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2021-2022 NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM
JUNE 2022
We GET to do this!
First of all, thank you for the teacher appreciation and retirement sentiments. I am so very grateful for my 19 years here at West Hills. And in between grandbaby cuddles, I look forward to seeing your faces next year as a substitute. To God be the glory, great things He has done and continues to do!
June is another cheerful season filled with music activity here. Friday, June 10th, our little ones will sing their hearts out at Kindergarten Graduation. And Tuesday morning, June 14th, the 8th graders will have their final rehearsal for their evening ceremony. Back at school, the playground will be covered with food, fun, fellowship and super soakers. Indeed, together is a great place to be!
As we wrap up, I again want to thank each of you for yet another fabulous year in the music room. It’s been a privilege to work with your enthusiastic children. And your unwavering support of our general music classes, activities, field trips, concerts, Chorale, ensembles, musicals and graduations over the years means so much. You are truly appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
For photos and videos of your fantastic children, visit the Music Website HERE. Look for the tabs on the top!
May God bless you with joyous adventures ahead!
For Him alone~
Robin Brumley
MAY 2022
A Very Merry May to you!
I am once again struck with what a blessing it is to be here with your precious children. God is gracious in allowing us to do life together in Him. It’s great to watch students grow up through the years. To God be the glory, great things He has done! And He’s not finished with any of us yet~ hallelujah!
Kindergartners are now preparing for their graduation performance. Cuteness Alert: little red graduation gowns!
First and second graders take their turn in the auditorium this week as they prepare for their Spring Program, Friday, May 6th at 7:00pm! We’re looking forward to a great night of celebrating our solid rock, Jesus!
Third graders are becoming instrument experts. Orchestras are fabulously interesting. The musical staff, lines, spaces and more notation is straight ahead.
Fourth graders are exploring music from around the world and this week we’ll dive into Mariachi music. A look into Broadway will round out our year together. Good times!
Fifth graders contemplate Impressionistic/ Contemporary music this coming month, concentrating on the works of Debussy, Joplin and John WIlliams.
Sixth graders are pressing on through decades of popular music. Please join me in praying that their past (and vast) music participation and acquired knowledge would come together as we round out their elementary general music experiences this spring.
Select Eighth graders are rehearsing for their Graduation ceremony. It’s truly been a joy watching these young folk grow up in so many ways. I’m grateful for the time we’ve had together!
There’s still much ahead for us before summer! Thanks for your continued prayers over all things musical here at WHCS.
Robin Brumley
APRIL 2022
IT’S APRIL!
Hello families! It’s wonderful to see your children again as we jump right back into all God has in store for us in the Music Room. We are refreshed and ready to finish strong in these last months together!
Our 1st-6th grade “Student Sharing Day” performances were so enjoyable. We loved hearing our kids encourage one another. Presentations included singing, guitar, dance, music videos, skits, recorder, acrobatics, cheer, drumming, saxophone, violin, cello piano, ukulele, improvised melodies, and more! God has blessed our West Hills children with creative minds, fun-loving spirits, talent and enthusiasm for the arts. Bravo to every child who shared and to the students who built each other up so well. May God continue to be glorified in all our ways!
Kindergarteners have done well with their intro to brass and woodwind instruments, as well as presto/ largo tempos. Strings, percussion instruments and the continuing reinforcement of the steady beat are all on the current agenda. And can you believe it’s soon going to be time to start working on graduation songs?! Time flies when you’re having fun, and we are doing just that!
The First and Second Grade students are busy rehearsing for their Spring Program, “LOST”. It’s just weeks away, Friday, May 6th. Our goal is to glorify God by performing with excellence. We are thanking God that we can trust Him when traveling through the storms of life! He is our SOLID ROCK!
Third graders are diving into their full orchestra projects. Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, Percussion- so many instruments to explore in each family. The musical staff won’t be far behind. No slowing down! In case you missed them, here are the links for our Patriotic Program & Assembly Videos and Photos on the Music Website.
Fourth graders have started the term learning about Dynamics. Global sounds and Broadway are all ahead. No signs of stopping here!
Fifth graders continue their study of music history with the Romantic Period (1820-1900) composers: Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. “Feelings, nothing more than feelings.” Have your child sing it for you dramatically and have a good laugh on me. Never let it be said that learning can’t be fun!
Sixth graders are wrapping up our Musical Heritage Unit and look forward to rounding out our year with decades of popular music and styles.
Thank you for your continued support of all things musical here at school!
Robin Brumley
MARCH 2022
March is Marvelous!
Here in the Music Room we are joyfully experiencing God’s goodness and answers to prayer day in and day out. He is so worthy of our praise. We continue to strive for excellence to honor Him!
Kindergarteners enjoyed a full month of holiday songs, musical Alphabet Book explorations, and steady beat solidification. Now we dive into tempo (presto/largo) and take a closer look at a few woodwind instruments.
First & Second graders continue to read and write rhythms while enjoying all kinds of musical activities. This month we will even take a sneak peek at our Spring Program music, which will be Friday, May 6th. More good times ahead!
The Patriotic Program & Wax Museum is this Friday, March 4th at 7:00pm, featuring our Third and Fourth graders. We are excited to see you at this fabulous annual event!
Fifth graders continue their study of music history, currently wrapping up the lives and music of the Classical Period composers: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The Romantic Period is up next!
Sixth graders continue to explore new rhythm patterns and styles from around the world that have shaped our own music here in the States.
First - Sixth Grade Student Sharing Days will round out this term in general music classes. It’s always a treat to see students encouraging each other in this very casual, student event! (Sign up slips are due Tuesday March 8th or sign up online HERE.
Even now, music preparations are being made for our Kindergarten and 8th Grade Graduation ceremonies. How can it be? Time flies when you’re having fun!
Lastly, let us remind you to visit the WHCS Music Website HERE for dates, upcoming events, photos, videos, etc. You can also follow photos & reminders posted on Instagram- whcsmusic.
Things are happening! What a pleasure to partner with you as your child’s music teacher. There’s still so much ahead of us this school year. For now, I wish you a marvelous March!
For Him who is worthy,
Robin Brumley
FEBRUARY 2022
February holidays, football and back in the swing of things...what a fun month! And as the year marches on, the music room continues to be an exciting, educational, and energizing place!
Our Kindergarten, First and Second graders are working on musical concepts and rhythmic notations. Our class times are filled with moments of great accomplishments, putting the mechanics of music together with the joy of our songs. These little ones are so bright and eager to learn. Chinese New Year, Groundhog’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day bring delightful tunes and activities. There’s no better way to worship the Lord than to send Him a “musical valentine” as we lift our voices together in praise!
Third and Fourth graders are pressing on toward their Patriotic Program, now just weeks away, on Friday, March 4th. Students are enthusiastic about our program traditions as well as brand new presentations. Forty-five recorder players fill the room with tootle-dee-toots at recess. This concert, coupled with the Wax Museum, is a treat for everyone. Stay tuned for more details in the weeks to come. Join us in thanking God for His provision & grace, as well as honoring those who have served in our Armed Forces. We look forward to this long standing, annual event.
Fifth graders are diving head first into the Classical Period (1750-1825). The clean lines, balanced form and uncluttered melodies are quite a contrast to the previously studied Baroque masters. In the weeks ahead, we are looking into the lives and music of “Papa” Haydn, the prolific Mozart, and the passionate Beethoven.
Sixth graders are continuing to explore our musical heritage with a variety of rhythmic patterns and styles from around the world. Please join me in praying that their past (and vast!) musical participation and acquired knowledge would come together as we round out their elementary general music experiences this spring. To God be the glory!
For Him who is worthy of our very best--every month and every season!
Mrs. Brumley
JANUARY 2022
Happy New Year!
I trust you had a wonderful Christmas break celebrating God’s goodness with family and friends. Such hope, joy and snowflakes! I want to express my sincere thanks for the thoughtful cards, treats and gifts. It is a blessing to work with such precious children and amazing parents. Thank you for your generosity to the Brumley bunch!
January brings much to the Music Room- no one is hibernating for winter here!
Our little guys are back & busy with winter music activities! Kindergarteners are learning about loud and soft dynamics, and starting their musical alphabet booklets. The first graders are starting the year with Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.” Second graders are beginning the symphonic tone poem, “Peter and the Wolf.” It’s so fun to introduce these great musical works to our youngsters!
The 3rd and 4th graders are diving right in preparing for the annual Patriotic Program & Wax Museum, Friday, March 4th This West Hills tradition is one of my favorites! Okay. I admit it: I love ALL the things we get to do here. Be on the lookout this week for a sheet to come home that explains the opportunity for students to play the recorder. Toot toot (and some squeek squeek!). Lyric sheets are also being assigned right away.
Our 5th graders pick up their music history studies back in the Baroque Period (1600-1750), concentrating on the life and music of JS Bach. There is just so much rich musical goodness as we study through these time periods. The 6th graders will be rounding out their music education with a dive into our nation’s musical heritage- no small task.
Speaking of our older performers, Christmas Concert & Assembly pictures and videos are now available on the Music Website, VIDEO HERE and PHOTOS HERE. Thank you again to the many staff & parent helpers who helped us behind the scenes.
With joyful anticipation of what the Lord has in store for 2022~
Robin Brumley
robin.brumley@whcs.org
DECEMBER 2021
For Unto Us a Child is Born!
Can you believe it’s December already? It’s actually been Christmas in the music room for weeks with our older students. It is wonderful to spend the holidays celebrating our King of Kings here at school. Thank you for your continued support of our music classes, Chorale, concerts, and activities during this delightful season.
All grade levels will be enjoying the sounds of the season this month, including many beloved Christmas carols.
Kindergarteners will be dabbling in the classics while reviewing fundamentals like loud/soft, high/low, steady beat, and one or two sound rhythms. First graders will be introduced to the Nutcracker as well as many new & traditional Christmas tunes. Basic Rhythms are still in the forefront of our activities. Second graders will take a very deep dive into many aspects of The Nutcracker ballet. They are also learning about the composer, Peter Tchaikovsky and focusing on form in music. Third graders are exploring gospel Christmas tunes, while fourth graders enjoy Christmas and winter selections from around the world. Fifth and sixth graders are in final rehearsals for our upcoming Christmas Concert, next Friday, December 10th. The limited audience will be treated to performances from all our 5th & 6th grade students and Chorale. Even with all the protocols in place, we look forward to celebrating God’s precious gift of His Son! Festive melodies from Chorale and students of all ages float through the halls before, during and after school. Holiday music fills the air, and as the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
I encourage you to include music in your gift giving. Make musical praise a part of your child’s free time or hours spent in the car. The Portland area has many wonderful concerts during this season. Tickets are another meaningful gift idea. Gift certificates for lessons are fabulous as well. Music makes merry!
Friends, I thank you for your prayers this month. Blessings over you and yours this holiday season. May your hearts be especially merry and may you have songs of hope and celebration on your lips. He is worthy!
Robin Brumley
NOVEMBER 2021
GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD!
There’s no better place to experience God’s wonderful creativity and His love for us than right here at West Hills, in beautiful Oregon. What a privilege it is to express our thanks to God through music together. Psalm 150~ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Not only do we continue our musical studies and sing songs about turkeys and pilgrims, but we get to lift our voices to the One who is so worthy!
UPCOMING CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The Christmas Concert is right around the corner, highlighting our 5th and 6th graders and Chorale. On Friday, December 10th we’ll praise God and thank Him for the gift of His son. Per current guidelines, each 5/6 family may have two guests in the audience, masked & socially distanced. Masks will be optional for students during their performance, but will be worn in classrooms, backstage, walking in and out of the auditorium, etc. Please be praying that Jesus will be glorified and lifted up during this season of Christmas music!
K-1-2 GRADES
It’s already been a filled-to-the-brim-fall with these fabulous kids, and the fun continues. November brings songs about God and songs sung to God in worship. We love songs of thanksgiving and praise! Kinders are differentiating between one and two sounds per beat. First graders are working on quarter note, quarter rest and eighth note rhythms. Second graders have learned all about the staff and are now playing percussion instruments from the wood, metal, drum, shakers & scrapers families. Praise and worship are top priorities this month, as well as a healthy portion of all things turkey… gobble, gobble!
3-6 GRADES
Third graders are actively listening to excerpts of great classical works. What great imaginations they have! Favorites include Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Rossini’s Comic Duet for Two Cats. FYI, there are some creative artistic interpretations of Vivaldi on YouTube to check out together. Fourth graders have explored just how important tempo is in music. Now they are beginning their study of Native American music. Students are learning about musical characteristics, instruments, and the cultural purposes of music from various tribes. We sing, dance, play and make our own instruments. In our 5th & 6th grade classes and Chorale, rehearsals continue for the upcoming Christmas performance mentioned above. After we know the words, melodies and harmonies, we strive to make our songs musical and performance ready. Our concert motto continues to be “Excellence Honors God and Inspires People!” This is the month when hard work, extra effort, and attention to details really count. Please continue to encourage these fantastic young people as they go above and beyond to honor the Lord. For all 3/4/5/6 grades, thoughts on worship, songs of thankfulness and praise fill out our month ahead, as well as some wacky-gobbler tunes.
HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!
During November, may you experience a wonderful season of joyful thanksgiving together. We can each testify to God’s incredible goodness, not to mention His provision. Can I get an amen?
For Him who is worthy of all our praise every month and every moment~
Robin Brumley
OCTOBER 2021
We’ve had a wonderful start in Music! Clearly, God is faithful, and it’s a privilege to be here at West Hills together. There are so many things to celebrate~
* The enthusiastic WHCS students that make teaching music a joy!
* Friendly families with big smiles!
* Colleagues who love Jesus, love each other & love their profession!
* Thirty-eight Chorale members!
* Generous families who through the auction have made music “extras” possible!
* We GET to do this!
Kindergarteners are doing great. We have packed so much into our times together already! Procedures, songs, story books, crafts, games, online exercises are commonplace among all our other musical activities. We have been concentrating on high and low sounds, our voices, as well as the ever important steady beat. SIng, chant, echo, move, groove, listen, learn, play- WE DO IT ALL!
First graders started the year exploring the many things that God made our voices to do. We are now having a good time with folk songs, folk dancing, folk instruments and musical tales. Never fear, I plan to take a few precious minutes to teach them the chicken dance! Rhythms and seasonal activities will round out our month ahead. What a sweet bunch of kids! Second graders have done much review and solidifying of the concepts above. They have also explored jazz music with great enthusiasm. Melody and pitch have taken center stage for now, but staff notation and classroom instruments are right around the corner. I love having them in class!
Third and fourth graders are ratcheting up their musical studies, deepening their understanding of pitch, melody, meter, rhythms and musical notation. Stories, songs, video clips, movement, art, instruments and written practice have been a few of our activities. You have probably noticed some of their work come home- just a tiny taste of what we have already learned. I am very pleased with their consistent effort and application of musical concepts. And I must say, they are such great kids- I look forward to them coming through the door every time!
Fifth graders have taken a quick trip back in time to the Baroque Period to learn about George Frederick Handel and the most famous oratorio ever. Sixth graders have considered the drama and emotions of opera and lived to tell about it- ha! But now it's Christmas time in the Music Room. All fifth and sixth grade students have started rehearsing for our December 10th concert, striving for excellence unto the Lord! They are taking on classic gospel favorites that I think you’ll really enjoy. Chorale members are also preparing for that big night, singing and dancing in celebration. Techno? Country? Why not?! ‘Tis the merry season already. Please pray for the hearts of all these students to remain focused on the Lord as they prepare. By the way, big kids rock!
Finally, HERE is the Music Website where you can find everything related to music at our wonderful school! You are also invited to follow updates and photos on Twitter and Instagram- @WHCSMusic
What a great first month we’ve had together. Now I look forward to the rest of fall. God has so much more for us than just pumpkin spice lattes!
For His glory,
Robin Brumley
A Warm Welcome from the Music Room!
School is about to start, and I am so excited. It’s always great to see our students jump out of cars and enter the building in joyful anticipation of another day here at West Hills. Did you read about all the updates for K-8 Music this year? In case you missed it, click HERE for all the details. We GET to do this!
Each month I will be updating you with music news. Look for the NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM in your Wednesday morning WHCS Weekly News email. Information about our music program, including concert dates, pictures, videos, 5/6 Chorale, newsletters and upcoming events can always be found on the Music Website. After you’re done reading this, I encourage you to take a look around, starting on the homepage: CLICK HERE!
You are also invited to follow updates and photos on Twitter and Instagram- @WHCSMusic
http://instagram.com/whcsmusic
5th & 6th Grades: Now’s your time to join the dynamic vocal performance group, Chorale! Click on the link for information, dates and registration: CHORALE HERE! You can also expect printed information to come home (look for the red sheets). Don’t miss out on this wonderful West Hills tradition that is back! 6th graders, this is your last chance to participate.
Parents, I consider it a huge privilege and responsibility to partner with you in the life and education of your children. As I interact with your precious kiddos this year, your prayers are appreciated!
May God be glorified in every moment, big & small!
Robin Brumley
robin.brumley@whcs.org
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