Week Twenty Four in Review (Feb. 20 - Feb. 24)

Greetings from the music room! This was an exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights: 

Kindergarten students did not have class with Mrs. Aaronson this week due to the mid-winter break.

First grade students practiced reading quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests to the song Bow Wow Wow this week. First, students were asked to find the rests in the song aurally, then students were shown the rhythm on the board. Students also practiced reading high/low patterns from a two line staff. Students were led in a discussion about how to know which notes are high and which notes are low. Students were challenged to hear high and low patterns in their head. Once students heard the silent pattern in their heads, they were asked to sing it out loud. Students are making considerable progress in this regard! Students also reviewed the song Old Joe Clark and practiced fluid and bumpy movements. Students also practiced moving fluidly with a rhythm stick and freezing into a statue. Students enjoyed trying to mimic Mrs. Aaronson’s movements especially when she froze in silly poses. 

Second grade students learned about half rests this week. Students were led to discover that the patting/silent hand tap movement that they performed to the song Poor Old Crow last week was to prepare them for reading and performing half rests. Students learned that a half rest looks a lot like an Abraham Lincoln hat. They also discovered that hat and half are very similar words which will be helpful differentiating it from other rests. Students also practiced identifying half notes in the song Are You Sleeping. Once students could successfully find the half notes, students were asked to play a chime on all half notes. This created the aural image of bells ringing in a steeple. Students also reviewed the placement, hand sign, and sound of their new note (re). Students were challenged to aurally identify the sound of the new note by playing a game called poison pattern. As students were incredibly successful, next week they will learn the name of this new note!

Third grade students reviewed melodic notes do re mi sol la do’ by learning a new song called Donkeys Like to Munch on Carrots. The words are as follows:

Donkeys like to much on carrots

Carrots don’t like that at all

Heehaw, heehaw

Listen to the donkey’s call

The lyrics to this song reminded Mrs. Aaronson of the children’s book Creepy Carrots. Students enjoyed reading this book as a class. The book is about carrots that do not enjoy being eaten and trick a rabbit into building a fence around the carrot patch. Students also reviewed melodic note low la this week. Students practiced singing patterns containing low la and reviewed the song Captain, Don’t Side Track Your Train. Students also began learning a new song and game called Chicken on a Fencepost. This song will be used to introduce a new melodic note.

Fourth grade students were informed that they will be taking a treble clef assessment next Tuesday. Students were given a study guide and asked to study the notes of the treble clef staff as well as the recorder fingerings for those notes. We will play a review game on Monday to prepare for this assessment. Students also began readying for our instruments of the orchestra unit by taking a pre-assessment. Students were asked to identify whether the instruments that they heard belonged to the woodwind, brass, strings, or percussion family. This assessment will be used to show student growth in the area of tone color.

Fifth grade students reviewed the song Oh, What a Wondrous Thing and were reminded of the vocal techniques that they can use in this song. Students also sang this song as a round with Mrs. Aaronson. Students practiced conserving their air by performing an exercise called One Man and His Dog. Students also learned about a new vocal technique called ‘open the throat.’ Students practiced taking a silent deep breath and then expelling their air by using a siren. Students did a remarkable job at performing a very high, well supported siren!

Mrs. Ellis’s students were introduced to quarter rests this week. After considerable practice, students are beginning to master the concept of musical silence. Students practiced reading patterns of quarter notes and quarter rests. Students also explored the upper ranges of their voices by letting out the cowboy cry ‘yeehaw’ during a story called Cowboy Joe.

Mrs. Ross’s students reviewed the song Li’l Liza Jane which will be used to introduce new note high do. Students also reviewed melodic notes do re mi sol la and practiced singing and playing the last two phrases of Rocky Mountain on the xylophone. 

Mrs. Muller’s students reviewed the musical form theme and variations this week. Students used the song Li’l Liza Jane as the theme. Students then created ways to vary this theme. We explored different dynamic levels and also added different instruments to the theme. Students reviewed the song Paddy Works Upon the Railway.