Blending In and Standing Out, part II

Anyone working with children certainly appreciates the challenges of teaching meaningful lessons the week before a break.My answer to this quandary is to hand classes over to my students with something I call Share Day. Share Day in music is my absolute favorite time of the year … I invite every one of them to share a musical talent with their class. Sort of a mini-talent show, students are welcome to share a song, dance, instrument, or anything that may fall under the umbrella of Performing Arts. Even students who just want to see what it’s like to play piano or drum set or ukulele (or whatever!), get a chance to perform. I tell them “listen to your heart, play what you hear and try to give it a beginning, middle, and an end” This past week, as always, I was blown away, not only with the myriad performances, but also with how supportive and encouraging every one of them were for their classmates … It was absolutely beautiful … I wish I could share some footage with everyone, but that would negate everything I’m trying to foster. So, parents out there, please know your children are amazing and I am so incredibly grateful to know them When they are given a chance to shine they rise up ❤️

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.

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!

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.

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!"