Kindergarten students are finishing their musical journeys to the farm. They have mastered, "Mary had a Little Lamb," learned the "Milk Bucket Boogie" and a funny song that slows down and speeds up called, "Hunt the Cows" and as well as explored galloping to the changing melodies in "The Wild Horseman" by Robert Schumann. The children have also been exploring using their different voices - singing, whispering and speaking voices. "Farmer in the Dell" wraps up our farm visits, and then the children will discover the expressive qualities of music through a variety of Halloween songs. Halloween is a wonderful time to play with volume - louds and softs really bring out the spookiness. "Pumpkin, Pumpkin" and "With My Little Broom" are great rhymes to try out different voices - witch voice, giant voice, regular voice, too.
First Graders continue to explore the concept of steady beat through drawing and singing and playing and moving. Students listened and moved to "The Syncopated Clock" by Leroy Anderson and lead their classmates in steady beat movements, while also discovering places in the music that didn't have a steady beat - syncopated! Glissando was another musical concept students experienced. The Italian music term means, sliding or gliding. Students used their voices, and bodies and glockenspiels to create glissandi. "Two Little Blackbirds" was the rhyme that helped with that activity. "The Muffin Man" is another activity that features steady beat and the smartboard. Each child has the opportunity to create their own rhythm pattern using muffins:) Always makes me a little hungry, though! Classes will continue to explore beat and rhythms, along with expressive qualities of music, such as loud, soft, suddenly loud and suddenly soft and crescendo and decrescendo. Halloween music is a great basis for exploring these concepts, and we start with lots of spider songs - "Legs and All" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" , then get ready for those "Black Cats!"
Second Graders complemented their study of African textiles from Art class with music from Ghana. "Che Che Koolay" is a great 'follow the leader' sort of piece with a rich drumming accompaniment and the students enjoyed the West African sound. Students also played a rhythm game in which they had to correctly perform a sequence of activities....then we tried the sequence while at the xylophones. It was great fun and a great activity for self-control and attention! This led to more xylophone work using a text about Christopher Columbus. Students played a pattern for wood instruments and a different pattern for metal-barred instruments. The challenge was to maintain one's individual part amidst the entire song. This skill is developing the student's 'ear' and will help them greatly when they later join an orchestra or band or chorus. Highlighting our multi-cultural focus in 2nd grade, students also learned the song, "We All Sing with the Same Voice." Several classes even performed this for their parents last night! October will finish with more exploration of the expressive qualities of music as found in Halloween songs...suddenly loud and suddenly softs, whisper sounds, funny voices all lead to spooky music. This includes "In The Hall of the Mountain King," "Must Be Halloween," "Skin and Bones" and the kids' favorite - "Magic Trees!" Ask your kids about Pumpkin Carols, too!
First Graders continue to explore the concept of steady beat through drawing and singing and playing and moving. Students listened and moved to "The Syncopated Clock" by Leroy Anderson and lead their classmates in steady beat movements, while also discovering places in the music that didn't have a steady beat - syncopated! Glissando was another musical concept students experienced. The Italian music term means, sliding or gliding. Students used their voices, and bodies and glockenspiels to create glissandi. "Two Little Blackbirds" was the rhyme that helped with that activity. "The Muffin Man" is another activity that features steady beat and the smartboard. Each child has the opportunity to create their own rhythm pattern using muffins:) Always makes me a little hungry, though! Classes will continue to explore beat and rhythms, along with expressive qualities of music, such as loud, soft, suddenly loud and suddenly soft and crescendo and decrescendo. Halloween music is a great basis for exploring these concepts, and we start with lots of spider songs - "Legs and All" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" , then get ready for those "Black Cats!"
Second Graders complemented their study of African textiles from Art class with music from Ghana. "Che Che Koolay" is a great 'follow the leader' sort of piece with a rich drumming accompaniment and the students enjoyed the West African sound. Students also played a rhythm game in which they had to correctly perform a sequence of activities....then we tried the sequence while at the xylophones. It was great fun and a great activity for self-control and attention! This led to more xylophone work using a text about Christopher Columbus. Students played a pattern for wood instruments and a different pattern for metal-barred instruments. The challenge was to maintain one's individual part amidst the entire song. This skill is developing the student's 'ear' and will help them greatly when they later join an orchestra or band or chorus. Highlighting our multi-cultural focus in 2nd grade, students also learned the song, "We All Sing with the Same Voice." Several classes even performed this for their parents last night! October will finish with more exploration of the expressive qualities of music as found in Halloween songs...suddenly loud and suddenly softs, whisper sounds, funny voices all lead to spooky music. This includes "In The Hall of the Mountain King," "Must Be Halloween," "Skin and Bones" and the kids' favorite - "Magic Trees!" Ask your kids about Pumpkin Carols, too!