Lessons Day

In June, each class will have a "lessons day". That's when those children who take lessons on an instrument (or dance) have an opportunity to show their classmates the result of their hard work. During Lessons Day, each student's most important job--no matter whether s/he performs or not--is to be an excellent audience member. This performance is just for classmates, not parents.

First and Fifth grades will have their opportunities during regular music class on Thursday, June 10th. Kindergarten, Second grade, and Third grade will have theirs on June 9th.

If your child would like to perform, she or he needs to rehearse announcing the piece, playing it, and bowing afterwards. You could help by being an audience during their rehearsal/s at home.

Pitch over Time: a matrix

Fifth-graders have been drumming, and today they began composing and playing short pieces for three drums of different pitches. I demonstrated the composition and pitch aspects of the assignment using this web address:
http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix

Several of the students asked for this address, and I'm not surprised, because it's great fun to play with. And the parameters are such that it sounds good no matter what you do!

What's Up in Music Class?

     Kindergartners are putting the finishing touches on their performances of "Sakura", "San Sereni", and "Alabama Gal".  Soon we'll be learning about the Australian Aborigine didgeridoo and doing some dances/movement activities from Shenanigans, a group from Australia.
     First Graders learned about the end of Bach's life and learned a little about the "Water Music" of another important Baroque composer, G. F. Handel.  They continue to practice reading and writing the pitches G, E, and A, as well as quarter notes and rests, and eighth notes.
     Second Graders successfully performed their "Earth Sounds" round in their Earth Day program.  An upcoming discussion about accent will lead into learning about measure lines and duple and triple meter.
     Third Graders have been working with the pitches B, A, G and E.  They've been writing beamed eighth and sixteenth notes (and a few chose to go on to write thirty-second and even sixty-fourth notes.)  Soon each will write a rhythmic composition.
     Fifth Graders have begun a unit on drumming.  After learning the "open" and "dead" strokes, they've been practicing to play them with either hand and to play them on designated beats of the measure.  The unit will culminate with small-group compositions.

Especially for Third-Graders

Third-graders have been studying the opening movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Because it's so famous, many parodies have been made of it. Here's one on YouTube in which a Japanese company sing and dance about breakfast, in Japanese:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXgJBzUv_qU

And here it is with English subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAMD5nYUi6U

Energetic World Music Concert

Overlake School is hosting a student marimba ensemble from Maru-a-Pula High School in Botswana. Overlake is the group's first stop on a West Coast tour to raise funds for their African AIDS Orphan Program. The twelve juniors and seniors will play a benefit concert on Wednesday, April 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fulton Performing Arts Center at Overlake. I'll be there--wouldn't miss it for anything!--and I'd LOVE to see you and your kids there, too!

Recorder Concerts

On the Early Music Guild's Discovery Concerts series is a performance of great interest to our recorder players: Vicki Boeckman and David Ohannesian will play recorders from very small to very large at 1 p.m. in Town Hall (Seattle) on Sunday, April 14th. Because it's a Discovery Concert, seniors and kids (up to age 25!!) pay only $5 admission; adults between those ages pay $10.
http://www.earlymusicguild.org/emg/series/recital_3.html

What's Up in Music Class?

Kindergartners are learning to sing "Sakura" in Japanese and English and to sing "San Sereni" in Spanish.
First-graders are adding the pitch "A" to the "G" and "E" with which they are already familiar.
Second-graders are beginning a beautiful song they will perform for Earth Day.
Third-graders have been studying Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and now are listening to Gian-Carlo Menotti's The Telephone.
Fifth-graders have been studying the blues and now will look briefly at Gershwin's Porgy and Bess before hearing The Telephone.
Mrs. Arends takes tap-dancing lessons Monday evenings, and plays Zimbabwean-style marimba music Wednesday evenings and recorder music Thursday evenings with like-minded friends.