Our Weekly Info: | Congratulations to: Harrison (K) and Leo (4) who were added to this month's list of "Music Detectives" adding to our celebration of our new Composer of the Month, Antonio Maria Valencia by finding facts about his life and bringing them in to share. You might notice that you've possibly never heard of Mr. Valencia...that's what I'm hoping for :) In an effort to diversify our "Maestro of the Month" studies, you'll be seeing lots of new names and faces intermixed with composers we have learned about in the past. I'm starting this year to create 7 different lists of "Maestro's of the Month" so that you'll be exploring the lives of new people every year...starting in Kindergarten!! I hope you're as excited as I am about this change to our programming!! We will begin to listen to Mr. Valencia's music and learn facts about his life each class starting today. You can see the facts that they learned about Mr. Valencia on display on the home page of this website :) 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! We'll also be celebrating Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving in our music classes this month! Students in many grades will be working on songs to share on the school website...so make sure you check often...you never know who or what you might see!! |
General Music:
**Pre-K 3 and 4 continued 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" and are beginning to experiment with "re" and "fa" in our singing echoes 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're incorporating learning skills like "listening" and "following directions" as we participate in action songs during class. We are continuing our work with Pre-School Prodigies and are working our way through the bell songs and "Sweet Beats" activities of chapters 1 and 2. We're also trying out some of the workbook pages and activities included in the curriculum! We're also continuing to work on Thanksgiving themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them. And....get ready families.....the EVER FAMOUS "TURKEY WOBBLE" IS ON THE WAY!!!!!
**Kindergarten continues to use 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" and are beginning to experiment with "re" and "fa" in our singing echoes 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 are continuing our work with Pre-School Prodigies and are working our way through the bell songs and "Sweet Beats" activities of chapters 3 and 4 which focus extensively on songs using do, re, and mi. We're also trying out some of the workbook pages and activities included in the curriculum! Last week, Kindergartener's became "composers" using the resources from Pre-School Prodigies and wrote their own songs for desk bells using our focus pitches of "do," "mi," and "sol." This week, Kindergarteners will be taking turns performing their compositions for their classmates!! I can't wait to hear their creations!!!! Hopefully we will be able to film the class and share their work with you through Google Classroom :) We're also continuing with our Thanksgiving themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them!
**First Graders First Graders are diving into note reading and playing in two parts as we return to our studies with Pre-School Prodigies this week! We'll be exploring chapters 5 and 6 this month....working with all different pitches, melodies and rhythms, AND learning to play in two parts...having some students work on the melody while others add a percussion line to the song!!! 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're continuing to work on Thanksgiving themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them!
**Second Graders will be finishing up their work on our Yellow Belt song, "Gently Sleep" TODAY with their SECOND Belt Test in Recorder Karate!!! Students have been working with the same three notes: B, A, and G...reorganized into different patterns and adding in some new rhythmic concepts to play a completely different song! Parents, you can find more information about the recorder program HERE along with some helpful links for at home practice :) Now that we've mastered the Yellow Belt, be on the look out for our brand new Orange Belt song, "Merrily We Roll Along" which will hopefully be introduced in today's music class. Although we'll still be working with B, A, and G, there are some new rhythmic patterns in this song!! I wonder who will be the first student to spot them?? We're continuing to work with Thanksgiving themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them!
**Third Graders continue "putting 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!!! This week, we'll be continuing to learn 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. We're also reviewing how to play in multiple parts by dividing into groups: some students playing bells and the melody line, some students playing drums and adding the percussion line, and, for the first time EVER...some students playing chords and adding a harmony line to the piece! I can't wait!!!
Performance Music
Band Classes:
Everyone else....the battle starts over today for the Second Quarter! Will Fifth Grade keep the trophy or will it be stolen by Fourth Grade or Sixth Grade?? Only time (and preparedness) will tell :)
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade Band are also embarking on a journey through the world of classical music this month! We will be listening to a series of short classical excerpts and then discussing them as a class. You can tune in and listen along with us here (we're on Video 010 this week and will be taking a look at "Spring" from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons") The videos look blank on our website, but if you click the "Youtube" icon on the bottom of each video you will be re-directed to the correct place :)
** Fourth Graders will be continuing our work with the first THREE notes on our instruments! We will be working towards mastering pages 5 through 8 of our Band Brilliance Method Book and will be beginning to go through page 6....where our music fro the Holiday Concert will be introduced!!! We will also be finishing up completing the Band Karate Challenge WHITE BELT in our lessons this week. Try and complete the vocabulary and notation portions of your White Belt Sheet before your lesson :) Be sure to ask your child what that's all about! They're going to be excited to share!! For those students who have already completed the White Belt Challenge...you will find your Yellow Belt Test assignments waiting for you on your desks in class this morning :)
** Fifth and Sixth Graders Although Fifth and Sixth graders are meeting separately as individual pods this year, we will continue to work on the same repertoire and will be performing either virtually or live as one large ensemble. This week, we're reviewing our skills from last year as well as introducing some new Holiday Concert repertoire: "Frosty, the Snowman," and "When Santa's Away, the Elves will Play." We will also be beginning the Band Karate Challenge in our lessons this week. Fifth Graders will be receiving another piece to add to our concert repertoire this week!!! Make sure you ask your child what their special bonus song is!!
SIXTH GRADE LESSONS THIS WEEK WILL ALSO INCLUDE A PLAYING TEST FOR ALL OF "WHEN SANTA'S AWAY THE ELVES WILL PLAY" Be sure to practice!!!
BEGINNING BAND (FOURTH GRADE)
CONCERT BAND (FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADES)
Chorus Classes:
We're building our teamwork skills as we work together to become STAR Singers and fill Mrs.Kamp's class pom-pom jars! How long will it take your class to earn another "STAR Singers Day??" Remember.....the challenge gets harder each time now that I know what AMAZING work you can do!
Fifth Grade earned another prize day last Friday, but we are putting prizes on hold until after we have completed all of our concert filming :)
I 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 :)
String Classes:
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 :)
** Kindergarten Violin are learning how to hold our bows, balance our violins, and control our bodies so nothing falls down! 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. Kindergarteners are VERY excited to continue using the REAL violins this week!!! We're going to practice the same songs we did with our "Box Violins" and work on holding position and posture. We've also been working on playing pizzicato (plucking the strings) on our open strings and learning "The Monkey Song" and "The Ant Song." This week, we'll continue playing these songs pizzicato, but we'll also be adding the bow to try our hands at playing "arco!!"
** First Grade Violin will continue learning their new warm up song this week! We'll also be working towards moving our violin hand off of the shoulder of the instrument and back to the scroll so we can add our fingers to the strings and learn even more songs! We've started working on "Elephants and Frogs" on the E string using the open string and finger number 1 and are learning that the pitch of the string changes as we add each finger. At home, you could use your box violins to practice The Monkey Song and The Ant Song or some of the 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 be busy working on adding your fingers to the E string to play The Kangaroo Song and Elephants and Frogs. We're getting better at moving our hands up to the scroll and playing in the proper position with the correct fingers! At home, you could review 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 or take things a little further and work on adding your fingers to the E string to play The Kangaroo Song and Elephants and Frogs during your at home practice sessions this week! Be sure to get out those practice pets and work with them to build your violin skills and fill in those practice journals! You can practice at home if you check the class violin page HERE
** Third Grade Violin Will not have violin class this week due to parent conferences.....BUt at home you can:
* continue working inside the Strictly Strings Method Book (pages posted on Google Classroom) and review open string notes and our CRAZY string jumping!
* look at notes on the Treble Staff and work with adding your fingers to play some new songs.
* continuing with the Four String Warm Up, but have also added a new warm up working with different rhythms and patters on the open strings!
You can help us with some at home practice HERE
** Fourth Grade Violin This week we'll continue working inside our Strictly Strings Method Book. We'll review open string notes and our CRAZY string jumping this week! We will also start looking at notes on the Treble Staff and working with adding our fingers to play some new songs. We're continuing with the Four String Warm Up, but have also added a new warm up working with different rhythms and patters on the open strings! You can help us with some at home practice HERE
** Fifth Grade Violin This week we're continuing on inside the Strictly Strings Method Book. We'll review open string notes and our CRAZY string jumping this week! We will also start looking at notes on the Treble Staff and working with adding our fingers to play some new songs. We're continuing with the Four String Warm Up, but have also added a new warm up working with different rhythms and patters on the open strings!You can help us with some at home practice HERE
Stay tuned for more information right here each week :)
Mrs. Kamp :)