Week of July 14th, 2014

THE CLARINET!

JN music students were very interested in exploring this reeded woodwind today in music class! They got to touch the upper and lower joints and the bell. We also colored a clarinet piture and I played a little for the children! I showed them the reed, and explained how the wood causes vibrations when it is wet and fixed to the mouthpiece using the metal ligature.  Check out the questions below to connect with your child this afternoon!

And...in case you may have noticed...we're a day early! Yes, usually Joyful Noise music classes and blog delivery are on Tuesdays, but this week I will be traveling to two different library locations to teach our Joyful Noise C-Fund's Gift of Music classes. The Gift of Music is a free music program that JN offers to the community. Read all about in the posted link! =)

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. How does a clarinet make sound? Through vibrations with the wooden reed and mouthpeice. 

2. Which family does the clarinet belong to--brass or woodwind? It belongs to the woodwind family!

3. What did Miss Chantal apply to the pieces of the clarinet so that they wouldn't get stuck--so that they could fit together well? Hint: it smelled like mint! It was cork grease! It looked like chapstick. The kids enjoyed smelling it. It smelled a lot like minty school paste! =)

Week of November 18th, 2013

TRIANGLES!

What a fun day we had today learning about triangles and "idiophones"! 

What in the world is an idiophone? Well, it is an instrument that produces sound through vibration alone when it is struck by a mallot, striker or another method. Well, all instruments produce vibrations, correct? Yes, that is right! But idiophones do not use strings or a membrane (i.e., drum head) to conduct the vibration in a chamber.  Instead, the body of the instrument itself conducts the sounds!

Examples of idiophones we looked at today: marimbas, kalimbas, bells, chimes, xylophones and of course, the triangle!

Scrolll down for some fun pics, videos and questions that you can ask you child about our day! (And don't miss the fun videos from the infant and fours class below!)

The infants enjoyed "The Grand Old Duke of York" today, along with some other fun animal bouncing songs! Check back soon for more videos and lyrics!



QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD TODAY:

1. What instrument did you use today in music class? The triangle
2. What are some ways you can use the triangle? It vibrates, so you need to hold the string to hear the sound well. We used the striker or the metal rod to hit the triangle to produce sound. We also tried touching or muting the triangle to stop the vibration, and rang the striker in a circular motion inside the instrument, similar to what you might associate with a "dinner time call" like the one below! :)

3. Do you remember the word "idiophone"?

Week of April 22nd, 2013

WASH TUB BASS

Today the kids got quite a thrill out of playing our home-made "wash tub bass"!

The bass was very simple in its construction: we simply took some twine, a mop handle, and a plastic tub with a hole drilled in the top. By tying a washer to one end of the string and drawing it through the tub, and connecting the other hand to the mop handle, we instantly had our "wash tub bass"! The sound was created through the vibration of the string, and the empty space of the overturned tub acted as a speaker box, amplifying the vibrations! I explained this entire process to the children, and also held a string tightly in my hands with the help of another teacher, so that they could hear how the string's vibration was slightly amplified by my hand acting as the "speaker". (See the above photo).

Check out these videos from class today!