OWS's Recorder Program

OWS students have the opportunity to play recorders beginning in third grade.  At the beginning of the year, we take orders to buy soprano recorders for third-graders and altos for fourth-graders (and sometimes tenors, for older kids with big enough hands.)  When the recorders arrive, I begin having classes once a week for each grade.  Kids have to skip one half-hour lunchtime recess in order to attend class each week.  Students who attend these classes faithfully get to play in the spring concerts.

Students who especially enjoy recorder may also sign up for "Extreme Recorders" after school (on Thursdays, at least for this first trimester).  At the beginning of the year, it's open only to fourth-graders and up; third-graders may join us in the second trimester, after they have a good idea of what it's all about.

I love playing recorder (I even do it for fun with friends) and love to share the joy of ensemble playing with my students.  I collect and create arrangements of interesting music at varying levels of difficulty, so as to serve as many kids as I possibly can.  If your child is among our recorder players--or is interested in joining us--I am thrilled!  Thank you!

Concerts & Audience Days

The first week of June will see lots of performances in the music studio!
Monday, June 3rd, 4:00: the GLEE club will perform the songs they've been preparing.  The venue is still being negotiated.
Tuesday, June 4th, at 4:10: Extreme Recorders will give a concert in the music studio.
Wednesday, June 5th, at 4:10: the Choir will sing their concert.

Also, Audience Day for Kindergarten and Second Grade will be Wednesday, the 5th.  Children who take lessons on piano or strings are invited to bring their instrument and music to school and perform for their classmates.  Audience Day for First, Third, and Fourth Grades will be Thursday, the 6th.  One classroom will win the Best Audience trophy!

Shows and Concerts!

It's high "Performance Season" here at OWS!  Coming up:
March 15--Fifth Grade "American Revolution"
April 3--Vista "Guys and Dolls"
April 19--Second Grade "Earth Day" show
April 19--Recorder Concert at OWS
April 26--Kindergarten Parade and Performances
May 11--Recorders play at University Bookstore, Bellevue
June 3--Glee Club concert
June 5--Choir concert

Audience Days

Kindergarten and Second Grade will have their Audience Day on Wednesday, January 30th.

First and Fourth Grades will have theirs on Thursday, January 31st.

Third Grade's will be Thursday, February 7th.

On their day, each class will compete for the Best Audience trophy!  They will be an audience for their classmates' performances.

Children who take any kind of music lessons outside of my general music classes will be the performers; if they wish, they will have the opportunity to demonstrate, for their classmates, what their study and practice have so far enabled them to do. They should bring their instrument to school--unless it's piano. (Turns out I have one they can use.) They should also bring a copy of the music they plan to play.

To help kids remember to bring what they need, I have sent home green "reminder" slips about Audience Day (Third Grade will get their reminders on Tuesday, Feb. 5th.)

Hope to See You

January brings my favorite OWS tradition: the PA's Multicultural Event.  Every year the committee outdo themselves providing fun and exciting opportunities to try out activities from specific areas of the world.  This year's extravaganza, on Saturday, January 26th, will feature the cultures of Polynesia.

Students in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade have been practicing a canoeing song, "Tongo", to perform at the Event.  Any student who's present at performance time--currently I believe that to be sometime between 6:00 and 6:45 p.m.--will be welcome to come forward and take part in the performance.  I've posted the words just to the right of this post.

And fourth- through seventh-graders who are currently participating in the "Glee" after-school activity on Mondays have been preparing a Maori song, "Pokarekare Ana".  It's a love song communally created by soldiers missing their wives and girlfriends in 1914 New Zealand.  Only the students in "Glee" will be onstage for this one.  Again, I believe it will be between 6 and 6:45.

Watch your "Quick Take"s for your opportunity to sign your family up for this splendid event.  It's moved to a larger venue this year, so I hope they won't run out of space; but I intend to sign up the first moment I'm given a chance!

Nifty Concert for Kids on Saturday

A well-known Renaissance ensemble, The Baltimore Consort, is giving a Discovery Concert on Saturday, December 15th, called "Jump at My Cousin: Early Ballads and Dance Tunes".  These were the top pop tunes of their day, and will be performed on voices, viols, flutes, recorder, krumhorn, lute, cittern, and pipes . . .plus local kid performers on harp, fiddles, and more!  Here are details and a link:

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Sand Point Community United Methodist Church
4710 NE 70th St, Seattle  98115
--free parking--
Tickets: $10, $5 Student/Child, $5 Seniors.

Link to Early Music Guild site

Sleigh Rides

December is "Sleigh Ride" month in the music room!

Kindergartners listen to Leroy Anderson's beloved piece, finding the sounds of the sleigh bells, horses' hooves, whip, and whinny.  Then they create and perform a score using the song "Jingle, Bells!" and some sleigh bells: some children perform the singers' line in the score, while others are following the line for the sleigh bells.

Fourth-graders also hear Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" numerous times, as they learn a challenging body-percussion piece to be performed along with it.  This activity is a favorite of mine and of many of the kids as well.

And third- and fourth-grade recorder players have been learning an arrangement of "Jingle, Bells!" which we will perform several times on Wednesday the 12th.  Starting at 12:30, we'll be touring the school and playing in the hallways and common areas.