Donors Choose Update

WOW!  We are only $51 dollars away from having our Donors Choose project completely funded!  Hurray!  Click HERE to make the donation that allows us to bring more instruments into our classroom!

Stand Up and Sing-A Celebration of American Education Week

Many thanks to the 5th and 6th graders who volunteered to stand up and sing last Friday!  In celebration of American Education Week they led the school in singing "You're a Grand Old Flag".  We are so fortunate to have music in our school and even more blessed to have such great singers!  Way to go!

Stand Up and Sing Friday

This week is American Education Week and Friday is "Stand UP and Sing Friday"!  Hurray!  5th and 6th graders will lead the school in "You're a Grand Old Flag" first thing in the morning.

Links for Teachers:
You're a Grand Old Flag 
This PowerPoint file contains the lyrics to this song for you to project in your classroom.  You or a student will need to click along as we sing the song.  Click on the link to download or right click and choose "Save As".

You're a Grand Old Flag-single slide
This PowerPoint file contains one slide.  No clicking along.  Just singing! Click on the link to download or right click and choose "Save As".

You're a Grand Old Flag-MP3
One of my favorite renditions of this song can be found here.  You can preview just a bit of it or purchase and download for your use.  You don't need this for Stand Up and Sing Friday, but thought I would link you to a great version for kids.

Thanks and then Giving

Thank you for your continued support of our music program!  Whether you are a family member clicking in to visit our classroom, a student viewing pictures and listening to music from class or another music teacher logging on to be inspired by what happens in our classroom, we are thankful for you!

You can support our classroom endeavors by donating to our project on Donor's Choose.  Click here to read about it and make a donation.  We're already half way there!  Can we fund this project this week?  With your help we can!

1st and 2nd Graders get Smart with November Rhythms

Students in 1st and 2nd Grades used their knowledge of rhythms and their love of SmartBoards in music class this week.  Students read the names of pictures of several November things like pumpkins, pilgrims, turkeys, voting and more.  Then we decided the number of syllables in each and matched them with the note that best represented them.  Eighth notes (or titi) worked for all pictures with 2 syllables and 1 syllabled words like "leaf" sound closest to quarter notes (or ta).  By rearranging the pictures we created many new rhythms!

Teachers can download the PowerPoint version of this activity HERE.

A Musical Celebration of Veteran's Day

Music has the power to evoke powerful emotions.  This week we used music to express our pride in our veterans and in our country.  During the last two weeks, students sang patriotic songs like God Bless America, Yankee Doodle Dandy, You're a Grand Old Flag and God Bless the U.S.A.  Students were introduced to "Thankful for the U.S.A." and one of my favorite songs about America, "American Tears".  We discussed the important jobs our service men and women do every day and students had an opportunity to share stories about members of their families that have served in the military.

You can listen and download some of the songs we've worked on in class at the following links:
American Tears
Thankful for the U.S.A.
You're a Grand Old Flag

ABC Chart Singing

We LOVE using manipulatives in music class!  This week Kindergarteners and some First Grade classes used ABC charts to learn about sounds and silence in music.  This also provided a great opportunity for me to hear their beautiful singing voices!

Here's what we did:
Students sang the "ABC Song" and touched each letter on the chart as they sang it.  Then we took a chip and placed it over a letter. Instead of singing the letter we replaced it with "shh!".  We added more chips (and more rests) to the song and thought of ways to make it even more challenging.  Students did a great job of "reading" their music and singing and resting at the right times.

Pumpkin Patch Singing Game

Students in 1st grade loved learning the poem "Pumpkin Patch".  After learning the song we added actions and then performed with a partner.

Pumpkin patch, pumpkin patch.

Looking for a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

Here is one.  Nice and fat.

Turn into a jack-o-lantern just like that!

Ask your first grader to teach you this fall time favorite!

Pass the Pumpkin

Students in K-2 have been working on moving rhythmically and demonstrating steady beat with a game called Pass the Pumpkin.  Students learn the simple passing pattern and then work together to keep a continuous steady beat while passing the pumpkin, counting and throwing in a few smooth dance moves.

I'm Baaaack!

Its good to be back in the classroom!  This week I will get to meet students at Greenville and Williamsville.  Here are a couple of the songs that classes will sing this week:

The Pumpkin March
What kind of dynamics do you hear?  Is the surprise at the end loud or soft?

American Tears
This beautiful song celebrates the heroes, the patriots, the soldiers and the pioneers that have made America great!