Next week we will continue with American Folk music and might even venture a little into rock and roll.
After this week, your kids should be able to tell you about a wide array of music that's included in the American Folk category. Fifth grade sang the African American spiritual, "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and discovered the song actually acted as a map for slaves seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad. Fourth grade played the ukulele, drums, shakers, and recorders to the another African American spiritual called "Sinner Man." Third grade learned "Good News" and will continue learning the recorder and xylophones over the next couple weeks. Second grade learned a hand clapping song called, "Green Sally Up" and had a ton of fun trying to sing and play the game at the same time. First grade learned the song, "Lucy Locket" a classic in the music room. It's a game played where you hide something and then you lead someone to find it by singing softer (piano) if they're far away and louder (forte) as they get closer. Kindergarten was introduced to two new folk songs, both with fun games. "Juba" and "O Ma Washi" (a singing game from Japan) were a hit!
Next week we will continue with American Folk music and might even venture a little into rock and roll.
0 Comments
One of the new items we have in our music room this semester is a world map. We explored that map as we discovered music from all over the world in week three. Kindergarten explored some new Japanese words as they learned a new jumprope game called Kuma San. First grade learned about the "Gateway to South America," as we learned about the culture and music of Columbia. Second grade had a great time learning a stick game from New Zealand. Third grade sang "Rio, Rio" to better understand the longest, skinniest country in the world. Fourth and fifth grade learned three phrases in Persian Farsi as they sang and played a really fun ball game from western Afghanistan.
This coming week the students will become a little more familiar with American Folk Music. Quarter three is all about responding to music. We began the unit by responding and analyzing our own music from the winter concert. The students watched their performance and discovered what they liked and what they felt needed improvement. I was impressed by their very honest responses. During week two, we listened to famous classical composers. This has probably been my favorite week of music so far. Kindergarten listened to Rossini's William Tell Overture. They learned the story behind the opera (ask them about the apple and the bow and arrow) and then, my favorite part, each kindergartener danced about 30 seconds of Just Dance's version of the William Tell Overture. Hilarious! First grade learned Brahms Lullaby, then improvised lullabies of their own on various classroom instruments, all while attempting to keep all their classmates asleep.
Second grade learned Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. We learned all about how music can help us learn history. The students were able to follow the story of the music as the French and Russians fought and then how the battle was won. Ask your second grader and see if they remember how the Russians defeated the French. We used drums and bells along with the 1812 Overture. Third grade listened and learned about Mozart's Rondo Horn Concerto #4. They learned that a Rondo is a song with a repeated pattern. A concerto is a song that features a certain instrument. In this Concerto, the students were able to learn about and hear a french horn. How much does your student remember about the french horn? Fourth grade learned about Chopin and Bach while discovering different kinds of keyboard instruments. We learned about the harpsichord, organ, and the pianoforte. All the instruments have a keyboard, but the sound is produced in different ways. See if your fourth grader can tell you how each instrument in constructed and how the sound is produced. We listened to the Minute Waltz and my favorite, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Then, we had piano wars. Each student played a 8 beat pattern starting on D on a keyboard instrument. Fifth Grade learned a little bit about the famous Ludwig van Beethoven. They learned that Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op 67 had a motive that repeated itself throughout the symphony. The idea that kept repeating was fate knocking at the door. We listened to the piece a few times then used classroom instruments to play along with the song. Some students were brave enough to stand up in the front of the room and act as conductor. It really was a great week. Next week, we will be responding to music from around the world. We'll learn about different countries and cultures, learn some folk songs, and maybe even play some games. Should be fun! |
Mrs. Bell with Emily and photo bomber Robert.
AuthorHello! I'm Mrs. Bell. I teach K-5 music and Middle School Choir at Tucson Country Day School. I also help with after school clubs like Singers and Drama. Archives
January 2019
Categories |