This week in Music Class!

September 30, 2011

Kindergarten
This week in kindergarten music classes, we have focused on how music can be LOUD and SOFT. We were introduced to a mouse named, "Piano" who loves to sing softly, and a lion named, "Forte" who loves to sing loudly! We've been singing many of our favourite songs with Piano and Forte, trying our best to match our voices to their preferences! We've also been working hard at developing a steady beat while listening to and singing music. Also - kindergarten students should know all of the days of the week after this week in music! They have had a blast singing and doing a circle dance to our new favourite song, "Learning the Days of the Week!"

Grade One
This week in grade one music classes, we have focused on the difference between the beat and the rhythm. We've used colours, our names, poetry, and various songs to help distinguish between these two musical elements!

Grade Two
This week in grade two music classes, we have focused on practicing our rhythms, as well as learning how musical pitches can move. We used xylophones and glockenspiels to decode the mystery of the melody to the song, "Here we Sit" by figuring out the pattern of the high and low pitches.

Grade Three
This week in grade three music classes, we have focused on practicing our rhythms, as well as learning how musical pitches can move. We've also looked at Franz Joseph Haydn's "Surprise" symphony - ask your child to explain their experience with this music!

Grade Four
This week in grade four music classes, we have focused on practicing our rhythms. We have also looked at how tempo can affect music - especially a ritardando (gradually slower) or accelerando (gradually faster. We have applied various tempi to the song, "Hi Ho the Rattlin' Bog"! That link will lead you to a YouTube video of this song by the Irish Descendants. The lyrics are slightly different than the version that we've done in class, but wow, they sure can sing fast!

Grade Five
This week in grade five music classes, we have focused on practicing our rhythms. We have also looked at how pitches can move, and we've worked hard at decoding melodies based on how the pitches move up, down, or repeat.  We've also begun learning about songs that use unison singing (everyone sings the same part) and harmony lines (an additional part the compliments the melody).

Grade Six
This week in grade six music classes, we have focused on practicing our rhythms. We have also looked at musical form. We've learned about various symbols that help us to determine the "road map" or the "form" of a song. We've looked at the segno, the coda, and the D.S. al Coda. We've also learned about Rondo form (ABACADA...etc) and we composed a fun class Rondo.

This Week in Music Class - Elementary Edition!

This is part two - scroll down to see what's been happening in the primary grades this week!

GRADE FOUR
This week in grade four we have been working on the elements of music. We listened to two different versions of "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder (one was the original, the other was a cover version recorded by the publisher of our music textbooks). We created a chart listing our observations. From the chart, we derived a list of major categories that can be used to describe music (Voice, Instruments, Style, Dynamics, Tempo, Form). 

Then, we focused on just the 'voice' element. We listened to "Manana Iguana" by Bobby McFerrin. Bobby McFerrin can do all sorts of incredible things with his voice! Ask you child to explain it to you! We created this anchor chart to remind us of some of the ways we can describe voices:

GRADE FIVE

This week in grade 5 music we have been reviewing rhythms from grade 4. We have been using these rhythms to compose our own ostinati (an ostinato is a repeating musical pattern). Our ostinati will be used as a base to an accompaniment to the song, "We Go Together." We've used non-pitched percussion instruments to begin practicing our ostinati.

We also listened to a piece of music (Jamaican Rumba!) in which the entire accompaniment is built on different instruments playing different ostinati. Later in the year we will learn this tune and write our own accompaniment for it!

GRADE SIX

This week in grade 6 music we have been reviewing rhythms from grade 4 and 5. We have been using these rhythms to compose our own ostinati (see grade 5 section for explanation). Our ostinati will be used as a base to an accompaniment for the song, 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight." We have been using glockenspiels to play the different pitches that create the 3-part chord struture. We will be expanding on this accompaniment using different instruments in the days to come!

This week in Music Class - Primary Edition!

This is part one of two! Scroll up to read about what we're doing in grades 4-6!


KINDERGARTEN
This week in kindergarten music, we have been learning about:

1. Keeping a steady beat - it's so important to rhythmic development!
2. Our four voices: speaking voice, singing voice, whispering voice, shouting voice
3. High sounds and low sounds

The students in kindergarten have been so keen and quick to learn new songs and activities! Not only are they developing their singing voices, and developing musical skills - they are also learning to interact in new ways with each other, practicing counting skills, practicing phonemic/syllabic awareness, practicing fine and gross motor skills...The list is endless!
Have your child teach you some of these songs and activities that they have been learning in music class!!

• The Hello Song
• Rockin' in my school shoes
• 3 Little Monkeys (with 3 different voices!)
• 5 Green and speckled frogs
• Stamping Land
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• My Head and My Shoulders
• The Three Bears
• Hello, Everybody (yes indeed)
• Good Day Song (when cats get up in the morning)
• The Goodbye Song

GRADE ONE
This week in grade one music, we've been learning about:

1. Keeping a steady beat!
2. Our four voices (speaking voice, singing voice, whispering voice, shouting voice)
3. Loud and soft sounds
4. Using our bodies and using instruments to create sound effects!

Here are some of the highlights of the songs and activities that we've been enjoying in music class over the past week! Have your child tell you about them!

• The Hello Song
• Rockin' in my School Shoes
• 3 Little Monkeys (with three different voices!)
• 1 Little Elephant
• The World is Singing a Song (poem)
• The Bakery Shop
• I'm Gonna Take My Little Car for a Ride

GRADE TWO
This week in grade two music, we've been learning about

1. Rhythm! We've been reviewing rhythms from grade one (tah, ti-ti, sah) and we have learned a new rhythm: tah-ah (also called half note). Have your child write out some rhythms and clap them for you!
2. We've been playing various non-pitched percussion instruments using echoed patterns and reading/playing our rhythm warm-ups!
3. Scat singing
4. Melodic direction & contour
5. Echo singing

Here are some of the highlights from music class over the last week! Have your child tell you about them or teach you some of the songs!

• Welcome to Music
• Scat Song
• Rockin' Robin (hand clapping game)
• Kye Kye Kule (pronounced: chay chay, cool-ay)

GRADE THREE
This week in grade three music we have been learning about:

1. Rhythm! We've been reviewing all of our rhythms from grade two. We warm up by reading and clapping rhythm patterns
2. Melodic contour and direction - reading patterns of pitches that go up, go down, and repeat!
3. Beat vs. Rhythm - remember, the beat is the steady pulse!

Here are some of the highlights from music class this week! Have your child teach you some of the songs and activities!

• Everybody Sing Hello
• Rockin' Robin (Hand Clapping Game)
• Miss Mary Mack
• Rocky Mountain
• Showing melodic contour using pipe cleaners
• A Lemon and a Pickle (poem)
• Down by the Banks
• Long-Legged Sailor

First Day of School!

Hello everyone! We had a fantastic day in the music room today! We spent a lot of time reviewing the expectations for behaviour in the music room, but we had a lot of fun, too! Here are some things that your children may have come home singing today:

Kindergarten and Grade One:
Today the K & 1 classes heard a story called, "Pete the Cat: Rockin' in My School Shoes" by Eric Litwin. It's Pete's first day of school too - and he's wearing brand new red shoes! Pete visits various places around the school, singing his song:

Grade 2 and Grade 3:
Grade 2 and 3 classes listened to "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day and began learning a fun partner-clapping accompaniment!

Grade 4, Grade 5, and Grade 6:
The  upper grades kicked off the year by beginning to learn a simple accompaniment using boomwhackers (for the bass line), drums, and tambourines to the song, "What I Am" by Will.I.Am."