Autumn Leaves are Falling

Students in Kindergarten and First Grades listened to the song "Autumn Leaves" which is in a minor key.  We responded to the music by moving back and forth to the beat like trees waving in the wind.  Next we added "leaves" to our dramatization by holding scarves and moving to the flowing, minor melody.  I love how the kiddos were so passionate and expressive!

Star Spangled Banner Centers

GES third graders have just finished their Star Spangled Banner unit.  During this time students learned about the composer, Francis Scott Key.  They also learned about the history of the song, defined some hard words in the first verse and worked to memorize it.  The pictures below are of the Star Spangled Banner Workstations we did.

Sticky Note Singing

This is what workstations look like in the music room.  This group worked so well in groups.  Look at all the learning taking place!

Sing In the Blanks Workstation

Listening Station

Teachers:  You can get the workstations here.

Word Find

Definitions

Sticky Note Singing

Phrases

Write on!

Paint Chips and Pins=Rhythm fun!

Good beat keeping and rhythm skills come through repeated practice.  Its fun to find new ways to practice reading and performing rhythms.  In this activity students use clothes pins with notes on them and paint chips (don't you think they look like a four beat measure too?). 

I explain that every rectangle on the paint chip is a beat.  Some beats have one sound, others have two.  What note makes one sound per beat?  A quarter note (or ta).  What notes do we use when we want two sounds on a beat?  Barred eighth notes (titi).  Later these students will use the pins for half notes and whole notes as well.  

1st Graders Sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Can music training help you become better at language and reading?

Researchers are finding strong connections between good musicians and good readers.  Read more at these links:
Got Rhythm? You can learn language and reading better.
Study Ties Beat Keep with Language and Reading Skills
Brainvolts at Northwestern University

A great video from the Bearytones' performance at Busch Stadium.

Where the Wild (Musical) Things Are

One of my favorite books of all time is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  This month in first grade music we used this story as a way to practice our listening and playing skills.  After reading the book, we discussed some ways to add sound effects to the story.  "What instrument makes the sound of an ocean sailing by?"  "Which instrument would make the best sound for 'roar their terrible roar? A wood instrument? A metal instrument? A drum?"  Students used their problem solving skills to match classroom instruments with words and phrases from the book.  Next we read and played the story again.  Our favorite part was "Let the wild rumpus begin!"  Boy, do these first graders know how to have a wild instrument rumpus!

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