A live performance from the Metropolitan Opera of Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel will air this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on KING-FM, 98.1.
Currently the opera is also playing on KING's "Opera Channel", available for listening online at http://www.king.org/
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Multi-Cultural Event
The Multi-Cultural Event is one of my very favorite things each year. This year the committee has chosen to celebrate cultures of South America. So I've chosen a song from Peru, "Flor de Cactus", for kids to participate with at the event (on January 28th).
I'm teaching the song to children in kindergarten through fourth grades. It's in Spanish and has three parts, so I've replaced parts of the lyrics with "la la la"s to make it a little easier. I plan to teach it to recorder players as well, so that kids can choose to sing and/or play along at the event. Participation will be completely optional; no one is required to attend the event, nor to sing or play if they do attend. But I highly recommend attending; it's educational and great fun, and it's so nice to be together with so many OWS families!
I'm teaching the song to children in kindergarten through fourth grades. It's in Spanish and has three parts, so I've replaced parts of the lyrics with "la la la"s to make it a little easier. I plan to teach it to recorder players as well, so that kids can choose to sing and/or play along at the event. Participation will be completely optional; no one is required to attend the event, nor to sing or play if they do attend. But I highly recommend attending; it's educational and great fun, and it's so nice to be together with so many OWS families!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Music Teacher's Music Teacher
Over the Thanksgiving holiday I enjoyed a visit from Drake Mabry, who is a composer and a lifelong music performer and educator, and years ago was my oboe teacher. On Tuesday he was so kind as to visit my classes as well.
For the kindergarten and second grade classes, he played a couple of the "bamboo clarinets" which he makes himself, and talked about how they were made. For third graders, he played a condensed version of an alto recorder solo, which he had composed using avant-garde techniques. He demonstrated these techniques and talked about them a little before playing the piece. Third-graders were very good audience members, even remembering to wait until the end of the third movement before applauding.
I promised the third-graders that I'd put a pointer here to Drake's MySpace page so that they could see some of his other work (which includes visual art as well.) Here it is:
www.myspace.com/drakemabry
Drake also coached the fifth-grade recorder ensemble who come to me on Tuesdays, as well as my after-school "EXTREME Recorders!" group. For most of the kids, I'm the only recorder teacher they've ever had; so it was a wonderful opportunity for them to work with someone else's musical ideas.
For the kindergarten and second grade classes, he played a couple of the "bamboo clarinets" which he makes himself, and talked about how they were made. For third graders, he played a condensed version of an alto recorder solo, which he had composed using avant-garde techniques. He demonstrated these techniques and talked about them a little before playing the piece. Third-graders were very good audience members, even remembering to wait until the end of the third movement before applauding.
I promised the third-graders that I'd put a pointer here to Drake's MySpace page so that they could see some of his other work (which includes visual art as well.) Here it is:
www.myspace.com/drakemabry
Drake also coached the fifth-grade recorder ensemble who come to me on Tuesdays, as well as my after-school "EXTREME Recorders!" group. For most of the kids, I'm the only recorder teacher they've ever had; so it was a wonderful opportunity for them to work with someone else's musical ideas.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Coming up in Music Class
Kindergartners through fourth-graders have been practicing patriotic songs, plus a few others, which we will gather and sing together just before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Just after that holiday, one of my own music teachers will be visting me; he will come to school with me on Tuesday, November 29th. On that day I have fourth-grade recorder class, fifth-grade recorder class, and Extreme Recorders after school; so I'm hoping he will do some work with the recorders. It's always good to get the perspective of a different musician!
And here's one much farther in the future: on Tuesday morning, March 20th, young opera performers from Northwest Opera In Schools Etc. (NOISE) will come to OWS and perform for us a shortened version of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. I've already introduced the opera to all my students and will continue to familiarize them with the arias.
Just after that holiday, one of my own music teachers will be visting me; he will come to school with me on Tuesday, November 29th. On that day I have fourth-grade recorder class, fifth-grade recorder class, and Extreme Recorders after school; so I'm hoping he will do some work with the recorders. It's always good to get the perspective of a different musician!
And here's one much farther in the future: on Tuesday morning, March 20th, young opera performers from Northwest Opera In Schools Etc. (NOISE) will come to OWS and perform for us a shortened version of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. I've already introduced the opera to all my students and will continue to familiarize them with the arias.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Specialists' Night
I'm making plans to be at school on Thursday evening, October 13th, and show you some of the things I do with your children in music class. Mrs. Brodahl, Ms. Leggitt, and Mr. Smith will be here too, so that you can experience what your children do in their Spanish, Art, and Physical Education classes!
Sound like fun? Your kids probably think so! Meet in the OWS gym at 6:15 for a welcome and introductions. Then we'll take you to your first specialist session, according to your children's grade levels. From 6:30 to 8:30, we'll rotate you through all four specialists' classes.
In previous years, we've had many enthusiastic comments from parents regarding how much they enjoyed the evening and how informative it was. We hope to see YOU this Thursday at 6:15!
Sound like fun? Your kids probably think so! Meet in the OWS gym at 6:15 for a welcome and introductions. Then we'll take you to your first specialist session, according to your children's grade levels. From 6:30 to 8:30, we'll rotate you through all four specialists' classes.
In previous years, we've had many enthusiastic comments from parents regarding how much they enjoyed the evening and how informative it was. We hope to see YOU this Thursday at 6:15!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Here's what we're up to in music class!
Kindergartners have been singing songs about farm animals, sometimes adding handheld percussion instruments. We've just begun learning about Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel, which we will see performed in March.
First-graders have been working with steady beat. (If you have a first-grader, ask him or her to show you part of the "Syncopated Clock" dance!) We've been introduced to quarter notes and are about to meet the quarter rest.
Second-graders have been practicing sight-singing the pitches G, E and A. We've heard the story of how "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written, we've deciphered some of the lyrics, and we are learning to sing it correctly, without the extra melisma which is so often inserted.
Third-graders are very excited because they can begin learning on October 5th to play the recorder! Don't forget, there's a great recorder concert coming up Friday evening, October 7th--see the previous post. They've been doing a little of everything: sight-singing pitches, comparing durations of note values, playing instruments, and performing and even leading rhythmic canons.
Fourth-graders learned to sing Washington's state song and have been working with the Orff metallophones, glockenspiels and xylophones to distinguish their timbres and use them effectively in orchestration.
Mrs. Arends is preparing recorder music and getting ready to attend a music educators' mini-conference in Kirkland on October 14th and 15th.
First-graders have been working with steady beat. (If you have a first-grader, ask him or her to show you part of the "Syncopated Clock" dance!) We've been introduced to quarter notes and are about to meet the quarter rest.
Second-graders have been practicing sight-singing the pitches G, E and A. We've heard the story of how "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written, we've deciphered some of the lyrics, and we are learning to sing it correctly, without the extra melisma which is so often inserted.
Third-graders are very excited because they can begin learning on October 5th to play the recorder! Don't forget, there's a great recorder concert coming up Friday evening, October 7th--see the previous post. They've been doing a little of everything: sight-singing pitches, comparing durations of note values, playing instruments, and performing and even leading rhythmic canons.
Fourth-graders learned to sing Washington's state song and have been working with the Orff metallophones, glockenspiels and xylophones to distinguish their timbres and use them effectively in orchestration.
Mrs. Arends is preparing recorder music and getting ready to attend a music educators' mini-conference in Kirkland on October 14th and 15th.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Professional Recorder Concert Friday evening, October 7th
Here's a fun opportunity to hear and SEE recorders of all sizes--from five inches to six feet tall--played by professionals. Vicki Boeckman is a Seattle-based performing artist and recorder teacher; David Ohannesian is a recorder maker. Together they will perform music from seven centuries, from courtly love songs to pieces about Australian animals! This happens at 7:30 p.m. on October 7th, at Northlake Unitarian: 315 3rd Avenue South, Kirlkand, WA 98033. You can buy tickets online from the Early Music Guild at
http://www.earlymusicguild.org/?page_id=470
If you're going, let me know so I can look for you!
http://www.earlymusicguild.org/?page_id=470
If you're going, let me know so I can look for you!
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