October has been a great
month in our music classes! Our composer
of the month is Igor Stravinsky; many classes K-5 began to learn about his life
as a Russian composer in the 20th century and viewed excerpts of his
ballet Petrushka. We have enjoyed learning the new Ranney Fight
Song “Go, Ranney, Go!” composed by Upper School student Erik Bovino and sang it
at the pep rally during Ranney Spirit Week.
Beginner students continue to
play different percussion instruments and explore movement as we greet each
other with our “Name Song.” They have continued learning the song “Hello and
Thank You” that we will share during Grandparents and Special Friends Day on November
25. We also learned some new songs with
movements for the fall season. Beginner and Pre-K students
explored many instruments including the steel drum through our book “Creepy
Crawly Calypso.” Pre-K students have explored movement
through the songs “Simon Says” and “Just Like Me.” They are preparing the song “This
Little Light/We Love Our Grandparents” for Grandparents Day in
November. Pre-K students have also
learned some new songs with movements for the fall season. Kindergarten
students are continuing to match pitch and sing "There Is No Time Like the
Autumn/Don't Forget To Be Thankful." We are playing and saying
patterns with the rhythm sticks using quarter notes (tah), eighth notes (ti ti),
half notes (tah-ah) and rests (sh). We have learned some new songs
including “Brush Your Teeth,” “The Ants Go Marching” and “I’ve Been Working on
the Railroad.” Kindergarten students also read a book called “Goldie Rocks.” Students
K-5 have had fun singing the John Jacobson ‘50’s rock and roll style song “One
Hundred Ghosts” as we approach Halloween.
First Grade students are reviewing the treble clef/introduction
to notes through the book and puppets “Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the
Night, First Adventure: Treble Clef Island.” We are continuing to prepare
the song "I'm Grateful/ Pumpkin Pie" for Grandparents and Special
Friends Day in November. Second grade
music classes have continued to explore treble clef notes through the book and
puppets “Freddie the Frog and the Secret of Crater Island.” We are preparing the song "Do the Good
You Know" for Grandparents Day. Second
through fifth grades have been reviewing rhythms and exploring the drum circle
using various African and South American drums.
Third grade is preparing
"A Song For Grandparents Day” for November 25. We are practicing a
bass xylophone ostinato to accompany the canon song "Autumn Leaves." We began learning the notes B and A on our recorders.
Fourth and fifth grade students continue to discuss our Lower
School Musical "Disney's Peter Pan, Jr." which will be performed at
the end of April. I will have a parent meeting in December and send home
permission slips with fourth and fifth graders. Fifth grade auditions
will be at the beginning of January and rehearsals will begin in January.
Fourth grade students continue to sing the canon "Friends in
Music, Friends in Song" with a bass xylophone accompaniment; we will sing
"World of Thanks" for Grandparents Day which includes saying “thank
you” in many world languages. Fifth
grade students are preparing a partner song "Fifty Stars" which
includes "You're a Grand Old Flag" for the Grandparents Day
performance. We continued to explore a performance piece based on African
proverbs called "Ananse" using various percussion instruments. Many fifth grade students have been hard at work preparing their pieces for the upcoming Lower School Coffee House. Fifth
grade chorus was filmed performing the “Ranney Fight Song” and the “Ranney
Special Subjects Song” for the Ranney Web Site. We are continuing solfege exercises and songs
for our winter concert in January. Upcoming
events: Friday, November 7 Commons Stage 7pm - Lower School Coffee House;
Tuesday, November 25 - Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
