Activity: Read through the slides, complete the worksheet and send in to Mrs. Jensen by 3 pm June 5th
Please complete and submit to Mrs. Jensen by June 5th, 3pm
Westview Secondary music director Linda Jensen has a flute in her hand, and her MacBook is propped up on a trumpet case as she conducts a Zoom session from her dining room with her Beginning Band 6/7 class.
“It did my heart good to be able to connect, talk, and answer questions today with my band students,” she says.
Since the suspension of in-class instruction, Jensen has embraced new technology and come up with creative online exercises to keep her choir, band and jazz band students engaged with distance learning.
In late March, Jensen sent students an online survey asking them how they would like to continue learning to play/sing. “Overwhelmingly, they wanted to continue with learning the songs we would have for term three, had we been in the classroom,” she explains.
So, Jensen started by setting up a website where she could set up weekly notes to the students and lessons to keep them engaged. “I create video recordings of myself singing or playing their parts for designated sections of the pieces we are currently working on.”
To do that, she has set up a virtual recording studio in her dining room where she has all her instruments – piano, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and improvised percussion as well as a microphone and recording equipment to connect to her laptop. “I alternate between a playing/singing lesson and a listening activity.”
She is also Zooming with her Beginning Band 6/7 class once a week to help those students individually because they are new to their instruments and require real-time feedback.
For choir, she has posted the recordings of the three songs they are working on and then she posts a video of herself going through the two or three parts, along with publishing warmup activities.
“I also have recordings up for all the band classes to listen to and play along with,” she says, noting that she requests students to submit a 30-second recording of their progress by email.
Recently, she gave students a listening exercise where they were to try and find two songs that were similar to each other, such as David Bowie’s Life On Mars? and Shiny from Moana.
“I had some amazing results with that one.”
Another recent assignment was to listen to a virtual concert and answer 10 feedback questions. “I got this idea from Tim Burns at THSS,” she says.
Jensen is also playing her instruments most nights at 7 pm – either solo or with her 19-year-old son – as a salute to health-care workers.
“We post 45-second clips on my WSSMusic1180 Twitter and Instagram accounts. I have been encouraging my students to play outside at 7 pm, and parents have been sending me the video of them doing so!”
Jensen finds that social media helps to keep students engaged. One week, she ran a series of photos featuring odd instruments and asked them to guess the names. She also posts tidbits of instrument knowledge, music cartoons and more.
“I am trying to keep the students enthusiastic about learning music, having them continue to play or sing and learn something along the way,” she says.
“I miss being in the classroom in a big way. I have always loved teaching through music, and this is a challenge for me right now, and I am sure for my students. Some of the students have sent me notes telling me they feel a sense of comfort in seeing me on the website and engaging in our lessons. Music helps us.”
Please watch the Conducting and Dynamics video below, practice the assignments and then drop Mrs. Jensen a note to say you worked on these, by May 29th, 2020.
Drop Mrs. Jensen an email to say you have worked on Unwritten this week. Due May 23rd by 3pm
Drop Mrs. Jensen an email by May 15th, with your responses to:
1) which one was easy?
2) which one was challenging?
3) which one is your favorite?
We use these in choir and in band
Listen to and try with me, some of these inflections
Please e-mail Mrs. J this week by May 8th, to say you have worked on this lesson. Thank you!
Sopranos/ Part 1 with CD
Soprano/ Part 1
Alto/ Part 2
Life On Mars?
Shiny
Hi everyone, I was listening to music last Saturday in the kitchen, while cooking and I heard David Bowie's Life on Mars? song come on my Spotify. Immediately I thought... I have heard this musical 'thought' recently in a newer work. It came to me almost instantly. Threads of Bowie's style can be found in Shiny from Moana. Listen to both and tell me if you can hear it! (above)
I then looked on the web and found that the Shiny character WAS based on Bowie, his musical stylings, his flare for style and clothes and they even copied his eye colour (one green , one blue) and the unusual differing sizes of his pupils. Check it out!
Many modern day musicians 'borrow' musical thoughts from the musicians that came before them.
In choir this year we sang Memories by Maroon 5....which is based on Pachebel's Canon in D. Listen to Pachebel first, then Maroon 5, (below). Do you hear the common thread? This is called a chord progression.
Canon in D
Memories
What I have learned in the past three weeks is there are certainly barriers to working as an ensemble when we are not able to rehearse inside the school building! I would love for you to continue singing over the next few weeks. I myself have been playing more for enjoyment and you can see some clips of this on my Twitter @WSSMusic1180.
So, today, how do you practice at home?
Choir students, you can run through our regular warm ups on your own and then tackle the songs I have posted on your page, in much the same way that I am going to encourage our band students to do.
1st- listen to the recordings and follow along with your part (notice the connection between what the notation says to do and what the piece actually sounds like
2nd- tap out the rhythms
3rd- practice breathing in time while listening to the recordings and reading your part
4th- Follow along with my weekly mini-lessons- if you miss one, back track!
5th - Listen to the music again and then again. How does your line/ part fit in with the other parts? Are there any similarities? Choir students, listen to the accompaniment only videos with the lyrics in front of you...can you hear how the lyrics fit in without the choir voices from the Full Version track?
6th- When it stops being fun, take a break..... circle back to it another day :)
see assignment below!
Lyrics below on this page & Soundtracks are reposted here with better sound...
Enjoy singing...that's what I would love for you to do :)
The Audio below is bad...I am re-recording for next week April 20-25th
April 6-10 Term3 Lesson1 (T3L1) please listen to the three audio clips. Sores can also be viewed. Stating with Lesson 2 I will be posting video for you to sing and learn along with, at home (April 14-17)
Monday April 6th , Choir students: I have emailed you a survey to find out how you would prefer to learn, moving forward. I do not plan on making you do music theory or history ( so breathe). I am wondering if we should continue with the three songs on this page (Reflection, Unwritten and High Hope) or if you are interested in learning a song of your choice. Please fill in the survey prior to 8pm PST on Wed April 8th.
Lessons to be posted on this site by Tuesday of every week starting April 14th.
PLEASE EMAIL MRS.JENSEN TO LET HER KNOW THAT YOU HAVE VISITED THIS WEBSITE.
I miss you, team! Mrs. Jensen