Week Thirteen in Review (Nov. 30 - Dec. 4)

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

Kindergarten students learned a new song this week called Cobbler, Cobbler. This song is being used to reinforce the concept of steady beat as well as help students learn the difference between fast and slow. Students also continued their practice of fast and slow using the songs The Noble Duke of York and Rig-a-jig-jig. Students explored the range of their voices by following the shape of a pipe cleaner. After Mrs. Aaronson created a few letters and asked the students to follow their shape, then students were asked to offer suggestions of letters to try. Two favorite letters were 'O' and 'L'. Lastly, students continued to learn about the difference between loud and quiet through Robert Munsch's story Mortimer. In this story, there is a young boy who, instead of going to sleep, sings at the top of his lungs. Students began adding xylophones to this story as characters walked up and down the stairs to tell Mortimer to be quiet! 

First grade students learned the musician's syllables sol and mi this wee! In addition to learning the notes' names, students learned the hand signs and the staff placement rules for these notes. Students then practiced their new notes by decoding the teacher's hand signs and moving the first phrase of the song Bluebells into different positions on the staff. Students also entered the final stages of preparation for quarter notes and eighth notes by playing a body notation game. In this game, students worked in small groups to create patterns of longs and short-shorts (quarter notes and eighth notes). Due to the high rate of student success in this activity, students will formally learn about quarter notes and eighth notes next week! Go first grade!

Second grade students began improvising during the song and game We Are Dancing in the Forest. In the game, students dance in the forest while the wolf is far away, but he may soon come and catch them! Solo improvisers answer the question "Wolf are you coming?" by responding "Yes, I am coming." or "No, I'm not coming, I'm ______." Students created great responses to "No, I'm not coming" such as "I'm practicing ballet," "I'm cooking mac and cheese," and "I'm eating the three little pigs." Students also improvised during a chant called "Mabel, Mabel." In this chant, students needed fill in the blank: Mablel, Mabel set the table don't forget the _______. Answers for this activity included pizza, ham, pumpkin pie, cheese, and table cloth. In addition, students continued to practice sol and mi by singing a sol-mi ostinato during the song Grandma Grunts (For an extra challenge, students played the half note pulse on xylophones). Students also decoded to the rhythm to the chant 2,4,6,8.

Third grade students practiced their new note, sol, through the songs Grandma Grunts and Remember Me. After moving to the beat and to the half note pulse, students were asked to aurally discover the location of sol in Grandma Grunts. After the location of sol was discovered, students sang the song and performed the sol hand sign during each occurrence. Many students also discovered the location of the pattern mi re do in this song! In addition, students learned the song Remember Me and a do-sol ostinato which was performed at the same time as the song. Next week, students will transfer this ostinato to the xylophones. Students also continued to practice the song Great Big House in New Orleans as it will be used to introduce the melodic note 'la' later this month.

Fourth grade learned a five step process for practicing the recorder. In class, we went through this process step by step and discussed how practicing in small sections and isolating problem areas leads to successful practicing.

1. Name the letters.
2. Name the letters in rhythm.
3. Repeat step #2 and press down fingers.
4. Play.
5. Locate problem areas.

In addition, students began learning the song Gently Sleep and testing for their yellow belts. Students were also encouraged to begin practicing the orange belt song, Merrily We Roll Along, at home to prepare for the upcoming week.

Fifth grade prepared for their rhythm post-assessment this week. Students listened to the beginning of Bach's Little Fugue in G minor and discovered that it contains many dotted quarter and eighth notes. Students also reviewed a series of rhythms studied in the rhythm unit by writing the correct rhythm on a white board from eight possible choices. Students also reviewed syncopation through the song Alabama Gal and had the opportunity to play syncopated patterns on the xylophone. Students completed their rhythm post-assessment on Thursday. Next week, students will begin preparing for Annie Kids auditions.

Below is the cast list of characters for the Annie Kids musical.

Annie Kids Cast List

Girls	Boys
Annie (solo singing)	Oliver Warbucks (solo singing/speaking)
Molly (solo singing)	Rooster Hannigan (solo singing/speaking)
Kate (solo singing)	Sandy (howling/barking)
Tessie (solo singing)	Drake And Servants
Pepper (solo singing)	Apple Seller (speaking)
July (solo singing)	Lt. Ward (speaking)
Duffy (solo singing)	Bert Healy (speaking)
Orphans (singing in group)	Bundles (speaking)
Miss Hannigan (solo singing)	President Franklin D. Roosevelt (speaking)
Grace Farrell (solo singing/speaking)	Louis Howe (speaking)
Lily St. Regis (solo singing/speaking)	New Yorkers (group singing)
Stars-to-be (group singing)
Usherette (speaking)
New Yorkers (group singing)