Happy New Year! Beginner and Pre-K students have enjoyed moving and clapping to our songs “Jump” and “ABC Rock.” We read the books Soup Opera and I Like the Music. We also read the book Rain Talk and after discussing the rain sounds created our own rain sounds using drums and percussion instruments. Beginner students explored movement using scarves to “Winter” from the “Four Seasons” by our composer of the month Antonio Vivaldi. Pre-K learned the song “Bingo” with letter cards. We continue to keep a steady beat and explore rhythms using rhythm sticks and percussion instruments. Kindergarten students have been practicing place memory with the song “Bingo” and letter cards. They also have been singing “Old MacDonald” and “Walk With Me.” We listened to and discussed “Winter” from the“Four Seasons” to celebrate our composer of the month Antonio Vivaldi. Kindergarten students can match pitch and continue to practice rhythms using quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, and eighth notes in Kodaly notation. First grade students have learned a new song “Mrs. Grady” which incorporates movement with the days of the week. We continue to practice rhythms using quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, sixteenth notes, and eighth notes in Kodaly notation using rhythm sticks and percussion instruments. First grade students are beginning to explore instrument families (String, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion) using the San Francisco Symphony kids site (see link in right hand column). First and Second grade students discovered the music of Vivaldi through our listening examples. We began using the second grade music textbooks learning “Make New Friends” in canon, differentiating between metal and wood percussion, hand jive , “Hello Song” and “Goodbye Song”, a trio of patriotic songs (“America/You’re a Grand Old Flag/Yankee Doodle”, and the partner dance “Jump Jim Joe.” Second through fifth grade students have reviewed solfege syllables and hand signs in the scale and with echos on intervals. Third grade students continue to play their recorders; they know the notes G, A, B and the songs “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Third grade also has been practicing the chant/body percussion for “Here Comes the Rain” in two and three part canon. Fourth grade students continue to practice parts one and two (separate and together) of “Percussion Concussion” using body percussion. Fifth grade students are beginning to learn this also. Fourth and fifth grade students researched information on Vivaldi during music class using my links to the Classics for Kids and Dallas Symphony Kids sites. Fourth grade began using the music textbooks learning “Music in Life,” discussing a cappella music, Chubby Checker and “The Twist,” performer and audience etiquette, “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “Every Mornin’.” Fifth grade students learned “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” “Lean on Me,” and “We Are the World” in their textbooks. We also discussed percussion, improvisation, and the significance of the “We Are the World” music videos in 1985 (Africa) and 2010 (Haiti). All Lower School students explored the music and instruments of the Caribbean, our World Music of the Month. Lower School Chorus performed at the Lower School Winter Concert on January 12; after reviewing that experience we are beginning to look at new music. Rehearsals are underway for our Lower School Musical Willy Wonka, Jr. which will be performed at the end of April. Friday, January 27, 2017
January Music Notes
Happy New Year! Beginner and Pre-K students have enjoyed moving and clapping to our songs “Jump” and “ABC Rock.” We read the books Soup Opera and I Like the Music. We also read the book Rain Talk and after discussing the rain sounds created our own rain sounds using drums and percussion instruments. Beginner students explored movement using scarves to “Winter” from the “Four Seasons” by our composer of the month Antonio Vivaldi. Pre-K learned the song “Bingo” with letter cards. We continue to keep a steady beat and explore rhythms using rhythm sticks and percussion instruments. Kindergarten students have been practicing place memory with the song “Bingo” and letter cards. They also have been singing “Old MacDonald” and “Walk With Me.” We listened to and discussed “Winter” from the“Four Seasons” to celebrate our composer of the month Antonio Vivaldi. Kindergarten students can match pitch and continue to practice rhythms using quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, and eighth notes in Kodaly notation. First grade students have learned a new song “Mrs. Grady” which incorporates movement with the days of the week. We continue to practice rhythms using quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, sixteenth notes, and eighth notes in Kodaly notation using rhythm sticks and percussion instruments. First grade students are beginning to explore instrument families (String, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion) using the San Francisco Symphony kids site (see link in right hand column). First and Second grade students discovered the music of Vivaldi through our listening examples. We began using the second grade music textbooks learning “Make New Friends” in canon, differentiating between metal and wood percussion, hand jive , “Hello Song” and “Goodbye Song”, a trio of patriotic songs (“America/You’re a Grand Old Flag/Yankee Doodle”, and the partner dance “Jump Jim Joe.” Second through fifth grade students have reviewed solfege syllables and hand signs in the scale and with echos on intervals. Third grade students continue to play their recorders; they know the notes G, A, B and the songs “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Third grade also has been practicing the chant/body percussion for “Here Comes the Rain” in two and three part canon. Fourth grade students continue to practice parts one and two (separate and together) of “Percussion Concussion” using body percussion. Fifth grade students are beginning to learn this also. Fourth and fifth grade students researched information on Vivaldi during music class using my links to the Classics for Kids and Dallas Symphony Kids sites. Fourth grade began using the music textbooks learning “Music in Life,” discussing a cappella music, Chubby Checker and “The Twist,” performer and audience etiquette, “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “Every Mornin’.” Fifth grade students learned “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” “Lean on Me,” and “We Are the World” in their textbooks. We also discussed percussion, improvisation, and the significance of the “We Are the World” music videos in 1985 (Africa) and 2010 (Haiti). All Lower School students explored the music and instruments of the Caribbean, our World Music of the Month. Lower School Chorus performed at the Lower School Winter Concert on January 12; after reviewing that experience we are beginning to look at new music. Rehearsals are underway for our Lower School Musical Willy Wonka, Jr. which will be performed at the end of April. 