Month: January 2020

Kindergarten: This week, kindergarten students are telling a story through song by singing the fairy tale of Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty). They are creating class a story songbook, with each student drawing and singing one page of the book. 

1st Grade: No music class this week due to an assembly on Monday, and the Variety Show rehearsal on Friday. 

2nd Grade: This week, 2nd grade students are using beads to notate rhythms on beat sheets of familiar songs from earlier in the year, and making melodic contours for the melodies of Apples Peaches Pears and Plums and Pease Porridge Hot. They are also doing a listening log of Bach’s Minuet in G. 

3rd Grade: This week, 3rd grade students are singing a call and response song Yummy Yum Yum, beginning to learn an Orff instrument accompaniment for the song Rocky Mountain, and are using beads to notate rhythms of the song No Robbers on a beat sheet. There is only one music class this week due to the Variety Show rehearsal on Friday. 

4th Grade: This week, 4th grade students are singing, dancing, and making body percussion with the song I’ve Been to London. This song is a great practice for them to sing a melody using all of the notes of the F pentatonic scale, along with team/partner work. They are also continuing their practice on their recorders, and passing off the White Belt as a class. 

Orchestra: This week, orchestra students are learning the harmony part to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. They are also practicing sight reading, playing individually for French Folk Song and learning the new piece Georgia Railroad.
Homework: Essential Elements 36-45, Georgia Rail Road, French Folk Song 

It has been difficult finding the rhythm in music class lately, with our snow days last week and shortened week this week. Grades 1 and 3 do not have any music classes this week due to our schedule. Kindergarten and grades 2, 4 and Orchestra only had one music class this week. I am greatly looking forward to getting back into a normal routine, and the start of the new semester next week! Here is what we’ve been up to this week:

Kindergarten: This week, students are exploring barred instruments! They are getting to look at and take apart a xylophone, and make discoveries about how the sound is created. They learned that the longer bars make a low sound, and the shorter bars make a high sound. 

2nd Grade: This week, 2nd grade students are reviewing note reading by doing a rhythmic play along on rhythm sticks. They are also singing a sea chantey called Haul in the Bowlin, and playing a game with a song that we will use next week to notate quarter and eighth notes on a beat chart.

4th Grade: This week, students are learning about how to tongue notes on their recorders, and how to make a beautiful sound without squeaks. They are working on playing eighth and quarter note rhythms using the notes C and A, and reading melodies using the two notes. 

Orchestra: This week, orchestra students are working on their bow arms. They are focusing on making sure their bow stays straight while they are playing, using the whole bow to create sound, and only moving from the elbow joint. I encourage students to practice in front of a mirror at home to make sure they are keeping their bow parallel to the bridge while playing.
Homework Assignment- Practice and be able to play the following at steady tempo: Essential Elements #23-#32, #34 Natalie’s Rose, French Folk Song

Kindergarten: This week, students are really exploring the musical concepts of fast and slow. They are singing and moving to songs that are fast and slow, hearing the difference in a variety of musical examples, and describing the how each tempo makes the listener feel.

1st Grade: This week, students are notating and reading eighth and quarter note rhythms using the song Strawberry Shortcake. They are also listening to Winter by Vivaldi and using balloons to move to the beat of the song.

2nd Grade: This week, students are practicing hand signs for Sol-Mi-Do melody patterns, and reinforcing Do. They are also learning about how to create an rhythmic ostinato to a song using names of fruit and rhythmic instruments.

3rd Grade: This week, students are learning how to sing in a canon with the song Donkeys Love Carrots, and are also creating a new verse to the song with a partner. Students will also learn a song in Japanese called January First and experience hearing the Japanese instrument, the koto.

4th Grade: This week, students will practice singing in a round and reinforcing 4 sixteenth note rhythmic patterns. They will also get an introduction to the recorders, learning about how to take care of the instruments and how to play their first notes.

Orchestra: This week, students are getting their Essential Elements method books. They will be reviewing all learned concepts, and beginning work in the Essential Element books.
Homework: Essential Elements #14-22