Weekly Music Class

October 21, 2026

Music class was on Wednesday this week, because of the faculty's PD day.

All classes started out with doing the "Skeleton Dance." Quite a work out- especially for the littles!

The younger grades then practiced clapping rhythms- PK with fruits, K and first with notes. Second and third grades tried their best at rhythm dictation.

PK then reviewed the finger play "Grey Squirrel" and started learning the song "Autumn Is Here."

Kindergarten again warmed up with "Here's a Tiny Dinosaur" and then sang and danced to "Five Little Pumpkins." They also watched a video of "Gnomus" from Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

First, second, and third grades warmed up with "The Fall Scale Song." Each grade then either started to learneor reviewed the song "Thank You, Soldiers." This is the song that they will sign at the Veterans' Day Mass on November 12th at 8 am. 

First and second grades added instruments to "Have You Seen the Ghost of John." What an accomplishment. Third grade started learning "Rat for Lunch." Yum!

Next week we're back to Music Monday!

October 12, 2026

I forgot to update last week. So this is two week's in one!

Pk and K danced with scarves. PK also sang a song about 5 perfect pumpkins and a grey squirrel. They also tried clapping a steady beat.

Kindergarten through third grade enjoyed singing "A Sailor Goes to Sea" with accompanying motions. K and First Grade also enjoyed clapping out rhythms; second and third grades started rhythm dictation. Kindergarten has a new warm up song, "Here's a Tiny Dinosaur," while first through third grades warm- up to "A Fall Scale Song." Kindergarten sang and learned the choreography for "Five Little Pumpkins." First grade is learning the dance to "My Old Brass Wagon" and second and third grades are dancing "Sasha."

First through third grades are singing "Have You Seen the Ghost of John" and adding vocal ostinatos to it. Next week we'll and instruments and also try singing it as a round.

In kindergarten through third grades we listened to two of Beethoven's compositions. Last week we talked about the metronome's invention and then listened to a short piece celebrating it. "Canon for Maelzel" for voices and metronome. This week we listened to part of the first movement of Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony." We listened mostly for the repeated motif and how the instruments echoed each other.

September 21, 2026

Once again we started class with welcome songs, all sung with great enthusiasm. We reviewed most of what we did last week in all grades. In PK the children used scrapers (small pieces of pool noodles cut in half) to accompany  a song. The children imitated the rhythms I played.

In Kindergarten through Third Grade we started learning a new vocal warm-up song, "Chocolate Cookies. We reviewed all the songs we started learning last week and added to them.

Since Friday is Dolly Parton Day, 9/25 ("9 to 5"), we listened to another of her songs. Kindergarten enjoyed hearing the book and song "I Believe in You." They then used a stretchy band to keep a steady beat while we listened again. First through third grades listened to "9 to 5," and then did a cup passing activity to it. Very complicated but great listening skills and team work!

Have a great week!

September 14, 2026

Great beginning!  Since I bring my Seeing Eye puppy to class with me, I first showed each class a short video explaining exactly what raising a Seeing Eye puppy means. You can also watch this videos if you go to the "Links" tab on this site.

Each class started with introductions: PK  sang "Say Hello," Kindergarten introduced themselves by singing "Hickelty, Pickelty Bumble Bee," Grades 1 and 2 sang "Up the Ladder, Down the Ladder," and Grade 3 sang "Jump In, Jump Out!"

We then practiced keeping a steady beat- PK "Moved to the Beat," Kindergarten echoed rhythm patterns, Grades 1 - 3 recited a poem "Good, Better, Best" and accompanied it by keeping a steady beat and also tapping out the rhythm. Grade 3 also attempted saying it as a round. Grades 1 through also started learning a cup routine that we will use next week to accompany a song.

Grade 1 through Grade 3 then started learning  "May God Be in My Heart," while PK and Kindergarten enjoyed "Cows in the Kitchen."

Dolly Parton was our focus for musician of the week in Kindergarten through Grade 3. I talked about her life and we listened to a book based on her song "Coat of Many Colors." We then watched a video of her singing that song. 

Busy and fun day!