Where to start????

Oh my, so much has taken place in the music room this week that I don’t know where to start

KINDERGARTEN – I’ve already had a few parents email me to ask about the game we played in Kindergarten this week.  The name of the song/game is called “Juba” and it’s lyrics are below

Juba this and Juba that

Juba bought a yellow cat

Juba up and Juba down

Juba running all around.

1st GRADE – We performed the song “Rain Rain Go Away” on Orff instruments.  Later, we learned and performed the Appalachian Folk Dance for the song “Leila.”  At the end of class we looked at a map of the Appalachian Mountains and talked about the history of the folk song and the first settlers in those mountains over 100 years ago.

2nd GRADE – the 2nd grade musical “Go Fish” is getting closer by the day and I’m super excited!  Here is a clip of the “Shark Rap” performed by Mrs. Craig’s class.  The performance is on Oct. 13 at 6pm if you want to hear the rest!

 

3rd GRADE – Ear training in music can mean many things.  This week we learned how you can train your ears to pick out one sound / instrument among many.  We practice this skill through a follow the leader game called “I Lost My Partner.”  In the game, one student closes his/her eyes while a partner carefully guides him/her around the room by playing an instrument.  Check out Mrs. Callahan’s class below

 

4th GRADE – This week the word was “dynamics” – the louds and softs in music.   We learned about pianissimo (pp)  and fortissimo (ff).  Students used these in the B-section of the song “Dr. Bell”  which also made use of orff instruments and a handgame.  In true orff fashion every student learned every part before putting it all together.  See Mrs. White and Mrs. Barton’s students below!

 

5th GRADE – Improvising means making up music as you go.  We learned the song “Rondo For Instruments” which involves reading and performing music from  a 3-part score and adding contrasting sections where students get to improvise their own music on instruments.

 

 

CHORUS FUN!  –  Each week, during chorus rehearsals, I try to work in some fun transition activities between songs.  This gives students a “brain break” and makes the whole experience fun for them.   Here is a short video of the “Boom Chika Boom” transition I like to use.  I picked these up from a training session two years ago and they have become a lot of fun 🙂

Music Classes This Week

 

Kindergarten – I can’t believe how quickly our Kindergarten classes are developing their singing voices this year!  It is so much fun to watch and hear them progress each week.  This week we used instruments (rhythm sticks) to help us perform “The Wheels on the Bus” as a way to practice performing the steady heartbeat.   We also reviewed our alphabet game where students have to create letter shapes out of their bodies.

*****I actually had a video of this, but I accidentally deleted it!!!!*****

1st GRADE – this week we introduced the music staff, explored how it shows high and low sounds, and practiced identifying notes on lines and spaces.  This was all done using fun, interactive games at the smartboard of course!!!

2nd GRADE – What a great week of work on the musical and a special thank you to our parent helpers who are working with students to practice lines for the musical.  We started practicing on the risers this week and I must say that this group of 2nd graders has exceptional riser behavior.

3rd GRADE – This was our Pitch Hill week where we met the solfege syllable FA and learned her hand symbol.  Pitch Hill is a story created by a colleague of mine that I use to teach pitch reading skills in solfege.   We finished class with a game called “I Lost My Partner” where 1 student plays and instrument and the other has to follow the sound of the instrument with his/her eyes closed…so much fun and so great for training our ears!

4th GRADE – Form is the way music is organized.  We explored form using letters, listening games, and in the folk song “Oh Susannah.”   Students also discovered that folk dances follow the form of their accompanying folk songs as we learned the folk dance for “Oh Susannah.”

5th GRADE – Students learned the “secret of Pitch Hill” this week and met the “secret” twins who live below Pitch Hill.    Students also performed a drum/movement activity called “Play 1 / Walk 7” which involves internalizing the steady beat while moving stylistically to different types of music.

 

Music Class This Week

Wow!  What great music is going on here at Rocky Mount!  I know I say that a lot, but I am constantly amazed by what our students can create at this age level!  Read on for a brief update on music class across the grade levels:

KINDERGARTEN – This week we were exploring our singing, speaking, whisper, and shout voices.  Vocal exploration is an important part of laying a strong music foundation; we have to know our different types of voices where it is appropriate to use each one.

1st GRADE – Had a visit from our old friend Chompy (my puppet who helps me teach music class) and played a fun rotation game involving instruments and playing the steady heartbeat.  Then we learned a game song called “Apple Tree,”  which is a variation on Duck Duck Goose…see if you 1st grader can teach it to you!

2nd GRADE – Continues learning and practicing for their musical.  If your child has a special speaking role please be sure to be practice lines at home.

3rd GRADE – The word of the week was “tempo.”  We learned about Allegro, Moderato, and Adagio tempos.   Yes, these are all Italian words and that is because Italian is the language of music.  We practiced these words and their meaning by singing, performing a fun movement routine, and playing a game on the smartboard as a class.

4th GRADE – Pitch Hill begins in kindergarten and is taught all the way until 5th grade.  This week, 4th graders met the characters of “Ti” and “Super Do” from the pitch hill story and practiced identifying them on the staff.

5th GRADE – We finished up our unit on “Follow the Drinking Gourd” a song from Civil War times that slaves used to tell of the way to freedom along the Underground Railroad.  Students composed melodic motives that represented items from the storybook “Follow The Drinking Gourd.”  At the end of the class, we inserted their newly composed musical motives into the story as their character, place, or thing came up in the story.  It made a very musical story!

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Catching Up On The First Month

Now that chorus and orff ensemble registration is over, I can get back to sharing some of what we have been working on in music class.  There have been some great moments along the way and I’ve been itching to post them so you can see.  Read on below for some updates, pictures, and videos from music class the past month.

 

KINDERGARTEN – We have been exploring steady beat, using our voices to echo, copycat movements, and learning how to sing properly.  We have been playing games, dancing, singing, and even playing the drums!  Our music helper (aka: my puppet) Chompy even paid the class a visit to say hello teach a fun dance.

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1st GRADE – We have been developing our ability to perform steady beat independently as well as singing correctly in our head voices.  We have played lots of games, including a fun “candy-themed” game that made use of our instruments.

 

2nd GRADE – We are practicing for our second grade musical, “Go Fish.”  Parents should have received the initial information about this already.  If your child has received a speaking part, please make sure you are practicing at home and working on gathering materials for your costume (if applicable).

3rd GRADE – The classics never get old.  Recently, we used “Supercalifrajalistic” from Mary Poppins to help us learn about different dynamic levels.  I was so impressed by how many boys and girls already knew this song and started singing along right away.

4th GRADE – Among MANY other things, 4th grade has been working on reading and notating rhythm patterns.  To do this we watched a clip from the video “stomp” and talked about ways unusual household items could be used as instruments.  The following week students brought in items from around the home and composed complimentary ostinati in small groups.  At the end of class we shared our compositions and then arranged them into one big group performance.

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5th GRADE – We have performed songs from Ghana, Hungary, and America in recent weeks.  Currently, we are studying the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”  This song has historical connections to the underground railroad, which students are learning about in their homerooms.  Next week, students in 5th grade will be composing musical motives to accompany the storybook for “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”