Our Weekly Info: | This week, we will begin celebrating he life of a BRAND NEW Composer of the Month: Mr. January.....Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! We'll be learning all about the life and music of Mr. Smith. Since Mr. Smith is a BRAND NEW member of our Composer of the Month challenge, I absolutely cannot wait to see what the students are able to learn about him! Who will be the FIRST students to become detectives and sharing some facts about Mr. Mozart to share with us this week? 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:
**Pre-K 3 and 4 will be continuing to use our "Hello Routine" songs and seeing how many of us can already sing along! We'll be learning some special songs to celebrate the Holiday Season as we prepare for the annual Pre-K Caroling Celebration! 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!
**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'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 learning some special winter themed songs!
**First Graders are working on rhythmic and melodic passages and echoing them when Mrs. Kamp goes first. We're diving back into building our musical vocabularies this month as we continue to explore all of the ways that music can be! Previously, we learned the music words for dynamic levels (volumes) including: piano (soft), mezzo (medium), and forte (loud.) We explored these dynamic changes with our bodies and through singing songs. We also experimented with crescendos and decrescendos (making the music get louder and softer). We also discussed how music can be choppy (staccato) or smooth (legate) and demonstrated the differences using our voices, instruments, and some super fun manipulatives! This week, we're going to learn how songs can have multiple parts...including a verse (where the tune is the same, but the words change to tell the story) and a refrain (where the tune and the words are the same and keep coming back again and again). We'll be coloring to show our understanding of the two different parts as well as learning a special dance to go along with one of the songs!We're having fun with songs, games, instruments, dancing, and some pretty cool surprises as we build our music vocabularies and learn to speak the language of music. We will continue our work with Pre-School Prodigies, learning some special Winter themed songs!
**Second Graders are back on track showing our mastery of B, A, and G as we combine them to finish learning our ORANGE BELT SONG, "Merrily We Roll Along!" We're hoping to take that test this coming Monday, January 9th and then move on to more learning with our next belt! 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, learning some special Winter themed songs!
**Third Graders will be 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 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:
** Fifth and Sixth Graders will be beginning NEW concert repertoire this week as we start preparations for our upcoming Spring Concert! I can't wait to get started with all of these new pieces!!!
If you're interested in learning more about our school's Instrumental Music Program, follow these links to the band's individual websites:
Chorus Classes:
We're beginning to learn some NEW repertoire for our upcoming Spring Concert! I can't wait to start singing some new songs with all of you!!!
We've also started preparing some selections to share with you in at our monthly Wake Up Amagansett Presentations.
I also thought it might be fun to explore the singing and its 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 will be back to using the REAL VIOLINS AGAIN this 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.
** Kindergarten Violin will be back to using the REAL VIOLINS again this 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. We're working between elements of the Suzuki style and a Finnish style called "Colourstrings" as we try to meet the learning styles of all of our students in violin class :)
** First Grade Violin is 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 of York, The Monkey Song, The Ant Song, and GDG STOMP!. 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 of York, and The Monkey Song, The Ant Song, GDG STOMP, Elephants and Frogs, and The Kangaroo Song. 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're continuing to add 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 beginning our Strictly Strings Method Book pages, and so much more!
** Third Grade Violin will will need to BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY FRIDAY THIS YEAR. This week, we will continue learning 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 of York, The Monkey Song, The Ant Song, and GDG Stomp! 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. We're also working to master Twinkle Twinkle as the regular song and with the Suzuki variations....so far, we've learned tikatika ti ti and "Sammy shh cat"
** 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) We're working on "Twinkle!" and ALL of its variations (regular song, tikatika titi, jack rabbit eats carrots, sammy shh cat , and teeny tiny tikatika) This week, we're continuing to work inside our 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) Fifth Graders began some exciting string orchestra music last week that will bring them up to the level of the Middle School String players by the time they arrive at the Middle School!! We're also working on "Twinkle!" and ALL of its variations (regular song, tikatika titi, jack rabbit eats carrots, sammy shh cat , and teeny tiny tikatika) This week, we're continuing to work inside our 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 are coming to the music room at RECESS on WEDNESDAYS. This week we're continuing inside our 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 :)