May 18 - 22 (Music Week 31)

  UPCOMING DATES

Performing Arts Club: Thursday, May28th

Grade 5/6 and Performing Arts Dress Rehearsal: Wednesday, May 27th @ 1:15 pm

Volunteer Tea featuring Grade 5/6 and Performing Arts Collaboration: Thursday, May 28th @ 10:30 am

Note: Grade 5/6 and Performing Arts Club students will share their Trolls musical at this year's Volunteer Tea on the morning of Thursday, May 28th at 10:30 am (the Tea starts at 10:30. The performance will likely start at 10:45 or so). We look forward to performing for those in attendance at the Tea. These kids will also participate in a dress rehearsal of their show on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 27th at 1:15 pm. Family members who wish to see their child perform at this time are welcome to attend.  If you are attending the Tea and also want to come for the school performance, you are most welcome. 

Should you have any questions about anything related to these performances, please email me, Katie McMillan at kamcmillan@cbe.ab.ca.

EMBRACE MUSIC WHILE SWIRLING AROUND IN YOUR LIVES WITH KIDS:

The Blues Brothers Soundtrack. There is probably research to prove that listening to anything by Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin will instantly boost your mood.

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

-I can distinguish voice sounds; dofferentiate speaking and singing voices.

-I can explore movement to show expressive musical elements such as tempo and dynamics.

Kindergarten students participated in playful speech and singing activities through the rhythm and language of rhyming stories. Students also participated in several move and freeze activities to experience expressive elements of a variety of musical selections - mostly from the 1900s. 

-I can sing using a range of dynamics from soft to loud and loud to soft. 

-I can use movement to represent changes in dynamics.

Grade 1/2 classes played singing games to use the range of dynamics in their voices this week. We sight sang the Tisket Tasket song to see that the range of ptiches in the song song stay exactly the same as we sing softly and then, increasingly louder. We also created scarf movement to explore dynamics. Offenbach's Can Can and Haydn's Surprise Symphony will continue to guide our movement work with expressive dynamic elements next week. Grade 6 students supported learning in several of these classes this week; the younger students truly inspire the older kids to rediscover music joy through playful singing.

-I can play melodic patterns using alternating mallet technique.

-I can improvise melodic patterns on an A minor pentatonic scale. 

Students continued to play melodic sequences in 'A' minor; students memorized the melody that was created by the Grade 3/4 group last week. We discussed the importance of memorization as a practice to make us better musicians. Once we have committed music to memory, we can play with enhanced musicality, attending to phrasing and and expressive elements. 

Students also started work on improvising a solo that borrowed structural elements from the A section of our grade 3/4 created song. We alternated between playing the familiar Tidal Wave melody (A section) and hearing solos around our instrument sharing circle with students playing 16 beats of creative melody beginning and ending on the note 'A'. We will continue creating next week as part of our work with learning about Rondo form. 

-I can use movement to represent musical form.

-I can sing as part of a group; I can listen to play with appropriate expression (tempo and dynamics) to create effective group sound. 

We continue to sing and create - lots of work in preparation for our show next week. The kids are both excited and nervous to perform and there was an abundance of concern about being ready. I tell students that this is part of preparing for anything - a big game, a test, an important meeting or presentation. Lots of events in life are accompanied by an apprehension about being adequately prepared. This is healthy stress.

In preparation for any musical performance, it is important to focus on the positive energy and joy that is afforded to us by sharing music with others. If we maintain this perspective, then we can make the most of the experience. There is nothing better (I realize this is arguable) than being present in the midst of making music and appreciating everything that unfolds in real time. I'm not sure if kids hear me when I tell them this but I will keep saying it anyway. I wish this message had been relayed to me during years of performance at classes, exams and recitals.

-I can move to music through jumping, marching, hopping, bouncing. 

-I can play beat to accompany singing.

ALP students used hoops to experience movement this week. We bounced, twirled and rolled hoops around the classroom to a variety of songs. The chant for Muffin Man was a highlight of my week. Other favourite songs with this group: I Am A Pizza, It's Raining Tacos, the Bluey theme song and anything sung by a Disney princess. This group also really enjoyed singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes at varying speeds while accompanied by me on ukulele. This was an excellent exercise in muscle memory for me; attending to kid reactions and very excited movement all around me kept my brain from overthinking chord transitions. This group might be what I need in my life to finally get over my apprehension about playing string instruments in front of people.

Best wishes for a beautiful weekend.

Mrs. M.


















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