Week of August 19th, 2013

DICE DANCING!

We had a fun and educational time this morning as we explored both music genre and creative movements associated with different types of music!

For older age groups, we started with some discussion about genre. Check out the awesome web that I made with the school age class below--I was so impressed with their knowledge about music genres! From heavy metal to swing dance, the children already had a colorful range of musical knowledge and type. From there, we listened to some examples that I brought to class that included everything from Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" to Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies"!

Next came a fun game where we associated a certain song number with a roll of the dice. Children performed solo as well as in groups, and improvised creative movement to correspond with the music that was associated with the number they rolled on the die. Check out the awesome results below and ask your child what their favorite style of music does. Maybe they will show you some of their fancy dance moves! :D

Week of August 12th, 2013

FLUTES!

We studied flutes today! From the top, we have an alto flute, soprano flute, and piccolo--all of which we observed and listened to today!

The kids enjoyed hearing the different pitches and sounds that the flutes produced, and we played a guessing game with some contemporary music arrangements of Phineas and Ferb, Toy Story, and more! 

We also played a fun listening game where the children corresponded their movements with the sounds from the flute--a "Jaws" theme like tune where we crawled like a shark on the ground, a fun trill that made us wiggle our bodies like crazy, and some short staccato notes for bunny hops! Check out the video below to watch the four year old class moving with the flute to the corresponding sound.

Week of August 5th, 2013

MOVEMENT SONGS AND GUITAR CREATIVITY!

Students enjoyed movement songs, the "Jack and Jill" puppets, and learning about the guitar today!

See a video of the puppets below!

Today we took a look at the inner workings of the guitar and some examples of non-traditional body styles. The kids couldn't believe some of the funky and unique guitars that are out there! Once we had discussed the options and also experimented with and learned about the digital tuner I use each day, I had older students create their own unique guitar design on paper. Ideas were so creative and wonderful and ranged from a bicycle guitar (the pedals strummed the strings), a "sock" guitar that was soft, ninja guitar, watermelon guitar and even a pizza guitar (show below).

What a fun day!

Week of July 30th, 2013

BELLS IN THE WATER TABLE!

They're actually just metal bowls. ;) We had such a nice time outside today experimenting with sound, science, and waterplay! Kids enjoyed experimenting with the nice "bell" sound the water and bowls provided, and it was interesting to pour and dump water in and out to adjust the pitch. Watch our video to check out some clips from all of the classes! :)

Week of July 22nd, 2013

HAND DRUMS!!!

Drums never seem to disappoint any of the students, from infant to school age!

Today we had fun with hand drums, exploring different types of drums (bongos, congas, djembes and paddle drums) and playing them in a group!

To assist children in playing rhythms, we chanted phrases or used syllables, such as:

"I-WANT-WA-TER-MEL-ON!"

This really helped the students remember basic rhythms and repeatedly play them! Older students suggested fruits and vegetables to help vary our chant and patterns.

Schoolagers also worked in small groups to create and play their own rhythms together. One person in the group was assigned as the "leader", and given a triangle to keep the beat and count other students in their group off to start together. ("1-2-Ready-GO!")

They took their jobs very seriously and really  enjoyed presenting their rhythm creations to the group!

Week of July 16th, 2013

WINDCHIMES!

Our students really enjoyed experimenting with windchimes today in the play yard! We watched a video on large bamboo and metal chimes, and then traveled outdoors to play the hanging bamboo and plastic (made from Boomwhackers!) chimes that I had strung from the trees and the fance!

I asked students to look for chimes around their home or while out and about. Do you have a wind chime hanging at your home? Point it out to your child today and observe the sound it makes. Ask them how it is different from the chimes played at school today. What is it made of? Are the chimes large, or small? Does the wind make the chimes bang against each other and vibrate?

Week of July 8th, 2013

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ARGENTINA!

We had a great time today learning all about Argentina! For anyone who might not know, Argentina celebrates their Independence day (or feriado) annually on July 9th! The holiday includes dancing, music, and celebratory food, like any other holiday across the world!

What we learned today in class is that one of the most popular types of fare, particularly for the feriado, is "asado", or barbecue! "Parillas", or barbecue restaurants, are very popular to visit. 

Beyond the feriado, Argentina is also very well known for the Argentine Tango! It is the birthplace of this amazing dance and music style! Today the children learned some of the instruments associated with the typical tango (accordian, flute, guitar, and violin) and also heard and saw examples of dancing. We even learned a few tango dance steps.

In addition to learning about the culture of this country, our students also colored pictures of the nation's flag (shown above).  Overall, we enjoyed this lesson in culture and dance very much! Don't forget to ask your child about the tango. Maybe they will dance for you! :)