General Music class 

September in Music class:

Over the course of the first month, students have sung a number of fun songs - The Ratlin Bog, Aiken Drum, and Down By The Bay. We have learned that the CHORUS is the part of the song that repeats and creates a pattern. 

We have begun listening to Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. We will listen to, act out, and dance to parts of this longer work throughout the fall.  Each section represents a different animal and various instruments of the orchestra are featured in each piece. The students will be learning these instruments by how they look and sound. 

Here is a list of all the music we will study:

Carnival of the Animals

1. Aquarium  2. The Swan 3. Elephant 4. Lion

5. Hens/rooster 6. Kangaroos 7. Fossils 8. Tortoises

For our General Music Concert in March, the students will sing two songs. In October, they will begin learning Somewhere Over the Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz. Please feel free to listen to this song at home. The more they hear it, the faster they will learn it. Here is a link to the clip from the movie.

September in Music class:

First grade began the year by studying the Composer of the Month, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We discussed the dynamics piano (soft) and forte (loud) as they related to his very well-know work, A Little Night Music. The class discussed how volume affects the mood or feeling of music. We also read a story based on Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute, from The Story Orchestra series. Following the lesson on opera and the story line of the Magic Flute, they watched the most well-known scene of the opera calledThe Queen of the Night Aria.

We have begun working on one of our concert songs, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  In the March General Music Concert, the 1st grade will perform with the Kindergarten. Kindergarten will be singing the original version of the song as it was heard in The Wizard of Oz. First grade will then perform the well-loved cover of the song by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole. Please enjoy listening to this video at home.

September in Music class:

Music History:

Second grade began the year by studying the Composer of the Month, Frederic Chopin. We discussed how tempo (the speed of music) helps to create two contrasting moods in his well-known works, The Minute Waltz and The Funeral March. We watched three performances of the Funeral March, one played on the piano, one performed by the orchestra, and as it was performed by a band during the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II. The students notcied that when the same piece is performed by different instruments, the mood can change slightly. 

Singing:

We have begun working on one of our concert songs, Ain't No Mountain High Enough.  In the March General Music Concert, the 2nd grade will sing with the 3rd grade, performing this well-loved duet much like the original version. Please enjoy listening to this at home.

September in Music class:

Music History:

Third grade began the year by studying the Composer of the Month, Igor Stravinsky. The class watched the final 20 minutes of his beloved ballet, The Firebird, during which the Firebird helps the Prince defeat the evil wizard who is trying to take over the kingdom. The music from this section was used in the finale of Disney's Fantasia 2000, which the classes also loved. Finally, we watched the London Symphony Orchestra perform the end of the this gorgeous and dramatic piece. The timpani playes a starring role in this performance. Please see the London Symphony Orchestra link and watch from 46:20 to the end! 

Singing:

We have begun working on one of our concert songs, Ain't No Mountain High Enough.  In the March General Music Concert, the 3rd grade will sing with the 2nd grade, performing this well-loved duet much like the original version. Please enjoy listening to this at home.

Literacy:

Lastly, we are gearing up to start our first composition project and in preparation for it, the students have been practicing listening to rhythms and writing them down. The ability to notate a rhythm they simply hear will allow them to experiment with creating their own original rhythms and finally write them down with proper music notation.

September in Music class:

Music History:

Singing:

The General Music Concert in March will have a decades theme, ending with the 4th and 5th grades singing hits from the 70s, 80s and beyond. They will be singing two medleys, the first of which includes classics from the 70s:

Signed Sealed Delivered  by Stevie Wonder, 1970

ABC   by the Jackson 5, 1970

Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac, 1977

Staying’ Alive by the Bee Gees, 1977

The second medley includes classics from the 80s (and beyond):

Shadows of the Night by Pat Benetar, 

Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, 

Thriller by Michael Jackson, Don't Stop Believing by Journey, 

Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston (and a suprise ending)

The vocal guide tracks as well as the karaoke tracks for medleys can be found by clicking on the buttons between the 4th and 5th grade drop down titles.

Instrument study and literacy:

This fall, the classes will complete their recorder unit with a composition and performance project. September was spent brushing up on their playing and reading skills and October will focus on learning how to write notes and phrases on the musical staff, a skill called notation. 

September in Music class:

Music History:

Fifth grade began the year by learning about the African American Spiritual. This genre of music developed during the period of slavery in the United States. As slaves adopted Christianity, they began singing songs with Biblical references that also carried hidden meanings about escaping from slavery or hoping for deliverance (an end to slavery or a better future.)  Although spirituals changed over time, they served as the basis for gospel music, the blues, and jazz. In turn, these forms of music influenced rock n’ roll, soul, reggae, as well as hip-hop. 

Singing:

In the March General Music Concert, the 4th and 5th grades will sing a spiritual called Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning, which refers to the underground railroad and how lamps in the windows marked certain houses as safe havens for escaped slaves. 

Find accompaniment track for this song here.

Drumming and literacy:

This fall, the classes will complete their African Drumming unit with a composition and performance project. Over the month of September, the students rehearsed their class composition, which served as a model for the project they will complete in small groups over the coming months.