|
Access recordings of class performances:
PreK & Kindergarten: The focus for this trimester was for students to identify fast and slow rhythm patterns using basic music notation symbols, and then play those rhythms on percussion instruments. As part of this objective, students composed their own rhythms using the Draw Your Own Rhythms Worksheet, and then they performed their compositions for the class. In addition, students continued to practice their listening skills with a guess the sound game, and practiced responding to music with movement during a “dance party” segment of class. Along the way, students learned to sing various songs, including I’m a Little Snowflake, Five Little Snowmen. Little Bunny Foo Foo, and Polly Wolly Doodle. 1st & 2nd Grade: The focus for this trimester was for students to practice identifying, drawing, and playing music notation symbols, including quarter notes, quarter rests, and double eighth note. As part of this objective, students composed their own 4-beat rhythm patterns and then performed them for the class, and also created their own body percussion compositions to interpret sound using hand clapping, knee slapping, and foot tapping. In addition, students learned to sing a variety of songs, including To Grandmother's House We Go, Bee Bee Bumble Bee, Bug on a Rug, Magic Penny, Chicken Wing Chicken Wing (1st grade), and Welcome to My Morning (2nd grade). 3rd & 4th Grade: The two goals for this trimester were 1) for students to be introduced to music from around the world, and 2) to learn the basics of playing the recorder. For world music, students heard music from Australia, China, Russia, Jordan, and Peru, identified the countries on a map, and learned about culturally significant instruments from each country, including the didgeridoo, erhu, balalaika, mijwiz, and quena. For the recorder, students played along to videos such as the pirate adventure to get used to identifying notes on the music staff and playing the notes B, A, and G, and then they moved to working from the Recorder Karate Book to earn White, Yellow, and Orange belts by playing Hot Cross Buns, Gently Sleep, and Merrily We Roll Along. Along the way, students also learned to sing a variety of songs, including Al Citron, It’s a Marshmallow World (3rd grade), My Favorite Things (4th grade), and Tum Balalaika. 5th & 6th Grade: The focus for this trimester was for students to learn how to construct major and minor chords on a keyboard, and then practice playing these chords as part of a chord progression, using The Axolotl Song as a case study. Along the way, students also learned a variety of songs to sing, including Auld Lang Syne (5th grade), Jingle Bell Rock (6th grade), If You Want to Sing Out (5th grade), and The Axolotl Song. In addition, 6th Grade at New Hingham and the 5/6 cohort at RH Conwell have been given some choice in their song selections. They were given a criteria to select music that is appropriate for their grade level: including vocal range, rhythm patterns, language, and topic. At New Hingham, students chose Fein, and Popular. Fein was a questionable choice, but by focusing only on the first verse and chorus, it became doable for them. Popular was even more of a challenge because each verse had its own melody and rhythm patterns, and each chorus was different. Students overcame this challenge by focussing on only one section of the song, and dividing the class into groups responsible for singing their own part. At R.H. Conwell, students chose I Am Not Okay and Tough People. I was surprised by their choice in songs, because while both songs are a good fit melodically—and while both have an overall uplifting theme of resilience and hope—they both deal with heavy themes. Musically, students did an excellent job working on these songs, however, moving forward, I will be steering them towards songs that are not as “heavy.” Meanwhile, at Chester Elementary, 5th grade students just finished learning all the music for their production of Willy Wonka. Next, after another table read, they will begin working on the choreography for each scene.
1 Comment
Access recordings of class performances:
Preschool & Kindergarten have been continuing to practice their listening skills by listening to and identifying sounds. They also learned about slow and fast rhythms using the song Frog in the Meadow. Using a velcro board, students moved frogs around the board and clapped the rhythms that the frogs made! Students also practiced identifying rhyming words using the song Five Little Hearts. 1st Grade & 2nd Grade have been practicing drawing quarter notes, quarter rests, and double eighth notes. Recently, they created 4-beat rhythm patterns, and then they played their compositions on drums! To embody the beat, they have also been practicing body percussion using videos like this and this. Many students are excelling at these movement activities, while others are resistant to them, preferring to engage in free dance rather than choreographed movements. In response, I’ve been trying to encourage them to give it an honest try, to try something new. To help students feel the beat, they have also learned songs like Bee, Bee, Bumblebee and Bug on a Rug; and in honor of Valentine’s Day, they started working on Magic Penny. 3rd Grade & 4th Grade has been listening to music from various parts of the world, including the didgeridoo from Australia, the erhu from China, and the balalaika from Russia. In honor of Valentine’s day, they also started learning how to sing the Yiddish love song Tum Balalaika. Finally, they have continued their lessons on the recorder, recently practicing three notes (B, A & G) using a pirate adventure video. 5th Grade & 6th Grade has been learning about major and minor chords, using keyboards as a useful visual aid. Using the worksheet, they placed dots on the keys for each chord, and then played them on the keyboard. As a knowledge and skill check, students played a game where teams went head to head “throwing” out chords by naming them and playing them, and the opposing team had to respond by playing the same chords. This became an engaging way for students to check their understanding while playing also practicing their teamwork skills. Finally, at New Hingham Elementary Elementary, 5th grade has been singing If You Want to Sing Out, and 6th grade just wrapped up singing Fein and started working on Popular. At R.H. Conwell Elementary, 5th and 6th grade just wrapped up their work on I Am Not Okay, and has begun working on Tough People. And at Chester Elementary, 5th grade has been continuing their work on the Willy Wonka musical, working on their ensemble and solo songs. Access recordings of class performances:
Preschool & Kindergarten have been practicing their rhythm skills by copying rhythm patterns on rhythm sticks and then creating their own rhythm patterns. They also learned to sing I’m a Little Snowflake and Five Little Snowmen. 1st Grade has been working on reading, clapping, and drawing quarter notes and eighth notes, using the song Bee Bee Bumble Bee as a guide and game. They also worked on singing To Grandmother's House We Go. 2nd Grade has been working on reading, clapping, and drawing quarter notes and eighth notes, using the song Bee Bee Bumble Bee as a guide and game. They also worked on singing Candle in the Snow. 3rd Grade has been listening to music from cultures around the world and describing the sounds they hear. So far, they’ve heard Turn the World Around (written in a West African Style based on stories from Guinea) and Al Citron (a song from Mexico that combines words in Spanish and West Africa along with nonsense words). They also worked in singing It’s a Marshmallow World. 4th Grade has been listening to music from cultures around the world and describing the sounds they hear. So far, they’ve heard Turn the World Around (written in a West African Style based on stories from Guinea) and Al Citron (a song from Mexico that combines words in Spanish and West Africa along with nonsense words). They also worked in singing My Favorite Things. 5th Grade students have selected a major instrument of their choice to focus on this trimester. Instruments include the keyboard/piano, xylophone, guitar, ukulele, recorder, and drums. Students spend time in music class practicing their instruments to learn chords and fingerings so they can create their own music. They also worked on singing Auld Lang Syne. 6th Grade students have selected a major instrument of their choice to focus on this trimester. Instruments include the keyboard/piano, xylophone, guitar, ukulele, recorder, and drums. Students spend time in music class practicing their instruments to learn chords and fingerings so they can create their own music. They also worked on singing Jingle Bell Rock. Access recordings of class performances:
Kindergarten & Preschool Our learning goal for this trimester was for students to sing songs from memory with a steady beat while demonstrating knowledge and skills of tempo and dynamics through sound and movement, while being safe, kind, and responsible. For example, when we learned the song “Hop Old Squirrel,” students explored singing and playing simple rhythmic instruments with various dynamics and tempos to interpret the music, while also engaging in improvised physical movements to complement both the lyrics and rhythm. Students learned a variety of songs, culminating with a performance at the Harvest Celebration in November to showcase their work. 1st & 2nd Grade Our learning goal for this trimester was for students to identify the four basic families of instruments and describe how each family creates sound. For example, while learning about percussion instruments, students made their own güiro out of a soup can and demonstrated how scraping a stick along the ridges of the can causes the tin to vibrate to produce sound. And while learning about woodwind instruments, students made their own reed instrument out of straw and demonstrated how blowing air into the straw causes the plastic to vibrate to produce sound. In addition, students learned a variety of songs, culminating with a performance at the Harvest Celebration in November to showcase their work.. 1st grade sang “Don’t Worry, be Happy” and 2nd grade sang “It’s in Everyone of Us.” 3rd & 4th Grade Our learning goal for this trimester was for students to identify and describe music genres popular in the Western World, including classical, folk, blues, jazz, country, rock, and hip-hop. Students listened to a variety of music samples and practiced their communication skills by describing what they heard, helping them to build a vocabulary for describing the various characteristics of sound. In addition, students learned a variety of songs and were challenged to accompany their singing with both pitched and unpitched instruments, including drums, xylophones, keyboards, ukuleles, and guitars. They were free to explore the range of sounds and textures on these instruments to create their own unique musical arrangements. The trimester culminated with a performance at the Harvest Celebration in November to showcase their work. 3rd grade sang “My Kinda People” and 4th grade sang “This Land is Your Land.” 5th & 6th Grade Our learning goal for this trimester was for students to identify and describe basic elements of songwriting (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) as well as describe and use strategies for writing their own songs. Students listened to a variety of music samples and practiced their listening and communication skills by identifying the various elements and patterns they discovered. In addition, students learned a variety of songs and were challenged to accompany their singing with both pitched and unpitched instruments, including drums, xylophones, keyboards, ukuleles, and guitars. Students had access to sheet music and chord charts to practice reading music and learning proper fingerings on the instruments of their choice. The trimester culminated with a performance at the Harvest Celebration in November to showcase their work. 5th grade sang “Count on Me” and 6th grade sang “Give Peace a Chance.” Access recordings of class performances:
Preschool & Kindergarten learned to play a passing game called Pass the Pumpkin. It’s a fun game to play to keep a steady beat! They also got to practice their ensemble skills by learning to play music on instruments as they sing, using correct tempo and dynamics. Along the way, we are also continuing to practice responding to music through movement with a weekly dance party! 1st Grade recorded their rendition of Mairzy Doats and started practicing Don’t Worry Be Happy. They’ve also been exploring how instruments make sound through vibration, and even got to make their own woodwind instruments using straws and plastic bottles! Then, they learned how to make their own homemade percussion instruments using bottles, soup cans, buckets, and cups. Along the way, we are also continuing to practice responding to music through movement with a weekly dance party! 2nd Grade recorded their rendition of Raining tacos and started practicing It’s in Everyone of us. They’ve also been exploring how instruments make sound through vibration, and even got to make their own woodwind instruments using straws and plastic bottles! Then, they learned how to make their own homemade percussion instruments using bottles, soup cans, buckets, and cups. Along the way, we are also continuing to practice responding to music through movement with a weekly dance party! 3rd Grade recorded their rendition of Country Roads and started working on My Kinda People. They have also explored more genres of music, including Country, Rock, Jazz, Blues, and Hip Hop, and Country. The week of halloween we also played a fun passing game called Pass Around the Broomstick! 4th Grade recorded their rendition of This Land is Your Land and started working on Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. They have also explored more genres of music, including Country, Rock, Jazz, Blues, and Hip Hop, and Country. The week of halloween we also played a fun passing game called Pass Around the Broomstick! 5th Grade recorded their rendition of Over the Rainbow and started working on Count On Me. After spending a few weeks working on writing their songs, we’ve switched gears to practicing instruments, including ukuleles, guitars, xylophones, and keyboards. They are learning how to play these instruments along with the song Count On Me. Once they are confident with their instrument of choice, over the next few months they will continue to practice these instruments by coming up with music to add to their song! Also, on the week of halloween we also played a fun passing game called Pass Around the Broomstick! 6th Grade recorded their rendition of Stand by Me and started working on Give Peace a Chance. After spending a few weeks working on writing their songs, we’ve switched gears to practicing instruments, including ukuleles, guitars, xylophones, and keyboards. They are learning how to play these instruments along with the song Give Peace a Chance. Once they are confident with their instrument of choice, over the next few months they will continue to practice these instruments by coming up with music to add to their song! Also, on the week of halloween we also played a fun passing game called Pass Around the Broomstick! October Music Update!
Access recordings of class performances: Preschool and Kindergarten learned to sing Farmer’s Apple Tree and play the game Farmer Farmer Where’s Your Apple, and along the way they practiced playing steady beats on various percussion instruments, including egg shakers, drums, tambourines, rhythm sticks, and xylophones 1st Grade recorded their rendition of Down by the Bay and started working on Mairzy Doats. They’ve also been exploring how instruments make sound through vibration. Their exploration has included making their own musical instruments with items they can find around the home! 2nd Grade recorded their rendition of Catch a Falling Star and started working on Raining Tacos. They’ve also been exploring how instruments make sound through vibration. Their exploration has included making their own musical instruments with items they can find around the home! 3rd Grade recorded their rendition of Find Your Light and started working on Country Roads. They’ve also started exploring various genres of music by listening to samples of various styles, identifying what kind of music each sample represents, and describing the sound. So far we’ve listened to examples of country and classical music. 4th Grade recorded their rendition of When You’re Smiling and started working on This Land is Your Land. They’ve also started exploring various genres of music by listening to samples of various styles, identifying what kind of music each sample represents, and describing the sound. So far we’ve listened to examples of country, classical, hip hop rap, and rock music. 5th Grade recorded their rendition of What a Wonderful World and started working on Over the Rainbow. They’ve also been learning about the various elements that go into writing a song…by writing their own song! Students are given the option to work alone or with partners. After they finish writing the words, they will then add music using the instruments of their choice. 6th Grade recorded their rendition of When I’m Gone and started working on Stand by Me. Many students are choosing to not sing, which demonstrates a lack of teamwork, communication, and resilience skills. Learning to sing music as a group has many benefits, including:
Moving forward, we will continue to practice these skills using various music games and activities. This class has also been learning about the various elements that go into writing a song…by writing their own song! Students are given the option to work alone or with partners. After they finish writing the words, they will then add music using the instruments of their choice. Welcome to a new school year in the music room!
These past few weeks we have been learning about instrument families—how they produce sound and what they sound like:
Students even got to bow a cello and violin! They loved it!
Soon, students will be recording these songs to begin the process of creating their own music class album! Along the way, we’ve been reinforcing the music room expectations: Safe, Kind & Responsible.
Please consider reviewing these expectations with your students. Next month, music classes will be divided into different levels, and each level will have their own path through the rest of the school year:
To cap off the school year, each grade prepared a song to present at the spring recital. Students were responsible for memorizing the lyrics to the song as well as adding musical instruments into the final performance. You can listen to the progress they made by listening to their practice recordings:
Preschool worked on the song Listen Listen, Here I Come this semester, combining singing with creative drum solos. Students were challenged to listen to each other and then create their own rhythms and sounds on the drum! In addition, we continued to practice listening and responding to sounds by identifying sounds and moving our bodies to the beat. Kindergarten students worked on the song I’m a Potato this semester, where they were challenged to not only memorize the lyrics, but also come up with creative movements in response to the lyrics and rhythms. This is a challenging song, as it’s in a triple time signature, which isn’t as intuitive to their ear as a duple meter. In addition, we continued working on identifying sounds, recognizing that many things in our world make similar sounds, which is why it’s important to practice listening to understand rather than jumping to conclusions. First Grade worked on El Coqui this semester (except for R.H. Conwell, which worked on Catch a Falling Star). The coqui is a type of frog indigenous to Puerto Rico and students were challenged to memorize lyrics in both English and Spanish! To make it even more fun, we used guiros shaped like frogs to mimic the sound of the coqui! In addition, we continued working on identifying sounds, recognizing that many things in our world make similar sounds, which is why it’s important to practice listening to understand rather than jumping to conclusions. Second Grade worked on Catch a Falling Star this semester. Students were challenged to memorize the lyrics and add percussive and melodic instruments to complement the tune, including the glockenspiel, triangle, egg shaker, tambourine, and djembe. In addition, we continued working on identifying sounds, recognizing that many things in our world make similar sounds, which is why it’s important to practice listening to understand rather than jumping to conclusions. Third Grade either worked on Funga Alafia (New Hingham) or Toom-Bah-Ee-Lero (R.H. Conwell and Chester). Funga Alafia by LaRocque Bey and Babatunde Olatunji is written in three West African Languages; and Too-Bah-Ee-Lero by Ella Jenkins is written in a nonsense language that mimics the sound of West African Drums. Both songs use a call-and-response technique reminiscent of the music by the “Hi Dee Ho Man” Cab Calloway. In addition, students also practiced playing the recorder this semester, learning to play the notes D, E, G, A, and C from the pentatonic scale, allowing them to practice playing Doggy Doggy Where’s Your Bone by ear. Using these same pitches, students can also play both Funga Alafia and Toom-Bah-Ee-Lero! Fourth Grade worked on This Land is Your Land this semester (except for R.H. Conwell students, who worked on Toom-Bah-Ee-Lero). Students learned the history of the song, including why Woody Guthrie was inspired to write the song in critical response to Irving Berlin’s God Bless America, and how it is a contrafactum of When the World’s on Fire by the Carter Family. After memorizing the lyrics, students practiced adding percussion instruments to the song to complement the beat. In addition, students also practiced playing the recorder this semester, learning to play the notes D, E, G, A, and C from the pentatonic scale, allowing them to practice playing Doggy Doggy Where’s Your Bone by ear. Fifth Grade worked on Stand By Me this semester (except for R.H. Conwell and Chester students who worked on Lift Every Voice & Sing). Students listened to various versions of the song, discussed their likes, dislikes, and preferences of the various musical choices the artists made in their versions, and then they created their own rendition of the song, adding light percussion instruments along the way. In addition, students practiced playing the ukulele, learning how to tune it, how to strum it, and learning the chord shapes for the chords C, Am, F, and G7. Sixth Grade worked on Lift Every Voice & Sing this semester, learning about the history of the song—who wrote it, their inspiration for it, and how it’s on the cusp of becoming the National Hymn of the United States of America. Students listened to various versions of the song, including by Alica Keys, Andra Day, Ray Charles, and Beyonce. They discussed their likes, dislikes, and preferences of the various musical choices the artists made in their versions, and then they created their own rendition of the song, adding light percussion instruments along the way. In addition, students practiced playing the ukulele, learning how to tune it, how to strum it, and learning the chord shapes for the chords C, Am, F, and G7. As the semester wrapped up, I also asked students to reflect on what they learned this school year in the music room, what they enjoyed the most, what they might change about their music classes, and what they hoped to continue learning next year. As part of this reflection, I invite you as a family to submit your feedback on the music program. Click the link below that corresponds with your school to access the survey:
Your responses will be used to improve the music program. Thank you for your support! Students have been busy in the music room advancing their musical knowledge and skills by identifying the sources or various sounds, exploring how to respond to music through movement, and playing music as an ensemble—and upper grades are even learning how to play melodic instruments including the recorder and ukulele! In addition, all students have begun practicing writing their own music by composing a school song for the school!
Finally, students are also getting ready for their spring showcases next month! Here’s the lineup of performances and the pieces they will be performing: R.H. Conwell Elementary: June 5 @ 6:00pm
Chester Elementary: June 11 @ 2pm
New Hingham Elementary: June 12 @ 9:15pm
We hope to see you at the showcase! It’s been a busy start to spring in the music room!
To finish out the school year, students will spend the next several weeks preparing for the spring showcase. Each class will select a song and students will be responsible for learning, practicing, and honing their emerging music skills to present at the recital. The chase will be held on:
|
Mr. Cain, M.Ed.
AuthorMr. Cain studied music education at UMASS Dartmouth and Westfield State College under the guidance of saxophonists Rick Britto and Ted Levine. Archives
March 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
