I am so excited for another great year of music at OPES! This year, students will have the opportunity to learn about various aspects of music through singing, playing instruments, movement, and more. Check out the information below to learn more!
Kindergarten
JANUARY FOCUS: Rests in Music
FEBRUARY/MARCH FOCUS: Long vs Short Sounds
Kindergarten students have been learning that a silence in music is called a rest. These students have had the opportunity to experience sound vs silence through singing, movement, and playing percussion instruments.
Kindergarten students have also been learning that music is made up of patterns of long sounds and short sounds. The students have read, performed, and created patterns of long and short sounds with iconic notation.
First Grade
JANUARY FOCUS: Sol and Mi
FEBRUARY/MARCH FOCUS: Sol, Mi, and La
First grade students have been learning to use special syllables known as solfege to sing and read melodies. The first two pitches these students learned were sol and mi. The students then learned la and its pitch relationship to the other notes.
First grade students have used these pitches to sing folk songs and to play singing games, such as "Doggie, Doggie." These students also read patterns from the three line staff and played melodies with these notes on the Boomwhackers.
Second Grade
JANUARY FOCUS: Sol, Mi, La Review
FEBRUARY/MARCH FOCUS: Do, Re, and Mi
Second grade students have been expanding their knowledge of solfege syllables by learning about the solfege syllables do and re. These students have read do, re, mi melodies from notation, performed do, re, mi melodies with Boomwhackers, and playing singing games based on folk songs.
Does a triangle make a long sound or a short sound?
The song "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music gives a simple definition of solfege and shares tricks for how to pronounce each syllable!
Solfege syllables used in combination with the hand signs above can help a singer's mind to "feel" the pitch relationships of the notes of a scale.
Third Grade
JANUARY/FEBRUARY FOCUS: Where in the World is Mozart Grandpiano? - Music Around the World
FEBRUARY/MARCH FOCUS: Recorders
Third grade students have completed a musical journey around the world to catch Mozart Grandpiano. For each country we visited, students had the opportunity to sing, dance, and learn about the musical traditions of that country. The countries we visited included China, Japan, Russia, Australia, and Ghana.
Third grade students have also started a recorder playing unit. So far in this unit, students have learned about the proper technique for playing the recorder as well as how to play the pitches "B," "A," and "G." In the upcoming quarter, these students will learn to read music on the treble clef staff.
Fourth Grade
JANUARY/FEBRUARY FOCUS: Canons
FEBRUARY/MARCH FOCUS: Recorders
Fourth grade students have been learning about canons in music, in which two or more groups perform the same thing but start at different times. Students had the opportunity to sing, move, and play hand drums in canon.
Fourth grade students have also started a unit of study on the recorder. These students have reviewed proper technique for playing the recorder as well as how to play the pitches "B," "A," and "G." In the upcoming quarter, these students will learn to play the pitches "low E" and "low D" while continuing to develop their treble clef staff reading skills.
Fifth Grade
JANUARY/FEBRUARY FOCUS: Jazz
FEBRUARY/MARCH FOCUS: Ukuleles
Fifth grade students have been learning about different types of jazz, such as New Orleans jazz, big band swing, and bebop. These students learned about the history and prominent figures in these styles of jazz as well as performing different musical activities with each of these styles of music.
Fifth grade students have also started a unit of study about the ukuleles. As part of this unit, students will learn about the parts of the ukulele, how to strum, and how to read a fret diagram. Students will also learn how to play several chords on the ukulele including the C major, A minor, F major, and G7 chords.
A didgeridoo is an Aboriginal instrument from Australia.
Check out how to play different notes on the recorder using this website.
When playing the ukulele, fret diagrams are used to show how to place your fingers on the fret board to create various chords.
Quaver's Marvelous World of Music
Students at OPES can access Quaver's Marvelous World of Music through Classlink! Look for the QuaverEd icon on your students' ClassLink dashboard to access interactive activities from this online music curriculum at home!
Soarin' Sounds
Upcoming Soarin' Sounds Performances:
Sunday, April 21st at the OPES Book Fair Family Night
Saturday, May 4th at the South Carolina Strawberry Festival
