In our fourth week together, our Musical Headline was again Melody
- Kindergartners reviewed the concept and contrasts of high and low. They used their voices in the story of Wiggle and Waggle, going up, down, and staying level on one note. This was reinforced with movement activities using high movements, low and middle level movements. Kindergartners were introduced to singing two specific pitches with hand signs and syllables (solfeggio) using So and Mi pitches. We used these notes to create different melodies for our "Engine Engine Number Nine" poem. Another new thing this rotation was introducing tone bar instruments - xylophones, glockenspiels and metallophones. First we played with all of the bars on - exploring the full range of the instrument using movement vocabulary to relate what our hands were doing.... walking music, running music, jump with both mallets together, sliding from low to high or high to low, etc. On a second day we used specific bars as we played a beat and sang Engine, Engine. Students had the opportunity to lead/compose new melodies with So and Mi - either pointing to the posters of the hand signs or by using body conducting. In body conducting, the shoulders indicates So (high) and the waist indicates Mi (low).
- First Graders reviewed the concept of Sol-Mi-La pitches. We did this with vocal warm ups using the solfege and hand signs. Students had more turns to create new melodies using the hand signs to direct singers to sing their newly created melody. Students reviewed the song "2, 4, 6, 8" which uses only these 3 pitches. To extend our "2,4,6,8" piece, students created a group movement pantomime of a possible game that could be played with friends - meeting at the garden gate. We worked these into a rotation rondo form so that everyone gets to be 'on stage' for their movement and have a turn to accompany the singing at the instruments. Our 5th day together in this rotation, students had the opportunity to share performances with their class during 'Talent Time' and then got to choose songs to sing and/or favorite music/movement games.
- Second Graders did more work with the pitches/notes of a Pentatonic Scale (Do, Re, Mi, Sol, La, Do'). This time around we also learned about transporting the scale - putting Do on different starting notes and setting up the instruments in the same pattern. We revisited the Simon Solfege game and the new leaders are Mrs. Meier's class AND Mrs. Woolum's class. We have a tie - both with the latest school record of 17 notes. Amazing singing! Great inner hearing! Second Graders revisited, "Autumn is Here", trying it as both a vocal and instrumental round. We also did some pattern recognition with pitches of the Pentatonic Scale, rotating around all of the tone bar instruments. Our 5th day together in this rotation, students had the opportunity to share performances with their class during 'Talent Time' and then got to choose songs to sing and/or favorite music/movement games.
- Third Graders continue to work primarily with learning to play the soprano recorder. We stayed with the pitches B, A and G and worked with the well known recorder classic - Hot Cross Buns. We have played the theme, the inversion version (pitches go up where they used to go down) and adding in a fill in. We combined the theme and inversion into a duet version. In addition we learned some variations that change the rhythm and add additional percussion instruments: the Waltz variation, the Parade variation and the Calypso variation. Students are encouraged to log in their home practice time! Our 5th day together in this rotation, students had the opportunity to share performances with their class during 'Talent Time' and then got to choose songs to sing and/or favorite music/movement games.
- Fourth Graders had their second opportunity to show what they know of the treble clef notes with their 2nd take on the 50 in 5 challenge - a timed note naming challenge with 50 notes on a page. Fourth graders also reviewed recorder technique adding in a low E to the B, A and G of -Stegasaurus Stomp. Students chose between 3 different Railroad themed pieces that will also be a part of our Colorado Connection. They are now working in small groups to prepare those pieces. We also started on a new vocal piece in two voice parts called Cripple Creek. In addition to singing that we reviewed The Symbol Song and got closer to getting it memorized. Our 5th day together in this rotation, students had the opportunity to share performances with their class during 'Talent Time' and then got to choose songs to sing and/or favorite music/movement games.
- Fifth Graders also focused on melody by reviewing the names of the lines and spaces of the treble clef for their 2nd take at the 50 in 5. Our big project this rotation was learning all of the 4 parts - ground bass ostinato and 3 part melodic canon - of the Purcell Canon. A couple of the classes got far enough with it that we were able to make a recording. You'll find that posted on the In the Spotlight page of this blog. We sent a copy to Mrs. Brown so she and her new baby could enjoy it together. In the coming weeks the 5th graders are going to be doing their final composition. Since one of their choices will be to write a melodic canon it was important that they have a really great example in their own playing repertoire. Our 5th day together in this rotation, students had the opportunity to share performances with their class during 'Talent Time' and then got to choose songs to sing and/or favorite music/movement games.
