Week of August 29th, 2016

RUSSIAN FOLK TAKES!

(And study review)

Hello everyone! We had a great week in music class as we reviewed the following details about Russia:

-The Russian flag

-Russian styles of dress

-The landscape and weather of Russia (the tundra, permafrost)

-Animals of Russia (the fox, snow leopard, tiger)

-Folk instruments of Russia (the psaltery, ocarina and tambourine)

The children have really enjoyed playing the instruments and learning about Russia! I think it is possible, though, that their favorite part of learning about Russia was listening to the folk stories today about "The Little Hot Bun" and "The Great Big Turnip".

Check out my video below for a recap on learning about Russia and my very own version of "The Little Hot Bun!"

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) What can you tell me about Russia? 

2) Did you play the tambourine and the zither?

3) What animal ate "The Little Hot Bun?" The fox!

Week of August 22nd, 2013

THE OCARINA!

Did you know...

The ocarina is a traditional Russian folk instrument? 

Here are some interesting facts about this vessel flute: 

•             Ocarinas are often made from clay.

•             Air is forced through the body (it is a woodwind instrument!)

•             The air causes the instrument to vibrate.

•             The vibrations resonate throughout the inside of the ocarina.

•             Holes are covered and uncovered to raise and lower the pitch.

We took a look at an ocarina today, and colored a fact sheet! I played some simple songs for the children, and we also reviewed an additional Russian folk instrument, the psaltery or zither, as well as our pictures of Russian culture and the super fun nesting dolls, or "Matryoshka" dolls.

Ask your child about the ocarina below! (FYI--JN two-year-olds will have music class on Thursday, August 25th at 11:30 a.m.)

In addition to learning about Russia and Russian musical culture, the kids also got a kick out whistling the "Hello" song today. =)

Check out the mp3 here:

 Whistling in music class

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) How do you make noise with the ocarina?  You blow in it!

2) What Russian animal did you see a picture of today? Hint: it likes to be in the cold! Answer: a tundra fox!

Week of August 8th, 2016

Russia Study Pt. II: Matryoshka Dolls!

Today we explored a very interesting part of Russian culture--Matryoshka, or nesting dolls! Sometimes called "Babushka" dolls, they are classically hollow wooden dolls that fit inside of one another.

I was able to purchase a traditional, hand-painted set for the children to explore and play with! There are six dolls (that look very similar to the dolls above.) I explained to the children that they are a very traditional toy in Russia, and that they symbolize motherhood and infinity.

The kids were totally fascinated by the nesting dolls, and enjoyed making their own paper nesting dolls to make home (a set of three!) While they colored the nesting dolls, we also listened to traditional Russian folk music and explored the *psaltery (next week's instrument.) We also had some fun trying on a "babushka" style handkerchief!

*We skipped ahead to check out the psaltery due to the fact that music class will actually be on hold next week, as I will be on vacation, and returning the following week. =)

Questions to Ask Your Child

1) How many nesting dolls fit inside the largest wooden doll in music class? Five! There were 6 dolls total.

2) Do you remember playing the psaltery strings? What did it feel like? 

Week of August 1st, 2016

Let's Learn About Russia!

This month in music class, our culture focus is Russia! We're learning all about the basics of the country, traditional folk instruments, storytelling, and more!

This week, we started with the basics: where is Russia, and what are some of the country's features?

Russia is HUGE! There are 9 times zones in the country, and it has many awesome land features, including the Siberian tundra. The tundra has long winters and cold summers--keeping its secondary layer of earth (called Permafrost) permanently frozen under the ground.

Today we learned that Russia has many interesting animals in the tundra and surrounding areas--including foxes, and snow leopards!

We also found out about the Kremlin--the official residences of the president of Russia--and looked at traditional Russian dress.

Discussing Russia in music class wouldn't be complete without learning a little about Peter Tchaikovsky--who learned to play piano at 5! We discovered that he wrote over 169 pieces of music including The Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake, both of which we listened to!

Click here to listen to "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker Suite

We also had fun dancing with scarves today--check out the pictures below!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD:

1) What are the colors in the Russian flag? Red, white and blue

2) Can you name any of the animals in Russia? Snow leopard, fox (to name a few)