Week of February 15th, 2016

JAZZ!

We listened to some awesome JAZZ this week!

Edward Ellington--better known as "Duke"--took us to town on the "A Train". Check out the video below! We also looked at photos of jazz greats like the Duke himself, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald.

We explored what types of instruments are used in jazz, talked about swing counting ("A-one and a-two and a-three and a-four!") and colored some jazz worksheets with different instruments. Ask your child about what they saw on the coloring page (see the questions below for a hint!)

We are also continuing to practice our Langston Hughes poem and also loving Itsy Bitsy Spider with our Anansi puppet (the spider with long streamer legs from last week).

QUESTIONS

1) What instrument did Duke Ellington play? The piano

2) What did Billie Holiday always wear in her hair? A flower

3) What instruments did you hear in the jazz music? The piano, trumpet, trombone, drums, and more!

Week of February 16th, 2015

BILLIE HOLIDAY AND DUKE ELLINGTON!

Students had a great time this week listening to the fabulous jazz singing of Billie Holiday and the snappy piano playing of Duke Ellington and his swing band! We looked at black and white photos of the pair and also listened to Blue Moon and It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing!

We also discussed the laid back "swing" of jazz (check out this mp3 from the three year old's saying, "Jazzzz, mannn!") and tried playing "straight beats" and "swung beats" on the cymbals!

I used the comparison of a stiff, marching beat for the straight beat: "ONE-TWO-THREE-FOUR!" and the laid back saunter of an elephant swinging his trunk around for the jazzy swung beat: "A-one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a-four!"

Check out this adorable video of a three year old who had the jazz counting down:

We also enjoyed moving our bodies to the different styles of beats on the cymbals! Check out the extender questions below to keep the conversation going at home!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD THIS WEEK:

1) What did the singer, Billie Holiday, like to wear in her hair? A flower!

2) What instrument was Duke Ellington famous for playing? The piano!

3) Do you know how to swing count? (Check out the video above!)