Middle School Ursuline girls can take General Music with Elementary Music Teacher, Lauren Benoit, or Strings with Orchestra Teacher, Lulu Reeks. Below are a variety of projects and performances from this school year, including our period of distance learning. Scroll down for handbells, cellos, GarageBand projects, cross-curricular connections, and more!
During the month of October, we celebrated the Living Rosary. The entire 5th grade class learned to play "Immaculate Mary" on either xylophones in general music or on violins and cellos in strings. Their music brought a beautiful sense of prayerfulness to the service. Mrs. Reeks and Ms. Benoit were so proud of their collaboration.
In a cross-curricular project with art and technology, 6th grade students studied the artwork of Georgia O'Keeffe. The girls learned unique photography perspectives in technology, before taking a field trip to photograph nature in City Park's Botanical Gardens. Students wrote poetry in their English class that reflected the mood of their photography. In music, they also composed short songs representing their photography. Click the button below to hear their work!
In 6th grade general music, Ursuline girls learned to read and write music for xylophones. This spring, they learned "Under the Sea" from Disney's The Little Mermaid. The recording below is featured in their cross-curricular sea creature project with art and technology. Click to listen!
UNDER THE SEA.wavIn Middle School, we have students of every skill level in each grade. You can hear students who started this year playing with advanced players. They are all challenged by having different difficulty leveled parts in the same piece of music.
On March 13th, the Middle School Choir and Honors Orchestra would have performed a mass with music created by all female composers. As part of our Women's History Month celebrations, the orchestra prepared this piece by Karen Lafferty.
In 6th grade general music students learned a praise and worship anthem, "Lord, I Need You" on xylophones and bass bars. The song is very special to the 6th grade class, and they were so eager to learn it. Click below to hear their performance.
In 7th grade general music, Ursuline girls learn to play handbells. They must work as a team to make music and play together. This school year, they were featured in several academy masses, bringing prayerfulness to the celebration. Click the video below to hear them perform "Amazing Grace."
During the Carnival season, 7th grade general music students learned a New Orleans classic, the "Second Line" on the xylophones. Click below to hear their fun performance!
Ambient music in museums and art galleries bring viewers into a state of relaxed contemplation. The 7th grade general music students studied the qualities of ambient music and learned to use GarageBand loops to create their own songs for the Save Our Seas exhibit. Click below to hear the music they created and to visit the Save Our Seas page.
Ocean Sounds Single Track.mp3Each year, the entire Elementary student body puts on an incredible Christmas music program under the direction of music teachers Lauren Benoit, Lulu Reeks, and Irina Vychko. Click to hear the 6th grade class play "Carol of the Bells." This special performance was a collaboration between strings and general music classes. Both classes learned the three main themes of the song and then wrote their own arrangement.
During their remote learning, middle school students in general music have become experts at composing music using GarageBand! Click to hear the masterpieces created by several middle school students.
Stargazer Melody - Izzey Price.wav"Stargazer Melody" by Isabella Price
Get Groovy - Aubrey Cowan.wav"Get Groovy" by Aubrey Cowan
Addison Boylan.wavAddison Boylan
AbigailPelletier.wav"Jasmine Flower" by Abigail Pelletier
SophiaMendieta.wav"Beach Blues" by Sophia Mendieta
GraceePressley.wavGracee Pressley
OliviaMontero.wavOlivia Montero
Creativity in the air!.wav"Creativity in the Air" by Alexis Reyes
Amelia Mayfield.wavAmelia Mayfield
Sunset - Soleil Washington (1).wav"Sunset" by Soleil Washington
CambreyRuffin.wav"Diamond Rain" by Cambrey Ruffin
Claire Walsh.wavClaire Walsh
GraceWattigney.wavGrace Wattigney
Fun Times - Reina Futagoishi.wav"Fun Times" by Reina Futagoishi
Sunrise Dance - Isabella Martin.wav"Sunrise Dance" by Isabella Martin
Sophie bourgeois.wavSophie Bourgeois
During their remote learning, Ursuline's Middle and High School Choirs collaborated in virtual performances of our beloved Alma Mater and a UA favorite, "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace." Though our girls are far apart, they are always united in song. Click play to enjoy their performances.
Ursuline Virtual Choir - Alma MaterEach spring, all Middle School Ursuline girls get to experience a very unique concert which gives them the opportunity to perform with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. As part of a national program by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, the girls learn repertoire to sing or play during the concert with the symphony. This year's music included Verdi's Anvil Chorus, a traditional Russian folk song and several significant works by Tchaikovsky, Holtz, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. Mrs. Reeks and Ms. Benoit are proud of how well they represented our school and invested in the performance. They look forward to next year's program with the rising 4th graders.
COVID-19 hasn't stopped our Ursuline girls from keeping up with their extracurricular activities from home. Ursuline's private piano teacher, Irina Vychko, has been providing virtual instruction during this time. Click to hear several students twinkling the keys from their homes!
