Week of October 27th, 2014

Students very much enjoyed our special guest music assembly today with musician Jes Kramer! Jes is a one woman band from Grand Rapids, and she uses synthesizers, digital effects and loop pedals to create rhythms and harmonies while singing and performing her solo music.

Today, she talked to the kids about digital beats (and a drum machine), and showed the children how the loop pedal works. The kids had a blast taking turns talking in to the microphone and listening to their voices on a loop, as they layered over other students sounds.

We also had fun dancing, clapping call and response rhythms, and coloring a synthesizer sheet. Check out the questions below to ask your child about today's assembly!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) What was your guest visitor's name today in music class? Miss Jes

2) Do you say something in to the microphone today?

3) How many keyboards did Miss Jes have? Three!

Week of October 20th, 2014

ALL ABOARD!

This week's music class was all about trains! We started off by experimenting with sanding blocks and a train whistle, to recreate the "chugga-chugga-CHOO!" factor of train sounds!

     The kids also enjoyed having a conversation about what hard work it was to build the old railroads, tie by tie. We talked about hammering the long nails in to the ground and sang "I've Been Working On The Railroad".

     Then we got out our tambourines and worked on "This Train (is Bound for Glory)". I encouraged the children to practice shaking or tapping their tambourine only to a portion of the lyrics that stated "This Train". Check out the words below!

     Finally, we sang "Tambourine Train" as we walked around the circle--a song that explores increasing tempo or an "accelerando". Don't forget to check out the questions below so that you can extend this week's lesson with your child at home!

And a little something extra for mom and dad, or grandparents who are tuning in this week...

Check out this awesome video of Sister Rosetta Tharpe from Arkansas, the "Godmother" of rock. She popularized gospel music in the 30's and 40's with a blues sound and was also one of the first touring female guitarists to impact modern music! Here she is singing "This Train"!

Week of October 13th, 2014

This week in music class, we learned all about stringed instruments! We talked about the zither (or psaltry), the banjo, the ukulele, the guitar, and also took a fun field trip to the chapel so that we could look inside of the piano, where the kids were surprised to find...you guessed it...STRINGS!

We also had a lot of fun singing the song "Strum, Strum, Strum"--click the media player icon below

to take a listen to this neat "strumming" song! Make sure to check your child's cubby for a coloring sheet outlining some of what we learned. =)

Strum Strum Strum MP3

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD TODAY:

1) What instruments have strings? Guitars, banjos, ukeleles, zithers or psaltries, harps, violins, pianos...what else?

2. Were you surprised to see the strings on the piano?

3.) Where were the strings on the piano? On the inside!