Greetings from the music room! This was an exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:
Kindergarten students were assessed on their comprehension of loud and quiet sounds this week. Students were once again given the opportunity to play the hand drum at the end of the song Listen, Listen. Each child was asked to play either quietly or loudly. Students were very successful! Students were also assessed while singing the song Oh My, No More Pie! First, students were asked to imitate the loud or quiet voice of the teacher. Then students were asked to echo by singing with the opposite volume of the teacher. For example, if Mrs. Aaronson sang with a loud voice, students were to sing with a quiet voice. Students were once again very successful! Given the high level of success achieved by the students, we began to shift our focus to steady beat. Students enjoyed learning a new song called We Clap Our Hands Together and were given the chance to attempt playing a steady beat on a woodblock during this song.
First grade students practiced writing quarter notes and eighth notes this week. After practicing together on the interactive white board, each student was given their own white board and dry erase marker and asked to write quarter notes and eighth notes on their own. After students were successful, they were asked to write their own four-beat pattern of quarter notes and eighth notes. Mrs. Aaronson's favorite part was when we went around the circle and each student read the pattern they had created! Although students were only formally introduced to eighth notes last week, we had a grade level accuracy rate of approximately 80%. Get it first grade!
Second grade students did not have class this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Third grade students focused heavily on playing do re mi sol and la on the xylophone this week. First students, reviewed the three melodic patterns that they worked on last week. Students were challenged to echo these patterns on the xylophone after Mrs. Aaronson sang them. Students were incredibly successful! Then students were challenged to play the song Great Big House in New Orleans on the xylophone. After having a few minutes to practice, students were given the opportunity to volunteer to play a portion of the song for the class. Students also reviewed the song Firefly.
Fourth grade students reviewed the song Gently Sleep and were invited one at a time to test for their yellow belt. During testing, students were able to practice Gently Sleep by saying the letter names of the song while pressing down their fingers, playing Staff Wars or Note Squish on the music department iPads, or creating their own song using flashcards for the notes B, A, and G.
Fifth grade students reviewed songs Land of the Silver Birch and The Canoe Song this week. Students were given the opportunity to play a pattern from Land of the Silver Birch on a drum. Students were able to play large drums with mallets as well as very tiny finger drums. Students were also given the opportunity to transfer a pattern from The Canoe Song onto xylophones. Students were challenged to have one partner play the pattern while the other partner sang the song. Students also tried singing Land of the Silver Birch and The Canoe Song at the same time. Songs that work well when sung together are known as partner songs. Students also reviewed a series of syncopated patterns and enjoyed playing a game called poison pattern!
Mrs. Ellis's students continued to shift their focus to steady beat by reviewing the song We Clap Our Hands Together. Students were given the chance to play a steady beat on a woodblock and on a chime during this song. Students also began learning a new steady beat song and game entitled My Pony Macaroni. Students are already showing remarkable achievement in the area of steady beat. If progress continues, we will begin reading rhythmic notation after the winter holiday!
Mrs. Ross's students reviewed the placement of the melodic pattern mi re do in the songs Great Big House in New Orleans and Down to the Baker's Shop. Impressively, students discovered melodic patterns in the song Down to the Baker's Shop that they were not intended to discover! Students enjoyed transferring mi re do to the xylophone and playing this pattern at the correct time in each song. Students also enjoyed exploring different types of movement to Down to the Baker's Shop.
Mrs. Muller's students practiced reading syncopated rhythms this week. Students reviewed the location of syncopation in Li'l Liza Jane and The Canoe Song. Students also learned to read a series of syncopated rhythm flashcards. Lastly, students enjoyed transferring a repeating pattern from the song Land of the Silver Birch onto drums.
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