Ms. Orlandi

Below you will see what we are doing in music.

May 2024

Preschool and Kindergarten

Preschool and kindergarten students are:

1. Performing poems such as There Was a Little Turtle and Five Little Kitties.

2. Creating animal rhythms. 

3. Responding in movement to high and low sounds.   Responding in movement to smooth and separated sounds.

4. Connecting music and reading by singing songs with the letters "N" (Nellie the Nannygoat) and "L" (Leo the Lion).

To enjoy some of these activities at home with your child go to MusicPlayOnline.com and enter the student code: m068506 

1st Grade

First grade is performing songs in class in ABA form. Students will continue to sing and notate mi, so, la melodies.  Students will create body percussion ostinatos to accompany the poem Rain on the Green Grass.  

2nd Grade 

2nd grade continues to sing mi, re, do melodies.   Students will be introduced to two part singing this month through singing "Do Do Mi" as an ostinato with the song Go 'Round the Mountain.  Ask your child if they can teach you to sing Go 'Round the Mountain with the ostinato!  

Students will be introduced to some patriotic songs such as America the Beautiful and the Star-Spangled Banner this month.  They will be reading the illustrated book The Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier.   2nd grade is also working on singing Vessels by Steve Angrisano to prepare for First Communion.

3rd Grade 

Third grade continues to work on rounds/canons.  At home do Pease Porridge Hot as a round with your child!  Third grade is working towards melodic dictation by identifying pentatonic melodies by ear.

4th Grade  

In May students are playing recorder baseball.  Students will be learning the new note high c!  They will be playing a song called  Hi! High C.  Students should be practicing at home.  Ask your student to play Old MacDonald or Hi! High C  for you.  Hi! High C is the 10th song we have learned on recorder this year! 

Please remind students:

• left hand on top

• tilt recorder down

• cover holes completely

• breathe gently...warm air

• begin each note by tonguing "duh"

5th Grade

In May students are playing recorder baseball.  5th graders are learning a new note: F sharp!  I am so proud of them because I have never had a class get to the note F sharp before.  We will be using it to play the Russian folk melody The Birch Tree.  Ask your student to play The Birch Tree for you!  The Birch Tree will be the 9th song students have learned this year.

 Please remind students:

• left hand on top

• tilt recorder down

• cover holes completely

• breathe gently...warm air

• begin each note by tonguing "duh"

Middle School 

8th grade is still studying classical music history.  Ask them about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

7th grade is working on latin diction and vowel sounds in Antiphonal Kyrie by  Susan Thrift.

6th grade has be doing wonderfully with the game Follow the Hand!  Ask them to show you the hand symbols for each of the seven notes of the scale!

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I would love to engage families in conversations about the instructional program, student progress, and ways to improve.   Families are invited to participate in the educational process and the life of our school.  Please contact me at lorlandi@waukeshacatholic.org if you would like to talk.  If you play an instrument, sing, are in a band, a string quartet, a recorder consort, etc. and would like to share your music with your child's class please contact me.  If you have favorite songs that are a tradition in your family or traditional folk dances or folk music that you would like to share with your child's class please let me know.  I would love to incorporate your musical traditions into our school culture!