Fifth Grade Prezi Link! Aaron Copland's "Billy the Kid" ballet suite

Prezi for our unit study on Copland's "Billy the Kid" ballet suite:

click on this link

Tap! Scrape! Shake! and Turkeys

First graders are learning about ways to make sound on classroom percussion instruments and categorizing them as "tappers," "scrapers," or "shakers." We also noticed the different shapes of the instruments and thought it would be fun to use the shapes and create turkey sculptures. Have a look at some of the very creative collaborations among first graders this week!

What's in a name?

A whole lot is in a name and our Vocal Ensemble members have voted on a new name for our group! With an overwhelming response, the official name of our 2013-2014 Vocal Ensemble is now:

The Treble Makers!

We'd love to get t-shirts made to wear for our gigs on the road. Let us know if you can help!

Mrs. Miller's 4th Grade

During our study of syncopation the students learned this clapping duet from the Orff volumes and made their own arrangement. The first line is played alone with students clicking the sticks, the second line is played alone tapping sticks on the floor, and then both lines performed together for the duet.

Mrs. Drake's class

Ms. Lopez's class

Mrs. Baxter's Class

Third Grade: Music and Culture of the Lenni Lenape Indians

First Grade Music--budding composers

Primary goals with first grade during October include:
1. Keeping a steady beat
2. Pitch-matching (sol-mi-la)
3. Listening walks and "found sounds"
4. Sounds their voices can make
5. Moving safely through shared space
6. Feeling one sound, two sounds or no sound on a beat (preparing reading quarter notes, quarter rests, and paired eighth notes)

The students will work together composing, arranging and performing an original piece inspired by the changing colors of the leaves.

We're also going on a listening walk through the school, noticing the ambient sounds all around us as we go through our day. Inspired by Paul Showers' book "The Listening Walk" (1991. New York, NY: Harper Collins), the students will collaborate to write about our own walk around the school and describe the different sounds they hear. During music class we will record their ideas of sounds using their own voices, classroom instruments or body percussion and create a sound track.

Kindergarten Music--Spooktacular October

Our primary goals in kindergarten music this month focus on
1. Keeping a steady beat
2. Pitch-matching (sol-mi)
3. listening to sounds around us ("found sounds")
4. Sounds their voices can make (whisper, sing, shout, speak)
5. Moving safely through shared space.

I've been teaching all the children my favorite song "The Tree Song" (New England Dancing Masters. 2000. Down in the Valley. Brattleboro, Vermont.). It's a beautiful about the changing seasons and they really love it. We've also sung a song about different ways to get to school (walk, bike, ride the bus, etc.) and created ways to move showing each. This month we will continue our study with a focus on leaves changing, the season of autumn, Halloween and pumpkins.

The Tree Song
This is my trunk
I'm a tall, tall tree
In the springtime the blossoms grow on me
They open, they open.

This is my trunk
I'm a tall, tall tree
In the summer the breezes blow through me
I bend, I bend.

This is my trunk
I'm a tall, tall tree
In the autumn the apples grow on me
They drop, they drop

This is my trunk
I'm a tall, tall tree
In the winter the snowflakes fall on me
Brrrrr. Brrrrrr.

This is my trunk
I'm a tall, tall tree
In the springtime the blossoms grow on me
They open, they open.

Second Grade Composers!

Second grade have begun writing original melodies using the notes do, re, and mi. They were so excited to sing and refine the order of pitches this week. Next week we will begin arranging them with the Orff instruments, and voices!

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June Share Days are coming!

Please click here to sign up for our June Share Days in Music!

Our first annual Evening of Fine Arts

Please join us this Thursday, June 13th, for our Evening of Art and Music! Everyone should come with their families. We will have food, music, art AND FREE RAFFLES!

We could still use volunteers and it's not too late to RSVP! Please follow the links below to help us make the evening a success.

Click HERE to RSVP

Click HERE to sign up to perform a musical selection!

Click HERE to volunteer!

First and Second Grade Violinists

The first and second graders have been thrilled to learn music through the violin for the past couple of weeks. An extension of our former primary string program, these violin mini-units (approx.8 weeks) provide our students with the unique opportunity to explore music making on an orchestral instrument.

The major goals of the unit include:
Fostering an appreciation of the string instruments
Developing fine motor skills through violin playing
Encouraging musicianship through performance
Understanding principals of tone production and affecting sounds of strings through finger placement

These early experience prepare our children for the third grade primary string program, with regular weekly large group lessons on the instrument, in addition to their regular general music classes once a week. I sincerely hope your child is enjoying our time on the violins as much as I enjoy introducing them to the violin

STONE SOUP---Important Date Change!

Due to scheduling conflicts and rehearsal time lost due to second grade CogAt testing last week, the Second Grade Musical Stone Soup's date has been post-poned until after spring break. Please note the new dates below:

Dress rehearsal:

Date:
Tuesday April 16
Time:
8:45-9:15 AM
Place:
Bear Tavern All-Purpose Room


Evening performance:

Date:
Tuesday, April 16
Time:
7:00-7:45 PM
Place:
Bear Tavern All-Purpose Room

Meanwhile, have a look at our beautiful backdrop designed by second grade parent Laura Oliver!

5th grade singing at Friday night's BT Family night

Third Grade Empty Bowls Concert was a huge success!

Last Thursday our third grade students put on a spectacular display of their artistic and musical abilities! Bear Tavern's 3rd Annual Recorder Concert/Empty Bowls Event raises hunger awareness and serves as a charitable fundraiser for Mercer Street Friends. If you have pictures to share from this year's Empty Bowls Concert please email them to me (bdominick@hrsd.org) and I will share them here and forward them to possibly be included in our yearbook. Thank you to 3rd grade parent and teacher Elizabeth Machado for sharing her video of our finale, based on Beethoven's famous melody from the fourth movement of his ninth symphony, "Ode to Joy." Click here to view on YouTube.

May Day 2013

Please plan to join us for our annual May Day celebration! The date for this year's festivities is Monday May 6, 2013. Fifth grade students are invited to sign up to participate in our traditional ribbon weaving dances around the May Pole. Permission slips are coming home this week for three after school rehearsals. They will be held on the following Wednesdays: April 17th, April 24th and May 1st.

Share Day is coming!

Please encourage your child to think of a musical talent they might like to share with their classmates during our special "Share Days" in music class. Beginning this Friday, March 22nd and every day next week (Monday 3/25-Thursday 3/28) all students in Ms. Dominick’s music classes grades 1-5 are encouraged to perform for their classmates. This could be in the form of a dance, singing a song, or performing a work on an instrument. Students of martial arts may wish to share some forms or sequences they’ve learned for their Share.

Performance is an important part of any musical training and also may inspire other classmates to learn something new. It is also a wonderful opportunity for students to feel pride in their accomplishment and hard work!

Please understand this is just for the class and not for any sort of formal “audience”—creating a safe place for students to perform is an important aspect of this day. The specific dates for each class are listed below.

All students planning to share should arrange to have any music, instruments and other special equipment with them on their share day. We have a piano available as well as a full drum set for students to use. I can play DVD’s of student performances as well as CD recordings if students have them available. Any equipment may be dropped off in music room 110 and will be completely safe and secure!

Thank you for your support and encouragement! I stress to the students this is a “want to” and not a “have to”. No one is required to perform—being a member of the audience is a valuable and inspiring experience too!

Homeroom Share Day
1 McCann Thursday 3/28
1 Novak Wednesday 3/27
1 Weidman Thursday 3/28

2 Lopez Wednesday 3/27
2 Drake Wednesday 3/27
2 McCarty Wednesday 3/27

3 Evans Friday 3/22
3 Wheeler Wednesday 3/27
3 Overman Tuesday 3/26
3 Machado Tuesday 3/26

4 Belford Friday 3/22
4 Miller Thursday 3/28
4 VanZandt Tuesday 3/26

5 Finnegan Tuesday 3/26
5 Farina Wednesday 3/27
5 Schaal Thursday 3/28
5 Virtucio Monday 3/25

Connecting Music and Art: The Firebird Suite

Edmund Dulac "Firebird"

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is delighted to present Igor Stravinsky's masterpiece, The Firebird Suite, as part of its PSO BRAVO! concert on May 3.  This year, the PSO is offering a new opportunity to a limited number of their PSO BRAVO! partner schools:

Firebird Program Art Contest!

While 5th grade students are learning about the composer Igor Stravinsky, the composition and the Russian folktale upon which it is based in music class, Mrs. Johnson will work them on program artwork submissions during their regularly scheduled art classes . The artwork is sought for the May 3 PSO BRAVO! Orchestra Concert program, on the theme of the Russian fairy tale, The Firebird.  Winning entries will be included in the program, along with the artist's name and school.  In addition, artwork by 20-24 finalists will be displayed at JaZam's, Palmer Square East in Princeton, for the month of April.

From the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Program Notes:

"Stravinsky composed The Firebird between November 1909 and May 1910; the ballet was first performed by
Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes at the Paris Opéra on June 25, 1910. The complete ballet score calls for three
flutes and two piccolos, three oboes and english horn, three clarinets, clarinet in E-flat and bass clarinet, three
bassoons and two contrabassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, triangle,
tambourine, cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, bells, xylophone, celesta, piano, two harps, and strings. Playing
offstage are three trumpets, four tenor tubas, and bells. Performance time is approximately forty-seven minutes.

... [librettist] Fokine’s adaptation of the fairy tale pits the Firebird, a good fairy, against the ogre Kashchei, whose soul is preserved as
an egg in a casket. A young prince, Ivan Tsarevich, wanders into Kashchei’s magic garden in pursuit of the Firebird.
When he captures her, she pleads for her release and gives him one of her feathers, whose magic will protect him from
harm. He then meets thirteen princesses, all under Kashchei’s spell, and falls in love with one of them. When he tries to
follow them into the magic garden, a great carillon sounds an alarm and he is captured. Kashchei is about to turn Ivan to
stone when the prince waves the feather; the Firebird appears. Her lullaby puts Kashchei to sleep, and she then reveals
the secret of his immortality. Ivan opens the casket and smashes the egg, killing Kashchei. The captive princesses are
freed, and Ivan and his beloved princess are betrothed."

Please join us for a great night and support our 5th grade kicking off the game with the Star Spangled Banner!
Special ticket pricing and for all BT families--Friday March 22, 2013

for more information please contact tmvogler@aol.com or bdominick@hvrsd.org

Circus Week is here!

BT FAMILY NIGHTS

We have two exciting opportunities for students to sing coming up as part of BTPTO family nights. All BT 5th graders are invited to kick off the evening's Trenton Titans ice hockey game, leading the singing of the Star Spangled Banner on Friday, MARCH 22, 2013 . The second opportunity is on Friday, MAY 10, 2013 when all BT 5th graders are invited to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the seventh inning stretch. For more information please contact Terri Block at terriblock@aol.com or me at bdominick@hvrsd.org. We hope you can join us!

Big and Small, Low and High

Kindergartners have been working throughout the year on keeping a steady beat while singing, moving and playing instruments. We've also explored melodic direction and are noticing how large things make low sounds and small things make high sounds. The Orff instruments provide the perfect platform for melodic exploration: visually, aurally and kinesthetically the students are free to create and explore melodic direction and pitch while creating music together. This week we are using the book "Mortimer," by Robert Munsch and Michel Martchenko (Annick Press) to practice steady beat and upward downward on the Orff Instruments. When the characters go up the stairs the students play the thumps on any pitches going up; when the characters go down the stairs the students play the thumps in a downward direction. Ask your kindergartner to sing the "Mortimer" song for you after the next music class! "Clang, clang, rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day. Clang, clang, rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day!"

Soup from a Stone? Fancy That!

Second graders have begun rehearsals for this year's second grade musical, Stone Soup! Our two shows are scheduled for: Tuesday March 26, 2013 2:45 PM and 7:00 PM Bear Tavern All Purpose Room Scripts, song sheets and a complete list of costume/prop needs are coming home this week. Thank you to the parents who have already volunteered to help--I really couldn't pull off a grade level show without your support! Hungry soldiers visit a sleepy town hoping for some food to eat and coax the villagers into making a soup that is "fit for a king" beginning with just two big stones!

5th Grade's Got the Blues

Fifth graders have begun the final phase of our blues unit, composing and arranging their own blues lyrics using the 12-bar blues chord progression. Students have learned to identify the chord roots using the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of a major scale and label them using roman numerals (I, IV, and V) as well as the standard musical labels of "tonic," "subdominant," and "dominant." These three primary chords (we likened them to the primary colors of red, yellow and blue) are the basic chords upon which most popular music, rock songs, and folk songs are built around. Students have listened to legendary blues musicians including Bessie Smith, Huddie Ledbetter and Robert Johnson. Who are your favorite blues musicians?

Recorders are BACK!

Third Graders are bringing home their recorders this week! Please encourage your child to practice regularly--it's the key to success! After our 12 week recorder unit, all third graders will perform in Bear Tavern's Third Annual Empty Bowls Charity Night on Thursday March 21, 2013. Students will create ceramic bowls in art class to be displayed and purchased for donations benefitting Mercer Street Friends, a Quaker-affiliated nonsectarian organization providing care and assistance to those struggling with poverty and health issues in the greater Trenton and Mercer County areas

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PSO String Quartet

As part of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra's BRAVO education outreach program, all 2nd and 3rd graders will enjoy a visit from members of the string section on Tuesday January 22nd in the APR. The musicians will perform for the students and explore topics of timbre, harmony, melody and dynamics with them. In May, students in 3rd and 5th grade will travel to Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University for a full formal children's concert performance. More details and field trip permission slips will be sent home in April.