January 5 - 9 (Music Week 13)

 UPCOMING DATES

Performing Arts Club @ Lunch - Thursday, January 15th

TO SUPPORT LEARNING WHILE SWIRLING AROUND IN YOUR LIVES WITH KIDS:

SING, HUM and WHISTLE - or do all three! Both humming and whistling activate the same physiological breathing and sound components required to sing well (and part of singing well is producing sound with tuneful accuracy). Singing is highly kinesthetic; your entire body is the instrument. Through humming and whistling, we build muscle memory for sound production. Once we can effectively produce the sound, we can play with the highness and lowness of the pitch. Fun fact: Most popular music isn't readily pitched in a range where it is easy for kids to project their young voices. If you're singing along to your playlist at home and the song is too low, pitch up an octave so it sits in a better place. 

LEARNING INTENTION LEGEND (Blue = Kindergarten, Green = 1 / 2, Purple = 3 / 4, Red = 5 / 6)

-I can move to beat in music through walking, running and jumping.

-I can differentiate singing and speaking voices.

Kindergarten learned some new silly action and movement songs this week to reinforce beat awareness. We showed beat on different parts of our bodies and moved to drum beats during the Percussion Movement Game. We also learned the Sleeping Animal game and improvised different animal movements. The students were very aware of personal space so as not to run, hop, or fly into any people or instruments. 

-I can identify like and unlike patterns in music.

-I can play rhythm patterns (subdivisions of beat) on rhythm instruments.

Grade 1 and 2 students continue to experience phrase form through singing and movement while learning new songs. We played rhythm patterns using boomwhackers and xylophones, singing and playing select phrases while thinking the others in our heads. This skill, audiation, helps us to familiarize our brains with new rhythmic and melodic sequences because we are required to be engaged in the music through phrases of silence. We also tried different body positioning while singing. Many students are convinced that 'lying down singing' really showcases their best singing voice - these might be some future stars of Puccini opera.

-I can read and sing rhythm patterns including quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes.

-I can use movement while singing music that organizes beats in groups of 3. 

Students took on leadership during the 4 beat body percussion warm up this week. Ask your child to teach this to you and then see if you can do it. Most of them have very good intrinsic awareness of what 4 beats feels like because we do this activity repeatedly to reinforce beat awareness. Our vocal warm ups for the next while will include learning songs where musical metre is 3, rather than 4. We sang and moved while thinking in 3 this week while practicing tuneful singing. 

We also familiarized ourselves with routines for moving safely through the music room space while playing Four Corners - Rhythm/Music Trivia Edition. Students used listening skills to identify rhythms placed in corner situated hoops. If the rhythm at their selected hoop was played, their group was eliminated unless they could identify the name of the song playing while they moved around the room. This was an excellent opportunity for them to gain valuable exposure to what some referred to as 'old people music'. These 'old fashioned songs' (many from the late twentieth century) were selected because the song title was repeatedly sung throughout the song, making it easier to avoid elimination. There were many opportunities for students to reconnect with friends during this activity through quiet convos, tic toc dancing and conga lines. 

-I can read and sing rhythm patterns including 'syncopa' (eighth, quarter, eighth note).

-I can use movement while singing music that organizes beats in groups of 3.

Students took on leadership during the 4 beat body percussion warm up this week. Ask your child to teach this to you and then see if you can do it. Most of them have very good intrinsic awareness of what 4 beats feels like because we do this activity repeatedly to reinforce beat awareness. Our vocal warm ups for the next while will include learning songs where musical metre is 3, rather than 4. We sang and moved while thinking in 3 this week while practicing tuneful singing. 

We also familiarized ourselves with routines for moving safely through the music room space while playing Four Corners - Rhythm/Music Trivia Edition. Students used listening skills to identify rhythms placed in corner situated hoops. If the rhythm at their selected hoop was played, their group was eliminated unless they could identify the name of the song playing while they moved around the room. This was an excellent opportunity for them to gain valuable exposure to what some referred to as 'old people music'. These 'old fashioned songs' (many from the late twentieth century) were selected because the song title was repeatedly sung throughout the song, making it easier to avoid elimination. There were many opportunities for students to reconnect with friends during this activity through quiet convos, tic toc dancing and conga lines. 

Best wishes to everyone for a beautiful weekend!

Mrs. McMillan