When Music and Tech Meet

As a final project in 5th grade, the students are composing original songs, focusing on the musical elements of form, tempo, and texture.  In pairs, the students chose a four-section form for their song.  For example, if they chose ABAC, the first and third sections of the song would sounds exactly the same. They then chose the tempo for their composition: Largo (slow), Moderato (medium), and Allegro (fast.) We discussed the idea of texture, or layers, in music. A thin texture only has one or two layers of sound at a time.  A thick texture has many sounds occurring simultaneously.

Together, the pair worked to create their original work, focusing on the three key elements, through the app GarageBand on the iPad.

Next week we will have our World Premiere of these compositions in class.  The students will listen to their classmates' songs and, based on what they hear in the music, determine in what form the song is written. 

Care for a sneak peak?  Follow the link!

Job well done!

Congratulations to all of the Lower School students. I am so very proud of you all. You did a wonderful job this past Thursday at the Spring Concert. You worked hard and it showed.

Bravo to you!!!

Spring Concert!

The Spring Concert is almost here! Less than a week away, the students are hard at work polishing up their repertoire. We are in full swing with the rehearsal schedule.  Grade levels are coming together and climbing up on the shiny, new risers. Mrs. Freda has been playing piano for us, and a few Upper School gentlemen have joined the 4th and 5th grade classes to put just the right touch on one of their songs.

We hope to see many of you at 7:00PM on May 9th. Let's fill the seats in the AP room, cheer on the singers, and make it a night to remember.

The PreK and JK students will certainly remember the concert night since they will get to share it with their new friends who are "cute and yellow and chubby!"

Spring Cabaret!!! April 23rd

Come one, come all to the Lower School Spring Cabaret. The talents are wide and varied this April with acts that dance, acts that sing, play piano, guitar, even sitar!  

The performance is on Tuesday, April 23rd and begins at 11:10AM in the AP room. Let's fill the seats with family and friends!

Fun Friday: Student Spotlight

Last weekend The Wardlaw Hartridge School held its annual school recital.  Students who pursue musical studies outside of the school curriculum had the opportunity to exhibit their talents for family and friends. While the recital performers are usually students from the Middle and Upper Schools, this year the Lower School was represented by 2nd grader, Annie Gu. She dazzled and delighted with her performance of "Sonata in C major, 1st movement" by Mozart. Here is a snippet of her lovely performance.

Fun Friday: Great Music Website!

Are you looking for something fun to do on the computer? Do you want to have fun and challenge your brain? Check out the kids website from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra! The matching game helps you to remember music symbols. You can learn about different composers and then test your knowledge by playing the baseball game. This site is packed full of information. Give it a click and see for yourself!

DSOKids

Spring Cabaret!

It is Cabaret time again.  For the Spring event, auditions are open to students in 4th and 5th grades.  Sign ups were this week and there are a large number of acts on the docket.  Letters will be going home tomorrow with specific details regarding the day and time of each student's audition.  I look forward to hearing/seeing the talents the kids are preparing to share.

Just as a reminder, here are the guidelines for audition and participation:

Audition Requirements

You must bring all materials being used for your performance to the audition. This includes any costumes and props.

We have a limited amount of time in which to perform.  All performances must be under 3 minutes in length.

Singers, remember to bring a copy of the sheet music or the instrumental CD/Karaoke track and a copy of the words. Ms. Mueller and Mrs. Bryne must have a copy of the words to approve your selection.

Dancers, if you are dancing to music that has words, please bring a copy of the words.

Instrumentalists, please remember to bring your sheet music to the audition.

REMEMBER: you will be performing in front of Kindergarten through 5th grade students. Please make sure your performance is appropriate for students of all ages, this includes the lyrics to any songs being used. If you have any questions about your selection see Ms. Mueller before your audition.

Fun Friday: Recorder (& Spring Concert)

It's Spring Break!!!!  Time to relax and have some fun.  To kick off the vacation I have a very fun video that makes me smile every time I see it.  It is full of instruments we have right here in the Music room at Wardlaw-Hartridge!

You might even notice around 2:30 that QuestLove tries to play the recorder.  He must not have learned about it in 3rd grade because he tries to play it upside-down! Our 3rd graders know better than that!  In fact, our 3rd graders are working on their first note, "B," right now.  You can see the chapter of their recorder book right here.

One more thing before I sign off for the next two weeks...

SPRING CONCERT!

It is that time: concert season.  All of the classes are hard at work learning their music.  I emailed all of the parents with a link to their student's concert prep website.  If you did not receive the email or accidentally erased it never fear!  At the top of the sidebar to the right you can see links to the practice pages for each grade level group. Click the link and sing, sing, sing!!!

Fun Friday: Sing Along!

You will notice at the Spring Concert in May that there are a number of selections from Sesame Street. I have to admit to loving that show. So many wonderful musicians have had an opportunity to perform on Sesame Street. What a dream it would be to sing there!

Inman Avenue is a bit far from Sesame Street, but we can still sing the songs that have made the show so wonderful. In Kindergarten Music this week, we sang a song that is a particular favorite of mine. It is an echo song called "Sing After Me." It has appeared on the show a few times, each time it is performed by a slightly different cast. Grover has sung the song with Elmo. Ernie and Elmo took a turn at the song. The great Marilyn Horne sang the song with Ruth Buzzi. WOW! My favorite, and the version that I played for the students in class, is the performance by Grover and Madeline Kahn. The kids were rolling with laughter and trying so very hard to echo what Ms. Kahn did while singing. It was a moment of pure, joyous musical fun.

Check it out. Sing it at home!

So tell me, What is your favorite song from Sesame Street?

Listening and Writing

It is important for students to not only perform music, but to be able to describe what they are listening to.  This is a for of musical analysis that is appropriate for the elementary school years.  Students at all grade levels are doing listening activities in Music in the weeks leading up to Spring Break. Some classes are completing listening journals in which they answer questions about what they hear in the music being played. Other classes are creating lists of adjectives that describe the music.

In 3rd grade the students listened to the song Bashana Haba'ah.

They wrote their list of adjectives and inputed the words into Tagxedo to create word clouds.  Check out these slide shows of the words that the music inspired.

Fun Friday: Song Alert!

Happy Friday!

This week I am bringing you a song alert. This is when I will share a song or songs that I find to be excellent both musically and thematically. Sometimes it might just be a song that makes me smile. Other times it may be a song that is educational. Today it is all of the above!

One of my favorite bands from my teen years was They Might Be Giants. Over the past five to ten years they have been recording albums of music for children: Here Come the ABCs, Here Come the 123s, and Here Comes Science. All three are fantastic. This is music for kids that even the parents can love. Not sure you believe me? Check out this video!

The videos for the songs make the songs even more informative, like this song about the periodic table.

So put on some music, jam out, and learn something new!

Fun Friday: Make your own instrument!

The PreK and JK students have been singing their popcorn song, and recently made their very own popcorn instruments. You can do this at home, too!  It is very simple and only requires a few items.

Materials:

- One small container with a lid (Plastic containers make the best sound. Try an empty yogurt container, spice jar, juice bottle or medicine bottle. What a great way to reuse that bottle from your Flinstones vitamins!)

- Unpopped popcorn, rice, or beans. Lentils would work nicely, as well.

- Tape, stickers, markers (optional)


Step 1:  Make sure the inside of your container is clean and dry. If it has a wrapper on the outside you can peel it off.

Step 2:  Put a small amount of the popcorn/rice/beans into your container. You don't need too much. Make sure you leave lots of room for the popcorn to rattle around!

Step 3:  Put the lid on your container. If it is loose you can use the tape to secure the lid to the container. If the lid comes off while you are shaking the instrument it can cause quite a mess!

Step 4:  Use your stickers and/or markers to decorate the outside of your instrument.

Step 5:  Shake!  Your instrument is completed and it is time to make some music.

You can play along with your favorite songs on the radio, or you can shake it to this song.  Listen carefully! There is a time to play and a time to listen. SSSHHHhhhhh!!!!

Leaving comments

It was brought to my attention by a few of the 3rd graders that I had my comments settings a bit too tight. I have adjusted the settings so that any of the families and students can now reply without having a Google account, or some other such account.

Feel free to comment on the posts, videos and pictures.  Feedback is always appreciated!

Also, if you want to keep up to date on the happenings in Music class you can subscribe to this blog. Just type your email address into the the box to the right under "Follow By Email" and press submit. You will receive a notification when a new post has been added to the blog.

Fun Friday: Valentine's Video & Gift

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and the students were in the holiday spirit. Red and pink could be seen in every direction.  The Valentine's Dance was rockin', and we even heard some of the students take a turn on the microphone as they sang along with the music.

In 3rd grade Music I was able to surprise the students with a small Valentine's Day gift. Can you guess what they are?

After singing a Valentine's song and playing a melody identification game, the students were presented with their gifts. Oh, the squeals of excitement as they discovered what was inside.

What could it be? 

 It's a recorder! A recorder!

They are so excited to start playing their instruments!  Never fear, parents, they will not be sent home until the students have learned to play with a pleasant sound. You have another week or two to prepare for the forthcoming sounds of musical expression. More details will be sent home regarding the use and materials for class in the near future.

Have a fabulous, relaxing long weekend!

Popcorn Play

In PreK and JK we are in the middle of a mini unit on popcorn. Fluffy, crunchy, yummy popcorn!

We are reading books about popcorn, both fiction and non-fiction.

The students examined un-popped popcorn to see what it looks like before the corn pops. We talked about how the hard, dried kernels need to be heated up for the corn to pop and become the fluffy, tasty treat.

 We are going to use the popcorn kernels to make our own popcorn instruments. After that we will be able to play along with our favorite popcorn song.

The Compositions are coming!

The 2nd and 3rd graders have been hard at work composing their own original songs in Music class. The 2nd graders are just about finished presenting their songs, and 3rd grade is currently writing out their final drafts on the music staff. In mid-February we will have the world premiere of these grand compositions. To whet your appetite, we present this movie trailer...coming Winter 2013!

Fun Friday: Video, Hawaiian Style

Aloha!

In 4th and 5th grade the students have learned a song from the beautiful state of Hawaii. It may be cold with snow in the forecast here in New Jersey, but at least we can sing and bring to mind the sunny skies and ocean waves of the tropical islands.

The students have learned the song and discovered a new-to-us rhythm pattern. It happens to be my favorite rhythm pattern.  Yes, that's right, music teachers are such big music geeks that we have favorite rhythm patterns. This one in particular helps give the song it's Hawaiian flavor.  Take a listen to hear the song played with the ukulele, an instrument native to Hawaii, and to learn a bit about this fun, funky rhythm pattern.

After the students learned the song they started to learn the game that goes with it. Since the nickname for the song is "The Hawaiian Stick Game," it is safe to assume the kids got to use sticks.  Here they are trying it out for the first time.

During the next class they were asked to enter the room and to practice the stick pattern with a partner of their choosing. What an amazing surprise when they came in and all started singing while practicing!  Quite by accident they created harmony!

Fun Friday: A song and a poll

This week for Fun Friday I want to ask you a question. I want to hear what you think!

We sing many different songs in Music, mostly from different folk traditions.  North American folk songs are the most common.  Some of these songs are: Rocky Mountain, Dinah, We Are Dancing in the Forest, Oliver Twist, Peas Porridge Hot, and Shoo Fly.  I try to make sure that we explore other folk traditions, as well.  The 4th and 5th graders are singing a Hawaiian song (check boack for that next Friday!) In 2nd grade the students are singing Kaeru No Uta Ga, a Japanese song about a frog.  In 3rd grade we sing a Spanish language lullaby called Duerme Pronto. Click on the Vocaroo link to listen below!

Voice Recorder >>

As we move forward in the year I want to add more songs to our repertoire that are in other languages.  Here's my questions for you: In which languages should we learn new songs in Music class?  Look to the right of this post and you will see a poll.  You can choose as many answers as you like.  If the language you would like to sing in is not listed click on "Other" and post your answer in the comments below.

Musical happenings in January

We have been back to school for nearly a month now.  The kids jumped right back in and have been singing, playing instruments, improvising, and composing.  Here are just a few highlights of what has been going on in the Music room this month.

PreK and JK

The PreK and JK have been singing and dancing. We use scarves to help us express how the music sounds. We move them slowly or quickly depending on how the music sounds.



We tap the beat of our songs on our laps. Sometimes we even get to use the drums to tap the beat or play patterns







1st Grade

In 1st grade the students have been reading and performing with their pitches so and mi, and their rhythms ta (quarter note) and ta-ti (eighth notes.)  The students worked as a class to compose a sixteen beat rhythm "song."  They got to take turns being the director.

The next week we added pitches (so and mi) to each rhythm. Here is a class sight reading their new composition. Just like professional musicians, they were reading music they had never heard before, using the previously acquired skills.

The students then worked on composing their own original Rhythm Caterpillar compositions and shared them with the class.

3rd Grade

In 3rd grade the students have recently learned "re" and are now working to become experts at the do pentatonic scale (a five note scale made of the pitches do, re, mi, so, and la.) They are singing folk songs written in do pentatonic, such as Dinah.  Here they are singing the song, with a different name substituted for "Dinah."

The students are conducting in 2-meter. They learned that beats can be in a pattern of strong-weak-strong-weak. This pattern occurs when there are two beats between the bar lines.


There is much more happening with 2nd grade compositions, 4th and 5th grade games, and those Kindergarteners...they are getting ready to name their first notes!  Stay tuned and don't forget to check back here for Fun Friday when I will have a question for you all.  If you want to stay informed whenever a new post is added to the blog, just type your email address into the box to the right (below the poll) and you will receive an email any time there is an update. Subscribe today!

Fun Friday: SFS Kids website

Last week was the first ever Fun Friday an we kicked off this new feature with a video of a song from PreK and JK music. The kids were so excited to tell me about listening to their song at home on the computer or their parents phone.

This week I am sharing a link to a really fabulous website that is fun for all ages. There is something for everyone, PreK through 5th grade, but is especially good for grades 1 and up .  The site was put together by the San Francisco Symphony Education Department.  SFS Kids is full of music and information, covering topics such as the instruments in the orchestra to musical elements like Tempo. (Hey, 2nd-5th grade, you know about Tempo!)

Check it out, play around, tell me what you think!

Fun Friday: Video

I am going to try something new with the LS Music blog. On Fridays I am going to share something fun for the students.  It could be a link to a cool music website or a link to a fun music related video. Occasionally, I will even post a video of my own with a song from class.  The students can listen and sing along with me right at home!

To kick off Fun Friday I created a video of a song we are singing in Music in PreK and JK. This simple little song helps us to understand that our voice go up and down.  We sing the song and the kids move their arms or their entire body up and down with the music.

Please ignore the silly, silly face I am making in that still shot above. Oh, boy!

Tell me what you think. Did you sing along at home?  Students, which songs from class would you like to see me make into a video?

5th Graders Rock the Cabaret!

Today was the Winter Cabaret, and what a performance it was!  The 5th grade performers put their best feet forward and brought down the house.  There were six acts ranging from piano performances and a vocal trio to a comedy troupe and a ballet solo.

The 1st through 5th grade students in the audience were attentive and respectful. They showed the talented performers such support with their rousing applause.

Here is just a peek at what we saw today:

Ballet by Janeyce McCray

Vocal performance by Julia Parker, Kallie Schildge, and Giavanna Brito

Piano solo by Robert Brandl

The comedic stylings of Leo Badaker, Jake Rothstein, and Sidharth Kumar

WH Song Detecives

Welcome back to school!

On the Monday or Tuesday before Winter Break all of the students in Kindergarten through 5th grades brought home an assignment called "WH Song Detectives" which is due this coming Wednesday, January 9th.  For this assignment the students need to interview an adult about a song that they had learned as a child. As part of the assignment they need to learn the song so that they may share it with their class.  As an option, some students have emailed me an audio or video recording of their song.

Oh, if you could have seen the smile on my face as I started to receive those emails! I have been sent songs in English, Spanish, Tamil...just to name a few.  It is wonderful to hear the students sing, and even more exciting when family members are creating the music along with them.

If, over the course of Winter Break, the worksheet was misplaced, fear not!  I have many more copies at school. In addition, if you drop me an email I can send you a copy of the Word document so that you can print it out at home.

The due date is just two days away, so don't wait too long.  Sit together, sing!  I can't wait to hear more of the music you are all making.

~Ms. Mueller