November and December have been busy months in our music
classes! Students Beginner through Fifth
Grade performed during our Grandparents and Special Friends Day presentations
on November 25. Pictures and video are
posted on this blog. Our composer of the
month for November was Johann Sebastian Bach.
Through his Minuet in G, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Cello Suite, and
Brandenburg Concertos we explored music of the Baroque period. For December I chose to feature a local
songwriter/musician who has had a large impact on popular music, Bruce
Springsteen. We especially enjoyed his performance clip of
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Beginner and Pre-K students continue
to explore percussion instruments including the maracas, egg shakers,
tambourines, and jingle bells. They
reviewed various instruments of the orchestra in the book “Musical Max.” In
December we learned the winter songs “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman.” Other
favorite songs are “Down By the Bay” and “Something in My
Shoe.” Kindergarten students are continuing to match pitch and review
patterns with the rhythm sticks using quarter notes (tah), eighth notes (ti
ti), half notes (tah-ah) and rests (sh). Students K-5 have enjoyed singing winter and
holiday songs throughout December. A template
of the holiday song book is available in the right hand column under “song
lyrics” as some students expressed interest in making their own song book. At the
Lower School gathering on December 19 the after school singing club will
perform “Merry, Merry, Joy, Joy/I Want to Be An Elf” and chorus will present “Snowtime
Fantasy”. Mrs. Congemi’s third
grade class will share some holiday songs with the beginner students at their “Snowball”
also on December 19. 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. Permission slips are due by December 19.
Fifth grade auditions will be at the beginning of January and rehearsals begin
in January. Chorus students are preparing for their winter concert on
January 15. Happy Holidays, enjoy the winter break!
Upcoming events: Thursday,
January 15 Lower School Winter Concert 6pm Panther Hall.
