The past two months have been full of snow days, delayed openings, early dismissals, and special events. Some classes haven't missed a day, but there are others (...Monday music classes...) that haven't met for the full 40 minutes since December!
So unfortunately, some of the games and activities I normally include this time of year had to take a back seat.
Our January composers of the month were sisters Nadia (1887-1979) and Lili (1893-1918) Boulanger. These French women came from a very musical family and studied at the Paris Conservatory from a young age. Lili, the younger sister, was the first woman to win the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome, at the young age of 19. She only lived to be 25, as she struggled with ill health through much of her life. Nadia was one of the most well known composition teachers of the 20th century, with pupils like Aaron Copland traveling from all over the world to study with her. She was also one of the first women to conduct the major orchestras in New York City and Boston, paving the way for women conductors. Nadia lived to be 92.
Our February composer of the month was Giachino Rossini (1792-1868). Born in Pesaro, Italy, Rossini studied music in Bologna and became one of the most faux opera composers of his day. He composed 39 operas, the most famous of which were The Barber of Seville and William Tell. Rossini actually stopped composing music at the age of 36, and didn't compose again for 40 years!
You can listen to selections composed by all of the "Composers of the Month" here.
Here are some highlights from January and February, per grade level (note:not every class did all of these activities and songs- due to all the missed days and class time)
Kindergarten: We have continued to work with musical opposites- high and low, fast and slow, loud and quiet, and have been reinforcing using our best singing voices. Some of the song we have been working on are " Mail Myself to You," "Skinnamarink," "Rig a Jig," "5 Little Snowmen," "Grizzly Bear," "Little Johnny Brown," "Singing Train," and "What Shall We Do?" We have also been using creative movement to identify those musical opposites in classical music and folk music from different countries.
1st grade: First graders are ready to learn a new rhythm (eighth notes) and have been perfecting their ability to sing and read quarter notes and rest, and sol-mi from notation. We have also started a unit on tempo and dynamics. Some of the songs we have learned are "Train is A'Comin," "Sasha," "Engine, Engine," "Hickety Tickety Bumblebee," and "Magic Penny." We also started working with the mallets and tried out some Orff instruments.
2nd grade: Second grade has been practicing reading, playing and composing with Sol-Mi-Do. Students wrote a song using these notes, and worked in groups to play the pieces on boomwhackers. We have also been playing "Down Came Johnny," "Mouse, Mousie," "Frosty Weather," and "Cobbler, cobbler." We are preparing to add "re" with some new songs, and a few of our songs will help tell the story Shoemaker and the Elves, which we will orchestrate with Orff and unpitched percussion instruments.
3rd grade: third grade has been learning a new rhythmic element- sixteenth notes (aka "ta-ka-ti-ki"). Our songs that practice this new rhythm have been "ding dong," "biddy biddy hol'fast," "tideo," "no one's in the house but Dinah," and "peanut butter pie." We have also done some movement activities and dances that reinforce these patterns in famous pieces of music and in folk music. We also did a review of dynamics in music and how they enhance a performance. We are using Orff instruments almost every week to play along with the songs listed above, and to improvise new melodies.
4th grade: we have been working on reading the notes on the staff with letter names, through games and practice identifying the notes, then playing new songs on instruments. The other halves of class have been spend exploring the elements of movement and how they are applied in folk and creative dances to match the music that accompanies them, and how they create visual interest for an audience. The fourth graders are creating class movement pieces as a part of their spring concert material. Each class will play a piece on instruments to accompany the other classes movement pieces. The spring performance will include choral selections, instrumental pieces and movement pieces created by the students. Concert dates will be announced in a week or so.
So unfortunately, some of the games and activities I normally include this time of year had to take a back seat.
Our January composers of the month were sisters Nadia (1887-1979) and Lili (1893-1918) Boulanger. These French women came from a very musical family and studied at the Paris Conservatory from a young age. Lili, the younger sister, was the first woman to win the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome, at the young age of 19. She only lived to be 25, as she struggled with ill health through much of her life. Nadia was one of the most well known composition teachers of the 20th century, with pupils like Aaron Copland traveling from all over the world to study with her. She was also one of the first women to conduct the major orchestras in New York City and Boston, paving the way for women conductors. Nadia lived to be 92.
Our February composer of the month was Giachino Rossini (1792-1868). Born in Pesaro, Italy, Rossini studied music in Bologna and became one of the most faux opera composers of his day. He composed 39 operas, the most famous of which were The Barber of Seville and William Tell. Rossini actually stopped composing music at the age of 36, and didn't compose again for 40 years!
You can listen to selections composed by all of the "Composers of the Month" here.
Here are some highlights from January and February, per grade level (note:not every class did all of these activities and songs- due to all the missed days and class time)
Kindergarten: We have continued to work with musical opposites- high and low, fast and slow, loud and quiet, and have been reinforcing using our best singing voices. Some of the song we have been working on are " Mail Myself to You," "Skinnamarink," "Rig a Jig," "5 Little Snowmen," "Grizzly Bear," "Little Johnny Brown," "Singing Train," and "What Shall We Do?" We have also been using creative movement to identify those musical opposites in classical music and folk music from different countries.
1st grade: First graders are ready to learn a new rhythm (eighth notes) and have been perfecting their ability to sing and read quarter notes and rest, and sol-mi from notation. We have also started a unit on tempo and dynamics. Some of the songs we have learned are "Train is A'Comin," "Sasha," "Engine, Engine," "Hickety Tickety Bumblebee," and "Magic Penny." We also started working with the mallets and tried out some Orff instruments.
2nd grade: Second grade has been practicing reading, playing and composing with Sol-Mi-Do. Students wrote a song using these notes, and worked in groups to play the pieces on boomwhackers. We have also been playing "Down Came Johnny," "Mouse, Mousie," "Frosty Weather," and "Cobbler, cobbler." We are preparing to add "re" with some new songs, and a few of our songs will help tell the story Shoemaker and the Elves, which we will orchestrate with Orff and unpitched percussion instruments.
3rd grade: third grade has been learning a new rhythmic element- sixteenth notes (aka "ta-ka-ti-ki"). Our songs that practice this new rhythm have been "ding dong," "biddy biddy hol'fast," "tideo," "no one's in the house but Dinah," and "peanut butter pie." We have also done some movement activities and dances that reinforce these patterns in famous pieces of music and in folk music. We also did a review of dynamics in music and how they enhance a performance. We are using Orff instruments almost every week to play along with the songs listed above, and to improvise new melodies.
4th grade: we have been working on reading the notes on the staff with letter names, through games and practice identifying the notes, then playing new songs on instruments. The other halves of class have been spend exploring the elements of movement and how they are applied in folk and creative dances to match the music that accompanies them, and how they create visual interest for an audience. The fourth graders are creating class movement pieces as a part of their spring concert material. Each class will play a piece on instruments to accompany the other classes movement pieces. The spring performance will include choral selections, instrumental pieces and movement pieces created by the students. Concert dates will be announced in a week or so.