Our Weekly Info: | This week, we continue celebrating a BRAND NEW Composer of the Month for October! And, this composer has a special tie in with our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month as he hails from Guatemala! I can't wait to share the music and life of Mr. Jesus Castillo as we listen to his music and learn facts about his life each class. You can see the facts that they learned about Mr. Castillo on display on the home page of this website :) Special congratulations to Ethan (2) and Archer (3) who were the FIRST students EVER to bring in a fact about Mr. Castillo! Who will be joining them this week by bringing in a fact about Mr. Castillo? Stay tuned right there to find out! Check your child's go home folder for this month's composer fact sheet as well as the directions for how to become a "music detective" and have their work featured on the bulletin board outside the music classroom and on the Music Website! |
General Music:
**Kindergarten will be singing, dancing, and playing their way through music class! We'll continue using our "Hello Routine" songs and many of us can already sing along! We'll be adding all sorts of Fall and Halloween themed songs and activities to music class to coordinate with celebrations happening thins month! We're working on rhythmic and melodic passages and echoing them when Mrs. Kamp goes first. So far, we've explored "do," "mi," "sol," and "la" in our singing echos and ta (quarter note), ti-ti (eighth note), shh (quarter rest), and alligator (sixteenth note) in our rhythms but we're adding more all the time! We're experimenting with different classroom instruments including: Rhythm Sticks, Shaker Eggs, Jingle Bells, Tambourines, and Drums and using them to echo short rhythmic patterns as well as to accompany ourselves while singing a variety of songs. We're also using our bodies to show different things we notice in songs...like the speed, volume level, or way the music is moving. We will continue our work with Pre-School Prodigies, fall and Halloween themed songs, and sooo much more!!!
**Second Graders are back playing their first EVER NOTES ON THIER RECORDERS!!!!! Now, we're going to being learning the first song of the Recorder Karate Program..... "Hot Cross Buns" and will be taking their white belt tests in a few weeks! We're mastering fingering and playing B, A, and G so that we will be ready to play the song! Parents, you can find more information about the recorder program HERE along with some helpful links for at home practice :) We will continue our work with Pre-School Prodigies, fall and Halloween themed songs, and sooo much more!!!
**Third Graders are continuing to "put it all together" as we incorporate everything we've learned over the past few years into larger ensemble playing through Pre-School Prodigies!! We're beginning to masker reading the treble staff and sooo much more!!! We'll be adding all sorts of Fall and Halloween themed songs and activities to music class to coordinate with celebrations happening thins month! This week, we'll be continuing to explore how music can move including step, leap or skip, and stay the same motion. We'll also be working with reading notes on the treble staff and beginning to try reading the staff without the color coding system we have used in the past. We received our first "music workbooks" and will be going through all of the activities there including note copying, note writing, note searches, and composing activities as we work to grow our music reading fluency.
Performance Music
Band Classes:
FOURTH GRADERS NEED THEIR BAND INSTRUMENTS, METHOD BOOKS, AND MUSIC BINDERS FOR CLASS EACH WEDNESDAY AND FOR LESSONS EACH THURSDAY.
FIFTH GRADERS NEED THEIR BAND INSTRUMENTS, METHOD BOOKS, AND MUSIC BINDERS FOR BAND CLASS AND LESSONS EACH TUESDAY AND FRIDAY.
SIXTH GRADERS NEED THEIR BAND INSTRUMENTS, METHOD BOOKS, AND MUSIC BINDERS FOR BAND CLASS AND LESSONS EACH TUESDAY
ALSO, WEEKLY PRACTICE TRACKERS ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR CHILD'S MUSIC GRADE! PRACTICE TRACKERS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY SUNDAY EACH WEEK. PLEASE HELP REMIND YOUR CHILD TO PRACTICE THEIR INSTRUMENT AND SUBMIT THEIR WEEKLY PRACTICE TRACKER ON TIME.
PRACTICE MINUTES ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR SUCCESS TOGETHER :)
For more practice resources and ways to help your band student practice on their own, Click HERE
If you're interested in learning more about our school's Instrumental Music Program, follow these links to the band's individual websites:
** Fifth and Sixth Graders will have Band Class each week on Tuesday and will have their instrumental lessons on Tuesdays or Wednesdays each week on a rotating schedule. This week, we're reviewing our skills from last year as well as continuing to work through some new Holiday Concert repertoire! At this point, everyone should be familiar with the entire piece for COLORS OF CHRISTMAS and have begun working their way through the first 20 measures or so of HOLIDAY BOBSLED RIDE. We will also be beginning the Band Karate Challenge in our lessons this week. Be sure to ask your child what that's all about! They're going to be excited to share!!
Chorus Classes:
We're up and running and starting to prepare the songs and dances awe will perform in our big December ALL SCHOOL Holiday Musical! We're diving right in to making the magic of "The Big Chill" come to life!
Fifth and Sixth Graders have completed their auditions and parts have been assigned!! Congratulations to one and all...this was truly the HARDEST year EVER to cast as you all did soooo well!! Now it's time to start MEMORIZING your lines! Our first All School Rehearsal is coming up soon :)
We've also started preparing some selections to share with you in at our monthy Wake Up Amagansett Presentations and for November's special celebrations of Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving!
I also thought it might be fun to explore the singing and it's importance to people around the world as part of this year's Choral Program in grades 3 - 6. Each week, the children will be watching a SHORT youtube video of a different singer or singing group from somewhere in the world or somewhere in time. We'll be watching, listening, and then pairing and sharing with a partner to discuss our thoughts about the performance. Older students will also be keeping a "listening journal" to express a few short sentences about their throughs on the performance.
Interested in seeing where this exploration will lead us?? Check out the "action" as HERE as I'll be adding the video of the week each week :)
We can't wait!! If you want to learn more about what we're up to in Chorus class or you want to help your child practice the chorus music at home, you can do so by following the link below:
String Classes:
Be sure to check your child's string class page often. I will be posting videos, handouts, songs, and other helpful materials there for each of our classes to help build this bridge from violin at school to violin at home!
As we begin our journey through learning to play the violin, I thought it might be fun to explore the violin (and other string instruments) "in action." Each week, the children will be watching a SHORT youtube video of a different string performer from somewhere in the world or somewhere in time. We'll be watching, listening, and then pairing and sharing with a partner to discuss our thoughts about the performance. Older students will also be keeping a "listening journal" to express a few short sentences about their throughs on the performance.
Interested in seeing where this exploration will lead us?? Check out the "action" as HERE as I'll be adding the video of the week each week :)
** Pre-K 4 Violin are learning how to hold our bows, balance our violins, and control our bodies so nothing falls down! We're also making "box violins" so we can use them int he classroom and have them at home to practice with. Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE.
** Kindergarten Violin used the REAL VIOLINS again last week and are hoping to continue doing so each week moving forward! We are learning how to hold our bows, balance our violins, and control our bodies so nothing falls down! We're also making "box violins" so we can use them int he classroom and have them at home to practice with. Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE.
** First Grade Violin is using the REAL VIOLINS as we have shown that we remember EVERYTHING about violin safety from last year! We're back working with Colourstrings and Suzuki and will spend this week's class practicing Colourstring activities and continuing to learn "Twinkle!" Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE
** Second Grade Violin will will need to BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY WEDNESDAY THIS YEAR.will continue learning "Twinkle!" Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE And get ready...next week, we'll be back to adding our fingers to the strings to expand our repertoire of notes, starting combining note reading on the treble staff with playing the violin, introducing the fun of Violin Karate, and so much more!
** Third Grade Violin has begun!!! Third Graders will will need to BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY FRIDAY THIS YEAR. We reviewed how to add fingers to the strings and began learning "Twinkle!" We're also reviewing all of the parts of our violin and the names of the open strings. We refreshed all of our songs from last year including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, The Monkey Song, The Ant Song, GDG Stomp! and The Wheels on the Bus. And then got our fingers moving by playing Elephants and Frogs and The Kangaroo Song. This week we're also taking our first peek inside our brand new Strictly Strings Method Book. You can help us with some at home practice HERE
** Fourth Grade Violin will will need to BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY MONDAY THIS YEAR. (Violin Class will be on TUESDAY, but that is too much to carry since Band Class is also on Tuesday) Last week, how to add fingers to the strings and began learning "Twinkle!" This week we're also taking our first peek inside our brand new Strictly Strings Method Book. You can help us with some at home practice HERE And get ready...next week, we'll be back to adding our fingers to the strings to expand our repertoire of notes, starting combining note reading on the treble staff with playing the violin, reviewing the fun of Violin Karate, and so much more!
** Fifth Grade Violin will will need to BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY MONDAY THIS YEAR. (Violin Class will be on TUESDAY, but that is too much to carry since Band Class is also on Tuesday) Last week, how to add fingers to the strings and began learning "Twinkle!" This week we're also taking our first peek inside our brand new Strictly Strings Method Book. You can help us with some at home practice HERE And get ready...next week, we'll be back to adding our fingers to the strings to expand our repertoire of notes, starting combining note reading on the treble staff with playing the violin, reviewing the fun of Violin Karate, and so much more!
** Sixth Grade Violin has FINALLY arrived!!! Interested Sixth Graders are coming to the music room at RECESS on WEDNESDAYS to finally have a chance to play the violin after our initial efforts were derailed by COVID over the past 3 years! Our FIRST CLASS MEETING will be this coming Wednesday, where we will review how to hold our bows, balance our violins, and control our bodies so nothing falls down! We're also reviewing all of the parts of our violin and the names of the open strings. This week we're also taking our first peek inside our brand new Strictly Strings Method Book. You can help us with some at home practice HERE
Stay tuned for more information right here each week :)
Mrs. Kamp :)