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.