Crazy for Composers!

Over the past 2 weeks, students in grades 1-6 have been studying various famous composers. It's important to look back at those who have laid the foundation for the music that we have today! There's a reason that their music has stood the test of time. 

Grade 1 - Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev
Students are introduced to various instruments of the orchestra through this musical story. Each character is represented by it's own instrument and melody. 




Grade 2 - Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens
Carnival of the Animals is a collection of 14 short musical pieces for piano and orchestra. Each piece depicts a different animal. Students completed listening log activities for each animal. Here are a few samples: 



Grade 3 - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Students were introduced to Beethoven with this prezi: 


After much discussion, students began viewing the movie, "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" - a film based on a period of Betethoven's life in Vienna. Grade 3 loves Beethoven!

Grade 4 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart was a child prodigy. He was composing and performing all over Europe as a very young child. Although he lived a short life, his music has lived on for centuries. One of his most famous works is his opera, "The Magic Flute." After learning about Mozart's life and music, students were shown clips of a live opera performance of "The Magic Flute." Then, they viewed the cartoon version based on the opera. 



Grade 5 - Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt was a Romantic Era composer with fame and a fan base we like to call "Liszt-a-mania." He was the 'Elvis Presley' or the 'Beatles' of his day. Much of his music was inspired by gypsies and Hungarian folk songs. One of his most famous works, "Hungarian Rhapsody #2," became the central piece for many cartoons: 





Grade 6 - The Sound of Music

Instead of studying a composer this year, grade 6 students are studying the classic musical, "The Sound of Music." The year 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of this film. With its iconic songs, whimsical characters, and intriguing story lines there is bound to be something in it for everyone!

At the most recent Oscars award show, Lady Gaga performed an incredible medley of some of the most famous songs from "The Sound of Music:" Here is a trailer for the original movie:

Music Festival & Rehearsal Schedule April 27-30

Parkside choirs will be traveling to Trinity United Church on Tuesday, May 5th to participate in the East Prince Music Festival. We will be walking to the church rain/snow or shine, so students must dress appropriately for the walk.

The session begins at 9:15 AM so we will be gathering students and preparing to leave very soon after the first bell rings in the morning. 

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

We are looking for a few volunteers to help chaperon our walk from the school to the church and back. If you are interested, please contact Miss Gallant via email or by leaving a message with the school secretary.

Day	10:20AM	12:10PM
Monday, April 27 Day 2		Primary Choir
Tuesday, April 28 Day 3		Elementary Choir
Wednesday, April 29 Day 4		Primary Choir
Thursday, April 30 Day 5		Elementary Choir

Rehearsal Schedule April 20-24

Day	10:20AM	12:10PM
Monday, April 20 Day 3		Elementary Choir Group 1 & Group 2
Tuesday, April 21 Day 4		Primary Choir Instruments
Wednesday, April 22 Day 5		Primary Choir
Thursday, April 23 Day 6
Friday, April 24 Day 1		Show Band

Rehearsal Schedule April 15-17

I was out for the last two days so all rehearsals were canceled. Here is the new rehearsal schedule for the week:

Day	10:20AM	12:10PM
Wednesday April 15 Day 6		Elementary Choir Group 1 & 2 & Instruments
Thursday April 16 Day 1	Primary Choir Instruments	Show Band
Friday April 17 Day 2	Vocal Group	Primary Choir

Music Monday 2015

On May 4th students and staff at Parkside will celebrate Music Monday together. Launched in 2005, Music Monday is the world's largest single event dedicated to raising awareness for music education organized by the Coalition for Music Education in Canada. Each year hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and music makers participate in a simultaneous nationwide concert performance of an original song written by a Canadian artist. For more information on Music Monday, please visit www.musicmonday.ca

To listen to the Music Monday 2015 theme song, please visit the Song of the Month page and scroll to "April."

For more videos about Music Monday, visit the Music Monday YouTube channel.

Rehearsal Schedule April 7-10

Day	10:20AM		12:10PM
Tuesday, April 7 Day 6		Elementary Choir Group 2
Wednesday,  April 8 Day 1	Primary Choir Instruments	Show Band
Thursday,  April 9 Day 2	Vocal Group	Elementary Choir Instruments
Friday, April 10 Day 3		Elementary Choir Group 1