Week Twenty in Review (Jan. 25 - Jan. 29)

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 entitled Punchinella. This song is being used to help students learn to keep a steady beat. Students took turns joining the teacher in the center of the circle and creating different ways to show the steady beat on their bodies. This song will be used later to allow students to take turns playing the steady beat on a drum. The song Mother Goonie Bird was also used to provide students with further opportunities to practice performing a steady beat. Students reviewed the vocal exploration song Herman the Worm and created new lyrics for it. Students also began learning a song entitled Paige's Train through a story about two little girls that took a trip to the Detroit Zoo. This song is being used to help students differentiate between and perform fast and slow movements. Additionally, students were introduced to the fingerplay Five Little Mice on the Pantry Floor. This fingerplay is being used to help students explore their voice and to encourage finger independence.

These are the lyrics that one of the Kindergarten classes created for Herman the Worm. The original creatures are on the left and the student's ideas are on the right.

First grade students began learning a new song called Naughty Kitty Cat which was used to begin introducing quarter rests. This song is about a naughty kitty cat who got caught licking the butter dish. It contains a fun chase game! Students were led to discover that some of the song's beats are silent. Following this activity, students practiced saying "yum" for each of eight muffins on the interactive white board. This was performed as the B section for the song The Muffin Man. One by one each muffin was removed leaving a beat of silence in its place. Next week, students will be formally introduced to quarter rests! Students began learning the song Snowflakes, a song for practicing sol and mi. It was very exciting to watch students learn the melody on their own! Students volunteers took turns singing each measure after only being given the starting pitch! In addition, students  explored the full range of their voices by echoing patterns played on a slide whistle. 

Second grade students made great progress this week! Students discovered the presence of quarter rests in the song Naughty Kitty Cat and next week students will be asked to decode and write the rhythm of this song. Students reviewed the melody of the song Plainsies, Clapsies by writing the solfege (sol, mi, and 'high') on the board. In addition to using hand signs, student were asked to show the contour of the song by placing their hands on their head for high, on their shoulders for sol, and on their middle for mi. Students also decoded the teacher's hand signs after being given a starting pitch! In other words, students read music by watching the teacher's hands, hearing the music in their heads, and then singing it. I was incredibly impressed with the students' mastery of this! Next week, students will be formally introduced to 'la'. Students also reviewed the presence of one sound over two beats and practiced reading two quarter notes tied together. Next week, students will be formally introduced to half notes.

Third grade students decoded the melody to do-re-mi-sol-la song Ida Red. Students were led to discover the location of do and then asked to fill in the remaining notes. After writing in the solfege syllables, students were asked to sing the song using solfege and hand signs. Students also began learning a song and dance called The Noble Duke of York. Mrs. Aaronson learned this particular variation of the song and dance while at the Michigan Music Conference last week. This song and dance will be used to reinforce AB form. Students also read the rhythm to the song King's Land and enjoyed playing a memory game. After each repetition of the rhythm, two beats were erased until the entire song vanished. At the end of the game, the students performed the rhythm of the song completely from memory.

Fourth grade students continued to focus on the blue belt song, Oh, When the Saints this week. Students also learned a new note, F#. Next week, students will begin learning Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and will begin preparing to finish the recorder unit. After mid-winter break, recorders will be used only occasionally in class. Students will be informed in advance of recorder days and will be allowed to test for more advanced belts on these days. Students are to learn brown belt and black belt songs, Amazing Grace and Ode to Joy on their own. Students will complete several assessments in the next two weeks including an assessment on naming the notes of the treble clef staff and an assessment on identifying recorder fingerings. 

Fifth grade students added 'flop and drop' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students were encouraged to drop their jaw when they sing and learned a vocal exercise for this called 999 Nuns. Students were encouraged to combine all of the vocal techniques they have learned thus far in the exercise from last week, How Blue is the Sky. Students also learned the song Little 'Liza Jane. This song provided students with opportunities to practice their vocal techniques and review the rhythms learned earlier this year (syncopation and dotted quarter note with a single eighth note). Students were asked to count and clap the measures containing these 'new' rhythms. Afterwards, students learned a patting and clapping pattern and performed it with a friend. Lastly, students continued to practice the solfege and hand signs for the major scale. As students became more confident in their ability to sing and sign this scale, students were asked to perform it alone. Students were also challenged to sing and sign the scale from memory.

Week Nineteen in Review (Jan. 19 - Jan. 22)

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 and reviewed songs entitled Just from the Kitchen, Wheels on the Bus, Johnny Works with One Hammer, and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Students also practiced keeping the steady beat with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

First grade students reviewed writing sol and mi on the staff this week. After the teacher sang a four-beat pattern, students were asked to write it on a music staff using pom-poms. Students also learned songs Juba, Draw Me a Bucket of Water, and Hop Old Squirrel with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Second grade students began learning a new song called Naughty Kitty Cat which will be used to practice quarter rests. This song is about a naughty kitty cat who got caught licking the butter dish. Students enjoy the fun chase game that accompanies this song! Students also decoded the melody (sol, mi, and unknown 'high' note la) of the song Plainsies, Clapsies. Additionally, students learned songs Owisana, Makoway, and Miss Mary Mack with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Third grade students reviewed do-re-mi-sol-la song Ida Red and its game. Students also practiced writing do-re-mi-sol-la on the staff using laminated music staves and dry erase markers. Students were asked to write patterns provided by the teacher and encouraged to create their own patterns if they finished early. Many students quickly completed the assignment and did a terrific job creating their own do-re-mi-sol-la melodies. Additionally, students explored their voices by following a bouncing balloon. When the balloon rose into the air, students performed an ascending glissando. When the balloon fell towards the ground, students performed a descending glissando. Students enjoyed passing the balloon around the classroom. 

These students are writing the melodic pattern do re mi re do.

This student has written the melodic pattern do re mi sol la.

These students have written the melodic challenge pattern do re mi sol la sol mi do!

 Fourth grade students reviewed the purple belt song, Old MacDonald and began learning the blue belt song, Oh, When the Saints. This new song contains notes 'high' C and D. This song also allows students to learn about the function of a musical tie. Its function is to combine the note value of two notes of the same pitch. Students were encouraged to look for patterns within this song and to practice it in small sections. Students also enjoyed sampling a few levels of a recorder game on joytunes.com. These games are best enjoyed by a single player and a link has been added to the fourth grade recorder tab of this blog. Students need to create an account and have access to a computer with a working speaker and microphone in order to enjoy these games.

Fifth grade students added 'open the throat' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students were led in a discussion about the importance of breathing silently and keeping the back of the mouth and throat open. Students learned a new vocal exercise called How Blue is the Sky. Students also reviewed the song We Shall Overcome and its significance to the Civil Right's Movement. Students also listened to the first verse and chorus of the song Lift Every Voice and Sing and similarly discussed its significance. Students reviewed the solfege and hand signs for the major scale. Additionally, students learned songs Hi, My Name is Joe and Obwisana with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Week Eighteen in Review (Jan. 11 - Jan. 15)

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 focused heavily on steady beat this week. First, students learned a new song called Circle 'Round the Zero which allowed students to take turns being the leader and practice walking a steady beat. Then students learned a patting and clapping pattern to Chinese Dance from the Nutcracker. During this activity, students were assessed on their ability to keep a steady beat. Students will be graded on their ability to keep a steady beat on their report card later this month. Progress on this standard will also be reported at the end of the second semester in to show student development in this skill area. It is common for Kindergarten students, at this point in the school year, to still be developing their ability to keep a steady beat.

First grade students enjoyed learning a new song called What Shall We Do When We All Go Out? During this song, students walked around the room to the steady beat while looking for friends with which to act out a chosen outdoor activity. After singing the song, students then worked with their friends to act out activities such as making snow angels, sledding, and building a snow fort while the teacher accompanied the students on the piano. Students also reviewed the lines and spaces of the staff and learned to write short sol and mi melodic patterns on the music staff. Additionally, students explored the upper range of their voices in a fun activity which involved shooting an imaginary basketball into an imaginary hoop. Students made the sliding sound (descending glissando) of the ball going through the hoop and down to the ground. Students also reviewed the sol and mi song Snail, Snail through a parachute game. 

This student has correctly written the pattern sol-mi-sol-sol-mi.

These children have also correctly written this pattern, yet on a different set of lines.

 

This student is writing a sol-mi pattern on the interactive white board.

Second grade read the rhythm to Rocky Mountain this week and practiced tying two quarter notes together to make a note which lasts for two beats. Later this month, students will learn that a half note is another way to show that a note that lasts for two beats. After speaking the rhythm, students were divided into three groups: tambourines (quarter notes - ta), rhythm sticks (eighth notes - ti-ti), and drums (two beat notes - ta-a). Students did a remarkable job at playing their instrument at the correct time and in the correct rhythm. Students also reviewed sol, mi, and the new unlabeled high note (la) using the song Plainsies, Clapsies. First students were asked to determine the location of the lowest notes (mi). Then students were asked to find the location of the highest notes (unlabeled la). Finally, students were asked to label the remaining notes as sol. Additionally, students practiced reading rhythm flashcards over a recording with a strong steady beat.


Third grade students learned a new do-re-mi-sol-la song entitled Ida Red. Students enjoyed learning the game for this song which involves two students racing around the outside of a circle and exchanging envelopes. Students also worked on developing the upper range of their singing voice through a vocal exploration exercise. In this exercise, students were asked to mimic the contour (the ups and downs) of roller coasters and water slides with their voices. Students also continued to practice singing melodic patterns containing melodic notes do re mi sol and la from flashcards. Lastly, students completed a rhythm reading assessment by reading rhythm flashcards while a funky blues background track was played.

Fourth grade students learned the purple belt song, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, this week. This song uses the notes B-A-G-E-D. The most difficult thing about this song for many students is creating a good sound while playing E and D. The trick to playing these notes with a good sound is to be sure that all finger holes are covered securely and to blow gently and with warm air - as if fogging up a window. Next week, students will be introduced to new concepts, such as ties, that are in the blue belt song Oh, When the Saints.

Fifth grade students added 'conserve your air' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students practiced stretching their air over a long phrase through an exercise entitled One Man and His Dog. Students were challenged to make it through the continuously lengthened second phrase without taking a breath. Students were also introduced to solfege (do re mi fa sol la ti do'), a series of solmization syllables invented over one thousand years ago. Students sang a C major scale using these syllables, learned the hand signs for them, and transferred them to a written C major scale. Additionally, students listened to the beginning of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech We Shall Overcome, discussed the significance of this speech, and listened to Pete Seeger's recording of a song by the same name, We Shall Overcome. Students were then led to make connections between Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech and the song. Additionally, students sung the canon Oh, What a Wondrous Thing in two and three parts.

Week Seventeen in Review (Jan. 4 - Jan. 8)

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

Kindergarten completed a variety of loud and quiet assessments this week. As a class, students echoed the teacher's loud and quiet voice while singing the song Oh My, No More Pie. After it was clear that all students understood that the goal of the activity was to echo the teacher loudly or quietly, students were invited one-on-one to sing loudly or quietly into a 'microphone'. Students also played a loud and quiet guessing game in which each student was given the opportunity to play on a drum. Students were secretly asked to play loudly or quietly. After performing the given dynamic on the drum, the whole class was invited to guess the chosen dynamic. Additionally, Students began learning a new vocal exploration song, Herman the Worm, and a new song and dance entitled Bobalinka. The purpose of Bobalkina is to introduce students to line dancing and reinforce the concept of steady beat.

First grade students enjoyed keeping the steady beat and naming gifts that they received over the holidays in a chant called The Holidays Are Over. After naming different gifts that they had received, students turned the names of those gifts into quarter notes and eighth notes. For example, teddy bear became two eighth notes and one quarter note. I-pad became two quarter notes. Students used four different gifts to create an eight beat rhythm chain. Then students played those rhythms on rhythm sticks while speaking the rhythm syllables ta and ti-ti.  Next, students reviewed the melodic notes sol and mi by singing the song Lucky Me. Finally, students moved around the classroom while singing Lucky Me; students played the eight beat rhythm chain on rhythm sticks at the end of the song. Students also began learning to write sol and mi on the music staff.

Second grade students enjoyed keeping the steady beat and naming gifts that they received over the holidays in a chant called The Holidays Are Over. Students also reviewed the presence of one sound over two beats by discovering the location of long notes (half notes) in the song Rocky Mountain. Students reviewed that it is possible to tie two quarter notes together to create a note that lasts for two beats. Additionally, sstudents played a snowball tossing game while singing the songs Snail, Snail and Plainsies, Clapsies. The goal of this snowball tossing game was to assess whether students can sing in-tune and match pitch. Students also began preparing for a rhythm reading assessment by reading flashcards while a funky blues background track was played.

Third grade students worked in both large and small groups to show the duration of quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes. After students created a movement for each note value, then they performed the appropriate movement based on the teacher's drumming. For example, if students decided that they would jump for quarter notes, then each time the teacher played quarter notes the students jumped. Students reviewed melodic notes do re mi sol and la this week by placing notes on the staff and by reading a series of flashcards. Students also played a snowball tossing game to the song Pease Porridge. The goal of this snowball tossing game was to assess whether students can sing in-tune and match pitch. Students also began preparing for a rhythm reading assessment by reading flashcards while a funky blues background track was played.

Fourth grade students learned to play new notes high C and high D on the recorder. Students also continued to test for their green belt (It's Raining) and practice notes E and D. Students also practiced these notes by playing a poison pattern game. In this game, one rhythm was designated as the poison pattern. Students  echoed (on the recorder) every pattern that the teacher played except for the poison pattern. This fun game allowed students to practice playing a variety of notes. Students were also introduced to improvisation through Duke Ellington's C-Jam Blues. Students learned a short two-note pattern to play along with the recording. After several repetitions of this pattern, students were invited to improvise on the notes B and A. Several students volunteered to improvise and some even used more notes than B and A!

Fifth grade students began a unit on vocal techniques. Students were lead through several posture and breathing exercises which included stretching, hissing for 16 or more counts, and working with partners to go through a posture and breathing check-list. Students also learned about breath support by watching a short physics video on how a ball can stay afloat in a steady stream of air. This video was connected to the importance of maintaining a steady stream of air when singing. Students were also introduced to the purpose of written music (to show contour and duration) by studying a  Gregorian chant. Students were asked to follow along with this ancient piece of music and to compare it to modern music. Next week students will begin learning about solfege including its purpose and history.

Week Sixteen in Review (Dec. 21 - Dec. 22)

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

Kindergarten students did not have class this week.

First grade students enjoyed moving to Trepak from The Nutcracker. Students learned a variety of movements that portrayed the music as well as the overall form of the piece. Students also explored quarter notes and eighth notes by saying the names of toys (airplane, rocking horse, and bike, toy soldier) rhythmically while playing instruments such as the tambourine, the cowbell, the woodblock, and the vibraslap. Students also reviewed a song for learning quarter rest, Naughty Kitty Cat, and its game.

Second grade students did not have class this week.

Third grade students moved to March from The Nutcracker by creating their own movements in a question and answer format. Students also reviewed new melodic note la and it's placement on the music staff. Additionally, students learned a new la song, King's Land, and its game. This song will be used to reinforce the distance (a step) between melodic notes sol and la. Students also decoded the rhythm and solfege to the song Pease Porridge. First, students were asked to put a series of four rhythm flashcards in the correct order order. Then, as a class, students discovered that the solfege for the first card was sol-mi-mi-sol. Lastly, students were asked to work with a partner to decode the solfege for the remaining three cards.

These ladies have put the rhythm flashcards in the correct order!

This group is almost finished. Only one more measure to go!

Fourth grade students reviewed the green belt song It's Raining and continued to practice new notes E and D. Students learned how to use a Chromebook in order to test for their next recorder karate belt. Tests recorded by students on the Chromebooks are able to be viewed and graded by the teacher at the end of the day. The use of the Chromebooks in this manner allows students to work at their own pace while allowing the teacher to be available to assist students who have questions or need help during class time.

Fifth grade students finished watching the musical Annie.