Specials At Home

Coda

June 8, 2020

In a music composition, the coda is the ending section. As this is the last week of school, your "coda" can be to review the previous lessons, or catch up on any you missed! I hope you will continue to make music part of your life over the summer- you're already full of talent and potential! 

Specials At Home - Music summary:

Week 1: Music Woodshed - Introduction to reading rhythms. Master a vocal piece.

Week 2: Homemade Instruments - Listen to music selections for patterns. Create a homemade instrument and compose patterns.

Week 3: Tempo - Listen to music selections with different tempo markings. Choreograph movement that fits.

Week 4: Drawing Music - Five-lined staff. G-Clef/Treble Clef. Notes.

Week 5: Drawing Music (2) - Notes with stems. Barlines. Copy a music piece.

Week 6: Rhythm Skills - Rhythm/body coordination. Practice patterns with hands and lap. Accent/Conga beat. Paradiddles.

Week 7: Rhythm Skills (2) - Rock beat. Two step dance. 

Week 8: Instrument Families - Strings, Percussion, Brass, Woodwinds, Keyboards. Listening examples. Interactive quizzes.

Week 9: Field day & Talent Show - Listening examples of music matched with physical activity/sports.

Week 10: Coda - Review/summary.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in Music/Specials At Home! You have made the best of a difficult time in our world. I look forward to hearing your music in person this Fall! To Grade 4, "Chotto Matte Kudaisai." I wish you much success at the middle school and I cherish the music we made and the fun we had through the years.

Love, Mr. Wiesner

Field Day & Talent Show

June 1, 2020

This week is dedicated to Field Day on June 5th; and the Talent Show with entries due by June 5th. Go to the Specials At Home website if you missed the details! 

Do you know any music that gets you energized for sports and physical exercise? Jesse Owens, a four-time gold medal olympic track and field champion, had a coach who helped train him by playing Jazz Swing records while he ran!

In the slides for Field Day, there are several music selections that will hopefully inspire you to move. Here's some background and commentary on them (click here for listening reference):

B-Ball - The song is "Sweet Georgia Brown." This became the Harlem Globetrotter's Theme song. The team would make a circle on the court and take turns showing their basketball skills and tricks while this catchy number was joyfully whistled.

Baseball - Theme music for "This Week In Baseball." Enjoy this glorious music matched with incredible baseball highlights. 

Airplanes - The song is "Fly Me to the Moon." A legend has it that this version was the first song played on the moon by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin in 1969.

Explore - Theme from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," by the famous movie composer John Williams. You can see him conducting this with The Boston Pops Orchestra.

Run - Theme from the movie "Chariots of Fire." The tempo doesn't seem to fit running a race, but the music taps into a realm inside us that allows us to perform, in this case run, with pure passion.

Water Break - Cool off with "All Is Found," from Frozen 2.

Let's Go Fly A Kite - In this song from Mary Poppins, George Banks discovers it's time to have some kite-flying fun with his children.

This is Me - This song, from "The Greatest Showman," has become an anthem for being proud of your own uniqueness.

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Do you want to work on some music together? Do you want some feedback on your recorder playing, singing, or other...? 

Zoom office hours: M, Tu, Th, F @ 11:00. Email request to:

jwiesner@gdrsd.org.

Instrument Families

(Part 1) 

May 25, 2020

Watch Instrument Families (part 1) Video

Hello students, it's Mr. Wiesner! Welcome to this week's lesson "Instrument Families (part 1)." What does a golf club and a recorder flute have in common? Yes, they both include fun activities, golf and music, but there's something else: A modern "driver" club is called a wood, even though it is made out of metal; while the (student) recorder is part of the "Woodwind family," even though it is made out of plastic. Both the golf club and the recorder were traditionally made out of wood. No-one is interested in calling the driver a "metal," or referring to the recorder as a "PlasticWind!" 

Music instruments are put in families because of the materials they are made of, and because of the way they are sounded. There are five instrument families: Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion, and Keyboards. Listen, watch, and explore the following links to understand and appreciate how these music instruments work together. See if you can watch and listen to the entire Benjamin Britten piece - it's about twenty minutes long! 

1) Instruments of the Orchestra - Part 1

2) Explore the Orchestra (interactive)

3) Benjamin Britten's "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra"

4) Music Instrument Families Quiz

If you would like to share a picture/video of you playing an instrument ~ label what instrument family it belongs to .

Rhythm Skills

(Part 2)

May 18, 2020

Watch Rhythm Skills (part 2) video lesson

In this lesson you will learn more exercises that will improve your sense of rhythm and beat.  If you had trouble with some of the patterns in Rhythm Skills (part 1) - don't give up! Try practicing slower and feel good about making progress before perfection. 

Before we continue, here are some specific definitions: 

Beat - The steady pulse of the music. In "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" it would be: "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3...etc."

Rhythm - Changing note lengths and rests performed over the beat.  In "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" it would be the patterns you get tapping out the words: "Long _ short short short short Long_ short...etc."

Rhythm Coordination Exercises:

1) March slowly and start by saying "left, right, left, right...." Continue marching, but now say "Hup, 2, 3, 4," and then just say "1, 2, 3, 4." Now try clapping when your left foot steps. You will be clapping on beats 1 & 3. Then clap when your right foot steps. You will be clapping on beats 2 & 4 - the "back beat," which feels good for dance music! 

The Two-Step Dance - Beat 1: Left foot out slightly to the side. Beat 2: Right foot meets together with left foot.  Beat 3: Right foot goes back to where it was. Beat 4:  Left foot meets together with right foot. Repeat, slow at first. Add hand claps every time your feet meet. 

2) Rock Beat: Tap your foot on beats 1 & 3. Tap your lap with your left hand on beats 2 & 4. "Foot-Lap-Foot-Lap...." Here's a variation: "Foot-Lap-FootFoot-Lap...." The FootFoot is twice as fast. You would count this variation as "1 2 3& 4...." If you were at a drum set, the foot would be playing the bass drum, and the lap would be replaced by the snare drum. Next, the right hand would cross over the left and play eighth notes on the high-hat cymbals.  Without a drum set, you can tap your left arm: "1&2&3&4&...." 

Watch this basic rock beat video.

This is how a basic rock beat is written out in music:

The lower quarter notes in the first space of the staff are for the bass drum. The higher quarter notes in the third space are for the snare drum.  The eighth note x's above the staff are for the high-hat cymbals.

If you have any questions, or would like to share your work, please send to jwiesner@gdrsd.org. 

Drawing Music 

(part 2)

May 4, 2020 

This lesson will show you how to draw:

1) Correct stems and beams

2) Bar lines and double bar lines

3) Neat, easy to read music.

Please watch the short accompanying video:

Drawing Music (part2) video lesson

Corresponding worksheets can be printed from 

this website on the Reading Music page.

Outdoor option! 

Go outside and create "written" music using chalk, sticks, ...? 

Nice photo op!

If you have any questions, or would like to share your work, contact me at jwiesner@gdrsd.org.

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Attention 3rd and 4th graders! 

I’m collecting videos of you playing master versions of recorder songs we did in class; songs from the book; original songs; and any other songs you’ve learned. If you want a quick lesson, just ask and maybe we can set up a zoom meeting!

Send songs when ready: jwiesner@gdrsd.org.

Tempo

 April 20, 2020

 If your life were a movie, what would be the music soundtrack?

Are you busy like a bee? Maybe the piece “Flight of the Bumblebee” would match. 

Are you relaxed and easy going? “Strollin’” might fit.

Peaceful? Try “The New World Symphony (4th movement).” 

Most likely, your “movie” is a combination of many moods and tempos.

 Lesson: 

Tempo is the speed of the music.  

You can find the tempo instruction at the beginning of written music.  

In classical music, we often use Italian words.

Here are four common tempo markings:

 ·      Largo – very slow.

·      Andante – relaxed walking speed.

·      Allegro – fast, cheerful.

·      Presto – very fast.

Activity:

 1.  Listen and enjoy these four pieces and notice which tempo matches.

 The Flight of the Bumblebee  Rimsky-Korsakov, played by Rachmaninoff

 Spring  "The Four Seasons," Vivaldi

  Strollin'  Horace Silver, played by Emily Remler

  The New World Symphony  4th movement, Dvorak

2.  As you are listening, it will help to feel the expression and tempo if you move/dance. 

3.  Choose an enjoyable way to demonstrate the different tempos:

·      Make a short silent/quiet video. You could dance, or show yourself doing a sport. 

You can show yourself doing an everyday activity. 

You could also record nature scenes that fit the music.  

It’s nice if you can get outdoors! 

·       Draw, or paint a picture that reflects the mood and tempo. (send a pic)

·      Show anything, in anyway, that you think will fit!

4.  You can send short videos, and pictures to jwiesner@gdrsd.org

I will collect these and make a FloRo movie to be played along with the music you heard!

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Thank you to students who sent videos and pics of homemade instruments last week.  

A 5-minute video slideshow of these can been seen below, and on "videos" page.

Attention 3rd and 4th graders! 

I’m collecting videos of you playing master versions of recorder songs we did in class, 

songs from the book, original songs, and any other songs you’ve learned. 

Send them when ready!

April 13, 2020

1.  Create your own percussion instrument-

Something you can hit, scrape, or shake.  What could you find outside in nature to make rhythms with?  What materials inside your home could you use to make a rhythm instrument?

2.  Listen to these famous pieces:

What music patterns do you hear?

(Line rider) Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, 1st Movement, 

(Graph) Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, 1st Movement,

Cold Sweat - James Brown 

(Gr. 3 & 4, the horn part in "Cold Sweat" was inspired by "So What.")

Which selection had rhythms that repeated on changing pitches?

Which selection had rhythm parts that repeated over and over?

3.  Practice rhythm patterns on your instrument.

A short musical pattern that repeats continuously is called an ostinato.

Gr. K-2: Use your homemade instrument, or a "real" instrument, and create ostinato patterns. Your singing voice is also an instrument!

Gr. 3-4:  Use your recorder to invent ostinato patterns. Try making dance music!

4.  Create an original piece using repeated patterns.

Sequence patterns are when you shift the same pattern to different pitches. This is a common way to extend your idea into a melody, or a longer piece of music. 

Listen again to the music given, and answer these questions: 

True or False? 

Beethoven's 5th/1st mvt. uses sequence patterns.

 "Cold Sweat"  uses ostinato patterns.

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Optional: Send a picture or video of homemade instrument and original music. jwiesner@gdrsd.org

Gr. 4 keep working on "We Are FloRo."

Gr. 3&4 keep up with regular recorder practice. 

March 30, 2020 

Many jazz musicians talk about going to the “woodshed.”  This is when they spend many hours alone with their instrument and practice their craft.  When they come out from “shedding” they show great improvement!  You can use this physical distancing time to focus on our own music development.  I look forward to seeing and hearing you soon! Mr. Wiesner.

Music assignment:

1.    Gr. K-4: Practice Introduction to reading rhythms (located in “websites” page). Once you’ve mastered stage one, continue on to stage two and beyond.

2.    Gr. K-4: Learn a new song to sing.  See if you can master it by really knowing all the words and singing on pitch with good expression.  For example, some 4th grade students did this with the song “How Far I’ll Go.”  This song has a karaoke track on the FR music website/Gr. 4 page.  Also on this page is “We Are The World”- fourth graders from Potter/Smith/Mills are learning this as “We Are FloRo!” I invite anyone to choose this song to learn.  If you know good songs that you recommend for other kids to learn, email me jwiesner@gdrsd.org, and I’ll compile a list to share.  You can also send me videos or pictures of you performing!

3.    Gr. 3-4: “Shed” your recorder so you can smoothly play the eight notes DEF#GABC’D’ used in your recorder book.  Also, master a new song from your book. Gr. 4 try “Corn Song” in your book.