Ask your child to sing their new version of Head and Shoulders, Baby!
August 29-September 9, 2016
4th Grade
WELCOME BACK! The 4th graders learned a few new music terms from "The Ratlin' Bog!" Ask your 4th grader what a fermata looks like and what it does, and which tempo term means "to gradually slow down" (ritardando) and how to abbreviate it (ritard., rit.). They also found that the refrain is the same thing as a chorus, and the verse is what changes each time...
The fourth graders have also been learning a new "dance" called the "Accelerando Ritardando Tango!" (ole!!) Ask your 4th grader what accelerando has in common with the gas pedal on Mom or Dad's car!
The fourth graders have also been learning a new "dance" called the "Accelerando Ritardando Tango!" (ole!!) Ask your 4th grader what accelerando has in common with the gas pedal on Mom or Dad's car!
3rd Grade
The 3rd graders learned a fun "Hello" song in Swahili! Ask your 3rd grader to sing "Jambo." We also reviewed the difference between rhythms and the steady beat. Have them show you! The students got a chance to use the big hand drums as well to show the strong (accented) beat!
They have learned to put rhythms to the words in our speech piece, "Bone-fish Blue-bird." They are also notating two sounds on one beat (8th notes) and recognizing when to use rests.
They have learned to put rhythms to the words in our speech piece, "Bone-fish Blue-bird." They are also notating two sounds on one beat (8th notes) and recognizing when to use rests.
2nd Grade
These first two weeks the second graders got to read music from their first music text book! Ask your child to sing Songtime to you! The students are learning how to follow along on a multi-verse song. We also used our imaginations as we explored what a "dark song" might sound like in contrast to a "light song." We have also been listening to "Voices Around the World," experiencing how very different voices (and cultures) can sound. The second graders also learned a new song in Swahili (Kye, Kye, Kule) and will be taking turns leading the class.