Second Grade Week 3 -- Polyrhythms

Second graders continued their discussion of how rhythm and beat are used together and how multiple rhythms played at the same time can produce polyrhythm. This is all in advance of the gourd drums we hope to begin next week.

We also learned a beat transfer gamer from Eastern Europe called "Son Macaron." Pictured above are the finalists from Mrs. Cha's class.

No worksheet this week -- Mr. Lawton is busy cleaning gourds!

Kindergarten Week 3 -- same, similar and different

This week, after learning a fun new song "Everybody born in **** skip around," we focused on the concepts of the same, similar and different as they apply to music. One important way is how these terms help us classify instruments into families.

Homework: Instrument family worksheet

Second Grade Week 2 -- Rhythm vs. Beat

Today the second graders extended their understanding of the relationship between beat -- the underlying pulse in music that keeps music organized -- and rhythm -- the sequence of long and short notes and spaces in between. Using the Ta/Ta-Te wall (pictured with yours truly) and boom whackers the students learned how to read and perform different musical lines at the same time -- great fun and very noisy!

Homework -- complete Ta/Ta-Te worksheet

Kindergarten Week 2 -- Shakers and Patterns

This week in Kindergarten music the students completed the shakers we made last week and compared them with other shaker instruments from around the world. We also talked about patterns as they apply to music -- not just the visual patterns on the instruments themselves, but the way patterns are used to organize music.

We also used the shakers to perform a cool train song from Zimbabwe, "Mbombera." And the shakers weren't our only accompaniment. Check out Mr. Adams sitting in on xylophone!

"Zuni Song"

Here's a recording of "Zuni Song" by R. Carlos Nakai. Give it a listen as we'll be working on it next week.

Zuni Song Exercise

Recorder Cats -- this week I also want you to practice making the high E you will need to play "Zuni Song." Listen to the exercise and follow this instructions. Remember -- the more times you repeat it, the better you will play it.

"Shepherd's Hey" - Soprano B part

And here's the B section. The last two measures are the same as Part A, while the first two measure go B-G-C, B-G-A. Try it.

"Shepherd's Hey" - Soprano A part

Recorder Cats -- here's the first part of our new song. It is a very simple pattern with two parts that are each repeated twice. The notes here in part A are B-D-C, B-D-A, B-D-C-B-C, D-A-G.

Week One Second Grade -- Introduction to Rhythm

Music began for second grade on Thursday this week. The emphasis in the second grade in on rhythm and beat. Today we began to learn about durational values of long short and notes and number of beats per measure -- the key to keeping music organized so that it can be played together.

Here the kids are experimenting with composing rhythm pieces using chopstick on paper.

More Kinder pictures from week 1

Kindergarten Week 1 -- We hear with our...

In our first music class this week Kindergarten students discussed the sense most associated with music -- hearing -- and also the importance of silence in music. The kids used the sound catchers, pictured above, to focus in on the sounds around them.

Later these sound catchers became funnels of a different sort when we used them to make apple bottle shakers. It was a great first day!

Homework -- we'll start giving out worksheets next week. For this week the kids should just try to be pay more attention to the sounds around them. How do they blend together?

Music classes resume this week

I hope everybody enjoyed their Spring break.

This week I will begin general music classes in Kindergarten (Tuesday and Wednesday) and 2nd Grade (Thursday). We will also resume ensemble practice for Recorder on Wednesday mornings and Orff Instrumentarium on Thursdays.

First and fifth graders -- tell your teachers I will be sending them an e mail with how everybody did on their worksheets. Fifth graders I am still going over your compositions and I hope to finish that up this week as well. Also check out the videos I posted over the break. You might see some familiar faces.

Week 10 -- Fifth Grade Composition #3

One more also from Ms. Hong's class.

Have a great spring break!

Week 10 -- Fifth Grade Composition #2

Here's one from Ms. Hong's class.

Week 10 -- Fifth Grade Composition #1

The fifth grade had its problems this year schedule-wise, but things came together nicely in the end with a number of wonderful student composed pieces. Here's a sample.

Good luck next year in middle school everybody!