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.