Week of June 21st, 2010

INFANT THROUGH THREES AND FOURS
This week in music class we learned all about the flute! It was fun to see the this "woodwind" taken apart into three pieces: the mouthpiece, which contains the "embrochure", the middle and the end. They were small, medium and large! We learned all about how breath makes the sound of the flute. The keys pressed change the pitch! We had a blast dancing to silly flute music, going up and down with scales, and touching this metal instrument. Check out the pictures and video below!


SCHOOL AGE



Accelerando

This week in music class we learned all about the term "accelerando", which means

gradually increasing tempo in a piece of music. We looked at some instances in which accelerando might be used and also took a trip to the chapel, where I played a piano piece by Bartok, "Romanian Folk Dance", using an accelerando. We also experimented by clapping our hands to the increasing speed of the tempo!


We also practiced our cadences on song flute this week, took some time to explore the flute as our younger neighbors did, and practiced rhythms with our bodies and instruments!

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MOM AND DAD CONNECT: Want to learn more about our lessons this week?

Definition of Accelerando: http://www.8notes.com/glossary/Accelerando____(_Accel.).asp

More about the flute: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/music/flute.html

Week of June 14th, 2010

ACCORDIAN ASSEMBLY

Friday, June 18th at 10:15 A.M. in the Chapel

We can't wait to check out this awesome instrument, thanks to a guest appearance by fellow music teacher and friend, Miss Arianne! We will be learning all about the accordian, singing songs, and taking home an activity this day. Any parents or siblings are welcome to attend the assembly in the Chapel, which should run about 15-20 minutes.

UPDATE: Thanks so much to Arianne for sharing this wonderful instrument with us. The kids loved it! Check out the slideshow below, and videos are coming soon!

INFANT THROUGH TWOS

This week in music class we experimented with the triangle! We learned that, in order to make sound from the triangle, we need to hold it by a string so that it may vibrate. We had fun trying to strike the triangle to make sound. It was great fine and large motor practice for us!

We also sang our weekly songs including "Elevator/Escalator" and our Hello and Goodbye Songs. I'm including the Hello song tune and lyrics below!


HELLO SONG (Music Class)
To the tune of "Louie, Louie"

Hello, Hello (wave)

Everyone, it's time for music class (roll hands in front of you)

(clap) (clap) (snap)
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

(REPEAT)



THREES and FOURS


Besides learning about triangles and the magic musical vocabulary word, "Vibration" this week, we are also using the triangles to practice some of the rhythms we are learning using quarter notes, rests, and dynamics like piano and forte. We are also practicing the use of the crescendo from last week. All musical instruments need to vibrate and move air and sound in order to make music. Ask your child about vibrations in music class this week!

Along with rhythm instrument practice, we are continuing to practice singing our songs including "The Fox Went Out", "I am a Pizza", "Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand" and more!




SCHOOL AGE
Walking Field Trip to Guitar Haven Music Store

(Grand Haven, Michigan)

Thursday, June 17th, at 1:00-2:00 p.m. we will be taking a walking field trip to Guitar Haven (616. 847.9433, 115 Washington Ave) to check out what a music store is all about! We will be recieving a tour and learning a little bit about:

-What is sold at a music store

-How private lessons are taught and what students do during their instruction

-A little bit about instructors, musicians, and people the frequent the store!

Don't forget to ask your child about our trip!

UPDATE: PICS FROM OUR TRIP!

Also, this week we will be practicing our songflutes, singing songs, and doing more work on our "cadences"--rhtyhm driven marching and patterning on the song flute that we are practicing for the Coast Guard Parade 2010. Look for signups and info soon!

Thanks and have a great week!


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MOM AND DAD CONNECT:

Want to learn more about our lessons this week?

An interesting article about the effects of musical vibration, particulary regarding how it affects children: Music Awakening

Interested in buying a triangle for home use? Check this Gibraltar model out here for around ten dollars: Triangle on MusicansFriend.com.

Week of June 7th, 2010

INFANT THROUGH TWOS

Hello! Today in music class we had fun singing our usual music time songs, like the Hello and Goodbye song, Elevator/Escalator and others! We also read (and sang) the book "Baby Beluga" by Raffi. The kids really enjoyed listening to this book about a baby Beluga whale who is swimming with his mom! I've included a few verses and a sample mp3 (from Amazon) of this Raffi classic. Hope you enjoy!



BABY BELUGA (Sample of a few verses)

MP3 sample here.

Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea, Swim so wild and you swim so free.

Heaven above, and the sea below, And a little white whale on the go!

Baby beluga, baby Beluga, is the water warm? Is your mama home with you, so happy?

Way down yonder where the dolphins play, Where they dive and splash all day,

The waves roll in and the waves roll out, See the water squirting out of your spout!

Baby beluga, baby Beluga

Sing your little song, Sing for all your friends, we like to hear you!

THREES and FOURS

Learning about crescendo: musical dynamics.

Today in music class we are learning about the crescendo! Crescendo means "A gradual increase, especially in the volume or intensity of sound in a passage". We talked about this concept and then tried it out using several different activities. I drew the symbol for crescendo:



on the white board. I then added teeth and we likened the symbol to an "alligator mouth". The kids had fun doing an "alligator growl" that began piano and ended forte (or soft and loud).

We also sang the crescendo song!

CRESCENDO SONG

(p)First say it in a quiet voice like so

Then in a medium voice, you know!

Then a little louder...crescendo!

Then a little louder...CRESCENDO!(f)




SCHOOL AGE
School Age Afternoon Recital!
Thursday at 4:00 p.m. we had a recital in the Chapel! All JN students and School Age parents were able to join us for this performance. Thank you so much for coming on short notice! The schoolagers did a fantastic job of performing choral songs and xylophone songs. Our program included:

-"Rise and Shine"
-"I am a Pizza"
-"Up and Down The Rainbow Scale" (xylophone)
-"Ice Cream's Melting" (xylophone)
-"Rain, Rain, Go Away" (xylophone)
-"Gratitude Attitude"

VIDEOS:








SONGFLUTES

This week we started a unit on songflutes! We will be continuing to utilize the musical theory concepts we've learned so far and incorporating them into using this recorder-like woodwind that is more friendly to little hands!

Look for more information, including an order form with directions on how to order a songflute for your student (for home use, JN provides a songflute for class).

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MOM AND DAD CONNECT:

Want to learn more about our lessons this week?

Free Dictionary.com on Crescendo: Crescendo

About the Songflute: Songflute.

Week of May 31st-June 4th

INFANT THROUGH TWOS

This week in music class we explored using shakers! Among our other songs and fingerplays this week, we sang a fun song called "Walk All Around". I've posted the lyrics and movement below so that you can try at home! Anything can be a quick shaker: a peanut butter jar filled with beans and tightened safely, two stapled paper plates with a few pieces of macaroni between them, and anything else you can thing of! Give this fun "freeze" song at try!



WALK ALL AROUND


Walk all around now, Walk all around

Walk all around now, Walk all around.

Walk all around now, Walk all around

Walk all around now, Walk all around…

AND

POSE!-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight!

(freeze your body in a pose and shake your instrument eight times to the beat).


Continue with dance, tiptoe, circle, etc.


THREES and FOURS

Learning about piano and forte: musical dynamics.

Today in music class we are learning about musical dynamics. Dynamics usually refer to the volume that music is played, but can also mean more than that at times, like tone or execution.

In order to illustrate the difference between piano (playing soft) and forte (playing at a loud, or full volume), we made a graph on the white board of everyday things that are either piano or forte.



I drew pictures representing the great ideas the classes had regarding everyday things that were quiet and loud. We then practiced our songs and fingerplays using these dynamics!







SCHOOL AGE

This week in our school age we will be practicing our xylophones, our choral music, and also talking about "intervals". Music can be compared to taking steps. Because we are learning about "do re mi", solfege, and curwen hand symbols in our class right now, we are also talking about the "steps" that create different pitches in music. So, to recap, an interval is the distance between pitches!

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MOM AND DAD CONNECT:

Want to learn more about our lessons this week?

Make a cool homemade shaker!RHYTHM WEB: Shakers

All about musical dynamics: Musical Dynamics.

Here is a great website explaining all about "intervals": Intervals