December Update

Congratulations, Parkside students! We had two AMAZING concerts last week. I am so proud of all of you!

This week in music classes, students in grade 4-6 are studying "Trepak" or "The Russian Dance" from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite." We will be learning a rhythm game using cups as an accompaniment to this piece of music. See below:

Students in grades 2 and 3 will be studying "The Nutcracker" by listening to various selections from the suite, and watching a movie that helps us to understand this classic story. 

Students in grade 1 are practicing their tah and ti-ti rhythms with a gingerbread man rhythm activity.

Students in kindergarten are working on pre-rhythm activities using winter and Christmas words. We are also creating melodies with these rhythms and words using colour-coded tone bars. 

Jungle Book Audition Information

Hello Everyone!

Please see this link for a copy of  "The Jungle Book KIDS" information letter and permission form.

Any students who are interested in auditioning must have this form signed and returned to Miss Gallant by Monday, December 2nd, 2013.

November 19th Update

Hello Everyone,

Rehearsals for Parkside's Christmas Concerts are going very well! I encourage you to help your child to practice his or her song lyrics/instrument parts/script lines as frequently as possible! Our concert is only 2 weeks away!

Parkside's Christmas Concerts 2013 are as follows:

Grades 3-6 : December 4, 1:00 PM in the Parkside Gymnasium

Grades K-2 : December 4, 6:00 PM in the Parkside Gymnasium

STUDENTS: 
Please see the Christmas Concert 2013 Page for video links and song lyrics to practice your songs at home.

Christmas Concert Music Update

UPDATED
***November 10, 2013***
Added all "Melton the Warm-Hearted Snowman" practice recordings. See the Parkside Christmas Concert 2013 Page. 

**************************************************
November 8, 2013:
On the Parkside Christmas Concert 2013 Page:

Keyboard parts have been added for the following songs:

Grade 3 - Little Drummer Boy
Grade 4A - Greatest Time of Year
Grade 4A/4F - Come on Christmas
Grade 5A/6A - My Favourite Time of Year
Grade 5A/6A - Shake Up Christmas
Grade 5F/6F - Jingle Bell Rock
Grade 5F/6F - Mon Ange Venu du Ciel

Anyone wishing to try out for these parts should practice at home. Try-outs will occur later in November. Stay tuned for dates. If you need a printed copy, see Miss Gallant on Tuesday.

GUITAR PLAYERS - See Miss Gallant on Tuesday to pick up guitar chords for the following songs:

Grade 4A/4F - Come on Christmas
Grade 4A - Greatest Time of Year
Grade 5A/6A - My Favourite Time of Year
Grade 5A/6A - Shake Up Christmas 


Parkside's Christmas Concerts 2013 are as follows:

Grades 3-6 : December 4, 1:00 PM in the Parkside Gymnasium

Grades K-2 : December 4, 6:00 PM in the Parkside Gymnasium

STUDENTS: 
Please see the Christmas Concert 2013 Page for video links and song lyrics to practice your songs at home.

Please note: music/lyrics for the grade 1-2 "Melton" mini-musical will be added ASAP - stay tuned!!

Christmas Concert 2013

Parkside's Christmas Concerts 2013 are as follows:

Grades 3-6 : December 4, 1:00 PM in the Parkside Gymnasium

Grades K-2 : December 4, 6:00 PM in the Parkside Gymnasium

STUDENTS: 
Please see the Christmas Concert 2013 Page for video links and song lyrics to practice your songs at home.

Please note: music/lyrics for the grade 1-2 "Melton" mini-musical will be added ASAP - stay tuned!!

Updated Show Band Page

The Show Band Page has been updated with the following links:

Eye of the Tiger (Show Band Blue)

• Guitar Chords - Capo 3
• Guitar Chords - Capo 8
• Bass Part

Radioactive (Show Band White)

• Lyric Video
• Lyric Sheet
• Guitar Chords (CAPO 2)
• Guitar Tutorial Video
• Bass Part
• Drum Notes
• Keyboard Music 

Wake Me Up (Show Band Blue)

• Lyric Video
• Lyric Sheet
• Guitar Chords
• Guitar Tutorial Video
• Bass Part
• Drum Notes
• Keyboard Music

October 21, 2013

Co-Op Student
Parkside would like to welcome Taylor Poirier, a co-op student from TOSH, who will be joining Ms. Gallant in the music room in the afternoons until the end of January.We are so lucky to have her!

Elementary Choir
This choir has been working very hard and is sounding great so far! We will be performing on November 4, 2013 at 1PM at Parkside's Remembrance Day Assembly. Students will be required to wear their choir uniform that day (any combination of black and white clothing).

Just a reminder that there are video links as well as lyrics linked to the choir page of this blog. Please encourage your child to use these resources for at-home practice.

Primary Choir
This choir has also been working very hard and is sounding wonderful! We are having so much fun with our songs. Just a reminder that you can listen to both of our songs on the choir page of this blog. Please encourage your child to use these links for at-home practice.

Show Bands
Show bands are coming along nicely. Many students would benefit from more at-home practice. Please see the Show Band page of this blog for video links, tutorials, and sheet music. Please remember that rehearsal days are not time for individual instruction, as this time is meant for band practice. If students are struggling with any parts, please encourage them to come see me before rehearsal day and I will be happy to help them out.

Christmas Concert
Just a note that our Christmas concerts this year will be held on Wednesday, December 4th, 2013. Grades 3-6 will perform at 1:00PM, and Grades K-2 will perform at 6:00 PM. Both concerts will be held in Parkside's gymnasium. There will be a donation jar at the door in lieu of admission fees. All proceeds from the donation jar will go directly towards the purchase of instruments and resources for Parkside's music program. 

I will soon be posting song lyrics and video links for each class's Christmas concert songs so that students can practice for the concert from home. Stay tuned!!

Regular Rehearsals Begin This Week

All of the extra-curricular musical groups will be starting up this week. See the schedule below for more information.

Thank you to all of the students who auditioned for show band! As these groups require small numbers, not everyone was accepted at this time. If you were not accepted, remember to try again next year - and you can also be involved in the school choir and spring musical!

That said - there is one keyboard spot open, as well as one guitar spot. These spots were not filled by grade 5 & 6 students and are now open to grade 4 students. There is a meeting today for interested students. The auditions will take place on Friday, September 27 at 12:10PM in the music room.

WEEKLY REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

Monday @ 12:10PM - Show Band White (list posted on music room door. One open keyboard and guitar spot)

Tuesday @ 12:10 PM - Elementary Choir (this is the last "try it to see if you like it" week - you must decide 'yes' or 'no' by this rehearsal.

Wednesday @ 12:10 PM - Primary Choir (this is the first of 2 "try it to see if you like it" rehearsals. After the second rehearsal you must decide 'yes' or 'no' to joining.

Thursday @ 12:10 PM - Show Band Blue (list posted on music room door. Band is full)

Friday @ 12:10PM - THIS WEEK ONLY: Grade 4 keyboard & guitar show band tryouts

OTHER EXCITING NEWS -DISNEY'S "THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS"
We have received all of the materials for our school musical, "Disney's The Jungle Book KIDS!" The teachers who will be organizing this musical will be meeting in the coming weeks to devise a plan for auditions and a rehearsal schedule. More information will be coming to you after that meeting. In the meantime, if you would like to listen to the music or see other schools' performances of this musical, check out the links below

Listen to samples of the music HERE
Watch another school's production HERE
And watch another school's production HERE

Welcome Back - September 2013

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new school year! Things are up and running in the music room at Parkside, and extra-curricular groups will be starting up this week. Here are a few things to take note of:

To learn more about Miss Gallant, Parkside's music teacher, see the About Miss Gallant page. 

The first Song of the Month has been posted for students in grades 3-6. See the Song of the Month page for more details.

We are very excited to announce that Parkside will be presenting a musical in the spring. See the Musical 2014 page for more details.
Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, September 11 - Meeting at 10:20AM in the music room for students in grades 3-6 who are interested in joining the Elementary Choir. See the Choir page for more details.

Thursday, September 12: Meeting at 10:20AM in the music room for students in grades 5 & 6 who are interested in trying out for Show Band. See the Show Band page for more details. 

Grade Six Closing

Hi Grade 6 students!
Here are some links to youTube videos of your song for your closing ceremony. Use these to practice at home!

Hello Goodbye:

Beatles version: http://viewpure.com/FRsxYhCSVDY

Glee version: http://viewpure.com/3k1mhY96vB4

Congratulations, Choirs!

***Don't forget to check out the Spring Concert 2013 page! 

On Monday of this week, Parkside's Elementary and Primary choirs performed at our local Music Festival. Both choirs sang beautifully and both earned a Silver standard. Congratulations to all who participated, and thank you to the teachers and parents who helped to chaperon our trip!

Spring Concert Resources

Check out the new Spring Concert 2013 Page. On it you'll find information about this year's concert, as well as links to song lyrics and youTube videos for practice at home. Happy singing!!

Music Festival and Composer Prezis

Grade 3-6 classes have completed their Composer Prezis! Click Here to view them!

 

Just a reminder that on Monday, May 6, Parkside Choirs will be heading to Trinity United Church to participate in the East Prince Music Festival. The choirs have been working very hard, and are sounding great!

Schedule:

·         The Primary (Grade K-2) choir is scheduled to perform 4^th  in the 10:00AM Class.

·         The Elementary (Grade 3-6) choir is scheduled to perform 12^th in the 10:00AM Class.

What to wear:

·         Choir Uniform (any combination of black and white clothing

·         Warm clothes/rain wear if needed for the walk

We will be leaving Parkside between 9:30-9:40AM, and we will be returning to Parkside around noon.

Spectators are welcome at the festival, but please note that there is an admission fee at the door.

Composer Prezis

Over the last month, students in grades 3-6 have been studying various composers. Each class has created a Prezi outlining their research. Here are a few of the completed prezis. More will be added as each class completes their work.

Grade 3X - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Grade 3A - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Grade 3B - Ludwig Van Beethoven 

Grade 4A - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Grade 5X - Franz Liszt

Grade 5A - Franz Liszt

Grade 6X - Antonio Vivaldi

Grade 6A - Antonia Vivaldi 

 

 

 

Crazy for Composers!

Over the last month, students in grades 3-6 have been studying various composers. It's amazing to think that many of the things we do in music today are in direct connection with something that one of these composers did hundreds of years ago! We've also been learning that these composers had very interesting lives!

Grade 3 students have been studying Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Grade 4 students have been studying Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Grade 5 students have been studying Franz Liszt.
Grade 6 students have been studying Antonio Vivaldi.

Now that we've completed the research phase of our composer studies, students have been working as a class to develop a "Prezi" about their composer. A Prezi is an online tool that allows us to present our learning in a fun and engaging way. We can also incorporate multimedia elements (i.e. photos, links to youTube videos, sound samples, etc).

I will post the completed Prezis as they are finished. Grade 3A completed theirs today! Click on the link below to take a look!

Grade 3A Prezi - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Spring Concert 2013

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to update you on a few upcoming events involving Parkside's music program:


Tuesday, June 4, 6:00 PM - A Celebration of the Arts at Parkside!
On the evening of June 4, all of Parkside's arts-related extra-curricular groups will perform. This will include all three Show Bands, both of Parkside's choirs, the Percussion Group, and both of Parkside's Dance Clubs. The Art Club will also have an art gallery to display their wonderful works of art! Please come out and join us!

Wednesday, June 5, 1:00 PM - Parkside Spring Concert
In the afternoon of June 5, all of Parkside's students will be performing with their classes in this concert.

More information will be coming soon!

Miss Gallant

New Instruments - Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

As most of you may already know, students at Parkside recorded a Christmas CD in the fall/winter of 2012. The proceeds from the CD sales went directly towards purchasing new instruments for the music room. The donations received at our 2012 Christmas Concert also went towards new instruments. It was a very exciting day in the music room yesterday as some very large packages had arrived! Look below for some photos of the new instruments. Thank you so much to all who participated in the CD project, to those who purchased CD's, and to those who made donations at our Christmas  concert. We are so excited to start playing our new instruments!!


1. We purchased 48 colourful scarves (for movement with music), along with several sets of rhythm sticks and xylophone mallets. The 4 books pictured are new resources (2 books with activities/music for world drumming, 1Christmas book for hand bells, 1 Orff book). We also purchased a large buffalo drum.

2. We were so fortunate to have a drumset donated to the school last year. The set itself was in pretty good shape, but needed a few new pieces of hardware. Over the last year we've been working on upgrading our drumset. With the funds received, we purchased a crash cymbal (right), and a ride cymbal (left) as well as two new cymbal stands. 

3. We were also able to purchase (L-R) a shekere, a large tubano drum, a train whistle, and an also glockenspiel

4. Colourful tone bells (in a staircase setting!), a new djembe drum, and very large boomwhackers!

5. Here's our brand new ukulele! 

6. We were also able to purchase a bass guitar (far left) and a bass amplifier (tall black amp on the table) to add to our gear collection for show bands and concerts. 

Thank you again - these new instruments will be invaluable to our music learning and music making here at Parkside!

Experimenting with GarageBand

Over the last week, classes from grades 2-6 had the opportunity to experiment with an app called "GarageBand." See here for more information or to purchase/download the app. We hooked Miss Gallant's iPad up to the LCD projector in the music room and made our musical choices as a class. Students took turns coming to the iPad to play/enter their instrument and beat pattern choices.

Here are the compositions that came as a result of their experimentation!

Happy New Year

Hello Everyone, and Happy New Year! I am so looking forward to a fresh start with new musical activities for all of my classes and performing groups!

In music classes throughout the months of January and February we'll be focusing on Music Workshop. During Music Workshop, I will teach a short, whole-group mini-lesson to start the class. After that, students will work in groups at a variety of rhythm-based tasks and activities (tasks and activities vary by grade level). Each task or activity can be tailored to each students' individual needs. It is my goal that all students at Parkside will increase their ability to read, write, and perform rhythm at or above grade level. Rhythm is a huge part of music literacy, and Music Workshop should be a fun and engaging way to practice and improve our skills!

Parkside's performing groups (Elementary Choir, Primary Choir, Show Band White, Show Band Blue, and Percussion Ensemble) will start up again next week. The schedule will remain the same:
Monday @ 12:10 - Show Band White
Tuesday @ 12:10 - Elementary Choir
Wednesday @ 12:10 - Percussion Group
Thursday @ 12:10 - Primary choir
Friday @ 12:10 - Show Band Blue

The two choirs will be working towards performances in the East Prince Music Festival in May, 2013, as well as our Spring Concert in June 2013. The Show Bands and Percussion Ensemble will also be working towards our Spring Concert in June 2013.