Music Activity Highlights from Our Last Week in School 

Grade 7 Handbells: Graduation Dress Rehearsal 

 

Grade 1 Rhythm Play Alongs

Grade 1 continues to work on their music literacy skills.

They have learned to differentiate between different rhythmic values

by clapping the notes first as seen in this Jazz Rhythm Play Along.

Then they develop their skills, as they transfer the playing of rhythms 

to using percussion instruments. 

Mimusikita

Lastly, they completed this rhythmic challenge where they 

view patterns on a screen using small balls, and imitate

the patterns they see and hear. As they improve their ability, 

they increase the tempos for a harder challenge. 

Grade 2 Memorial Day Commemoration

Marching to "You're A Grand Old Flag"

Grade 3 Parachute Songs and Activities

Grade 3 is exposed to a variety of repertoire via parachute songs and activities.

Here is the William Tell Overture by Giacchomo Rossini.

Grade 4 Marching to A Military Beat 

Next with John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever with Racket Balls 

Grade 4 Ada's Violin and the Paraguay Landfill Orchestra

Grade 4 was introduced to a new story in music class entitled Ada's Violin,

book by Susan Hood, illustrations by Sally Wern Comport.  

It tells the story of students in Paraguay, whose family and neighbors 

 

collect garbage from trash and landfills. Members of their community 

construct their own instruments from recycled materials.

Then a qualified music teacher instructs them on how to play music.

It is transforming the young kids lives in more ways than one can imagine.

It also helps our students to recognize and appreciate all the opportunities

 and resources they have afforded to them in their own world. 

    

 Grade 1 Solfege and Kodaly Hand Signals

As the year is coming to a close, Grade 1 is reviewing crucial concepts 

they have studied and learned this year. 

One component of music literacy for 1st grade is learning the solfege syllables

and the corresponding Kodaly hand signals. 

Here they are seen and heard implementing the hand signals into a song. 

 Grade 4 Bucket Drumming 

This year in music class, we introduced a new activity among many of the grades,

 designed to improve rhythm, coordination and music literacy.

We purchased bucket drums, and several of the classes

are developing their percussion skills.

Here is an excerpt of 4th grade learning a rendition of a classical piece: 

The Radetszy March by Richard Strauss. 

 Grade 4 Celebrates Cinco De Mayo Day

              Every year on May 5, people all over the globe celebrate Cinco De Mayo.
                             This day commemorates Mexico's victory over France                                                                             occupation in the Mexican city of La Puebla.
                                It is a day celebrated with parades, breaking pinatas, 
                                Mariachi music, eating Mexican food and fireworks.
                            4th grade participated in such a celebration in music class.
                               Here they are receiving their boarding passes to board
                                         the plane for their virtual trip to Mexico. 

 

That was followed by listening to music performed by Mariachi bands. 

Next came activities where they brushed up on the Spanish, 

and had a snack of chips and salsa.

 

It concluded with dances to Mariachi music and the song La Bamba. 

A great time was had by all!

Grade 1: Mexican Folk Dance

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the 1st Grade learned 

a Mexican folk dance with rhythm sticks.

Here they are seen practicing the tricky routine.

Grade 2 Composer Study: Franz Schubert 

2nd graders continue their study of classical music and composers. 

This week they enjoyed a lesson on Franz Schubert.

Here are they are seen learning about his homeland, Austria.

They also learned about the capital, Vienna, language of Austria - German,

and some popular Viennese cuisine.

They  listened to his composition, Symphony No. 8 and practiced conducting  along. 

                                               

Grade 6 Bucket Drumming

Middle School students have begun a new challenge in music classes.

They are learning to read music and play as an ensemble using buckets for drumming.

6th grade is seen here practicing several of their routines, including a

bucket routine rhythmic challenge. 

 Grade 1 - Music and Movement: Scarf Dancing

One of the skill sets 1st graders learn in music class is to feel a steady beat.

They enhance this with creative movement to a variety of genres of music. 

The following videos display their efforts:

Beethoven: Fur Elise

Leroy Anderson: The Syncopated Clock

Scarf Jam

Grade 3 Composer Study

3rd grade has segments in which they learn about famous composers.

This week's featured composer was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

They listened to a story and watched educational animated videos. Then they 

proceeded to learn more about his life and contributions by reflecting on 

special historical cards found in a time capsule.

Grades 5 and 6 Bucket Drumming

 Hall of Fame by Script

Grade 7 Hand Bells

Grade 7 continues to hone their hand bell skills.

They are currently preparing for end of the year ceremonies such as Graduation,

with a piece entitled "All Things Bright and Beautiful. "

 

Grade 1: Learning to Read Notes in the Bass Clef

Grade 1 listened to a story entitled Freddie the Frog and the Bass Clef Monster 

by Sharon Burch, illustrated by Tiffany Harris.

They enjoyed an animated story about Freddie the Frog, who goes on an adventure to 

Treble Clef Island, only to be directed to Frog Land via dancing bees, a moonlit cocoon garden, 

a fire-breathing dragon, and his friend Eli, the Elephant.

All of this spurred their journey to learn to read the notes in the bass clef music staff.

They capped the lesson off with an improvised dance to the song associated with the story. 

Grade 4 Learning Multi-Cultural Music with Orff Instruments

Jamba Bwana: A Swahili Greeting Song

Grade 4 learned several songs this week using music from multiple cultures.

The first song featured here is a Swahili Greeting Song entitled Jamba Bwana.

The second song is entitled Zimbole, an African Folk Song.

They learned the pronunciation, sang the lyrics, and added various Orff instrument

rhythmic ostinatos to provide musical accompaniment to the lyrics, simultaneously. 

The second song is entitled Zimbole, an African Folk Song.

 

Grade 6 Bal-A-Vis-X

Grade 6 thoroughly enjoys the Bal-A-Vis-X Music Exercises.

This is a program that was newly-implemented into the music curriculum last year.

They work on balance, auditory, visual and physical coordination skills 

while tossing bean bags, and bouncing racket balls to the beat

and tempo of various genres of music.

It helps to develop their sense of rhythm, eye-hand coordination, concentration and teamwork. 

 Week of March 15th, 2021

Grade 8: Building Their Own Instruments 

Grade 8 is excited every year to build their own instrument.

Each year they build an instrument called a dulcimer, a fretted string 

instrument of the zither family that first appeared in the early 19th century.

Step 1 is to design and paint the frame in the art room. 

 

After they have successfully painted them,

 they begin to assemble the various parts.

Here they are seen, installing the fret board, 

attaching the bridge, putting the tuning pegs 

in place and tuning the strings.

The final step is learning to play 

their newly-assembled instrument.

Grade 5 - Lenten Prayer Service

Grade 5 is leading our prayer service for lent this week. 

In addition to sharing the readings, and a skit to describe the 

importance of fasting and sacrifice, 

they learned a Christian song entitled 

"They'll know We Are Christians by Our Love. "

They added percussion instruments to enhance the rhythmic

flair and to provide an additional layer of musical accompaniment. 

Grade 3 Celebrates St. Patrick's Day

 Grade 3 celebrated St. Patrick's Day by taking a virtual field trip to Ireland.

They learned about the country, the landscape, 

the music and its indigenous instruments.

They topped it off with a lesson in Irish Dancing seen here. 

Grade 6 Drumming: Radetzsky March

Grade 6 continues to develop their drumming skills.

Here they hone their ability to read music and 

play specific rhythmic ostinatos while

performing along with a recording of 

The Radetzsky March by Johann Strauss.

Grade 5 Rhythm Drills with Bucket Drumming

Grade 5 is learning coordination, and improving their drumming skills.

With consistent practice, it eventually evolves into this...

Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk 

And better yet, the Cha Cha Slide....

Grade 1 Lenten Prayer Service

Grade 1 is preparing for their participation in this week's Lenten Prayer Service.

In addition to their leadership in proclaiming the Word and reciting petitions,

they will perform two songs: "Our Father" and "Be Kind."

The second selection is an original composition, lyrics written by 

their first grade teacher, Mrs. Sheila Kennedy, 

and the music composed by Ms. Patricia Brown, Director of Music. 

Tropical Rain Forests

In collaboration with the Lower School theme, studying Rain Forests,

2nd graders learned several new songs to reinforce what they are 

discovering about Tropical Rain Forests. 

They completed their lesson by coloring their own versions.