This week in the music room

Hi everyone! The last week of February is here already. This week we have a special assembly on Wednesday for Anti-Bullying Day. Don't forget to wear your pink shirt!

Here's what will be happening in the music room this week:

K-1
-review new game "Seven Steps" - this is a fun song that incorporates a circle dance in which students have the opportunity to be the leader and create a dance move that we all copy. Also develops singing voice and singing in tune
-last week students learned "la", and how it relates to the two solfege tones we already know, "so" and "mi". This week we build on this with a new song, "Doggie, Doggie". Includes a fun circle game with opportunities for solo singing
-discuss and identify pitches and rhythms in "Doggie, Doggie"
-begin learning Bumblebee songs


Gr. 2/3
-review "Seven Steps" - game described above
-Continue learning "Country Swing" - identify phrases in the song that are the same; isolate a repeating phrase and learn. Build on this phrase and learn whole song. Country Swing is proving to be a bit tricky with that low D note that is required! But I know the students can do a wonderful job!
-new songs and singing game - Bumblebee Songs
-new singing game - "Grizzly Bear" (focusing on dynamics)

Gr. 4/5
-we STILL haven't had a class opportunity to learn "Happiness Blues"! This week we are going to learn how to pick the song and sing the lyrics
-continue learning "Country Roads"
-new game - "Seven Steps", or "Icka Backa"

Gr. 4/5/6 and 5/6
-Listening lesson - Compare and contrast two versions of the same song, "Hound Dog". One version by Elvis Presley, one version by Big Mama Thornton. Use music vocabulary (electric, acoustic, tempo, harmony, beat, rhythm, syncopation) to discuss similarities and differences, and discover the connection that the Blues music genre has made to other genres of music.
-new game - "Icka Backa"

Here's to a great and musical week! Let's have lots of fun while we sing, dance, and play instruments!

This week in the music room!

Happy Valentines Day!

Wow, the next two weeks are certainly a change from our regular routine! Things are busy, busy at Courtenay Elementary!

This week: special performance from Green Thumb Theatre and early dismissal Wednesday. Valentine's Day Thursday.

Next week: No school for students Monday (teacher professional development day, and Lunar New Year assembly Thurs. Feb 21 at 10:30!

Here's what our students are up to in the music room ..... 

K, K/1, 1

• continue learning Skinamarinki and A You're Adorable  
• New circle game: 1,2,3, Who Will it Be? 
• New Valentine's Rhythm and ORFF activity: Valentine, Valentine

Gr. 2/3

• New circle game: 1,2,3 Who will it be?
• Continue learning new note on recorder: low D
• Continue learning new song on recorder (purple belt song): Country Swing

Gr. 4/5

• Learn new song Somebody Loves Me, play circle game similar to Stella Ella Olla
• Continue learning Country Roads
• optional activities: Valentine's Bingo, Valentine's Composition activity, guitars 
• (students in grade 4 have been taking their FSA's which occur during music time, so there may only be a handful of grade 5 students that attend music class)

Grade 4/5/6

• Somebody Loves Me (played as Stella Ella Olla)
• Valentine's Bingo (each Bingo spaces corresponds with a rhythm that matches a "Valentines Phrase" - ie - Be Mine)
• Valentines Composition activity (students in pairs receive Valentine hearts with phrases on them ("true love", etc) which correspond to a rhythm. Students arrange hearts into a 4 bar rhythmic song in 4/4 time; students then choose instruments (xylophone, boomwhacker or guitar) and play their arrangement for the class.

This week in Music

K-1

• students continue to work on keeping a steady beat through movement, listening, and playing xylophones
• students are confident singing "so" and "mi" using hand signals
• we are beginning our Valentine's Day songs, including Roses are Red (xylophone song), Valentine, Valentine (circle game), Skinnamarinki Dinky Dink and A You're Adorable

Gr. 2-3

• students have tested for their green belts in Recorder Karate. We are now moving on to purple belt - which means a new note, "low D", and a new song, Country Swing
• students have learned about the staff, and where notes are placed on the staff. We have talked about the names of lines and spaces.
• Students are learning a new circle game, Stella Ella Olla, which helps them to keep a steady beat while singing
• Valentine's songs include 1,2,3, Who will it Be! (partner clapping game), Circle Round the Zero (circle dance)

Gr. 4/5

• we continue to work on playing ukulele chords D, G, A7 and Bm 
• Students have started a new song, "Country Roads"
• Students have started a new ukulele technique where we pick the strings and play the melody instead of chords - they have learned to play Mary Had a Little Lamb and will soon begin to learn Happiness Blues
• Students will also play the circle game, Stella Ella Olla

Gr. 4/5/6 and 5/6

• students continue their study of the Blues - playing the 12 Bar Blues on guitar (chords D, G, and A)
• students discover the lyrical form of the Blues (AAB), and write a short blues song with a small group
• Students learn how to play a shuffle beat, essential to making their guitar playing sound more "bluesy"
• students will combine the above skills to create a class blues song, that contains 3 AAB verses, and will sing and accompany themselves while playing the 12 Bar Blues on guitar 
• 
  

What we're up to this week!

K -1
Students are continuing their work on quarter note, eighth notes and quarter rests. This week we are going to continue discovering the rhythms in the songs we are learning, and in addition will begin to talk about the notes of the songs. The students are going to be introduced to "so" and "mi" this week as we start to isolate these two pitches and identify them in the songs we are learning. Our song last week, "Macaroni" had these two pitches. Our new song this week, "See Saw", also has these pitches.

We are also going to continue learning about dynamics. This week we will learn a soft song, "Starlight". Students will learn to sing the song and accompany our singing on the xylophones. What a coincidence, this song ALSO is written with "so" and "mi" pitches!  The students will also finish learning how to play "Twinkle, Twinkle" on the xylophones.

Gr. 2/3
Our grade 2 and 3 students are going strong on Recorder Karate! They have all achieved their white, yellow and orange belts. We're now working on the much more challenging new song for their green belt, "B.A.G.E Blues". It's a lot harder to memorize, and it uses a new note "E", and has a new note value, half note! Lots to deal with. But the students are up to the challenge!

We are also going to start looking at the musical staff, and how notes are written on the staff. Specifically, students will learn how to notate the pitches B,A,G and E, putting them on the correct line or space, and how to draw treble clef. This will be built upon next week as they do a Valentine's themed composition activity. As they learn new notes on the recorder in the upcoming weeks after that, I will show them where these notes lie on the staff.

Gr. 4/5
The 4/5's continue on with their ukulele. We have just about perfected "Lean On Me", with all students playing all three chords. We will continue to polish it this week. The students will also start learning a new song, "Country Roads", by John Denver. This song uses the same chords as "Lean On Me", plus another chord, Bm.  I am also going to teach the class how to play a simple picking song, "Mary Had a Little Lamb", in preparation for a more difficult picking song that we will start next week, "Happiness Blues". It's one of my favourite picking songs! Such a catchy melody!

Gr. 4/5/6 and 5/6
Our amazing students have really been wowing on the guitars. They have learned "Lean On Me", and most are successful in playing all three chords while singing the words of the song! Not an easy task! We will continue to polish the song this week.

I am going to begin a new topic with the students this week. Students will be learning about the Blues, and in the weeks to come will learn about various blues musicians, the lyrical form of blues songs, where the blues originated, and will even compose their own blues songs in small groups. This week, however, I am going to teach the classes the basic 12 Bar Blues progression, which they will play on guitars and other pitched percussion instruments we have in the music room. I will introduce them to the blues using a simple song called "Jam and Jelly Blues", recorded by Glenn Miller. The students will accompany singing while playing the 12 Bar Blues progression on guitars. They will also have the opportunity to compose a short verse for the song.



Looking forward to an exciting week with all the students! Also, Mrs. Bannister's class  is performing in our assembly on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m. Parents, grandparents, and guardians are welcome to attend. The class will be showcasing their folk dance to "Kinderpolka".


~Mrs. Caya

Performing Arts Club!

Our performing arts club meets Wednesdays from 2:30-3:15. It is open to students in grades 4-6. We had a great fall, learning how to do the "Thriller" dance by Michael Jackson, and also learning the script and performing the parts in our Christmas Play.

This term we are going to be learning some more drama skills. We will be focusing on

• our speaking voices
• interpreting script with different vocal choices (demonstrating different emotions) 
• our physical awareness and spatial awareness
• working with our fellow club members, learning how to respond to their actions
• developing confidence
• stage presence 

The plan to achieve this will be through various drama activities and games which will build our skills each week. (They are also LOTS of fun!) Our main activity will be using reader's theatre scripts. In these scripts, we will use different students as different characters. Although reader's theatre doesn't technically require people to act out the scenes, we will explore this as well, through mime and tableaux. At the end of the term I hope to have the students present a reader's theatre production for the school at an assembly or perhaps as part of a special event. 

Our first script is...... "The TRUE Story of the Three Little Pigs" - based on the book by Jon Scieszka. 

What I Am

Each month we have a "Song of the Month". I'm so excited for our February song of the month that a few classes are going to get to listen to it THIS month! Here is a video. Enjoy!

~Mrs. Caya

Kinderpolka and Ukuleles

The early primary students are also learning a new dance called the Kinderpolka! This is a very cute circle dance with a partner. This dance helps students learn skills such as
-spatial awareness
-following the beat
-working with a partner
-memory of different sequences of the dance (there are 4 different parts in total)
-cooperation with different class mates as their partner changes each day we practice the dance

I am hoping that one of our classes will perform the dance at our January recognition assembly. Details to follow!




Students in Mrs. Jungwirth's class - have started a NEW unit on the ukulele! They are also beginning with the song, "Lean On Me". Students are learning the names of the strings, how to read chord diagrams, proper playing technique and how to create different chords. We will also be learning how to play the ukulele using a finger plucking technique. Lots of fun!!


~Mrs. Caya