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!

It's Limeades for Learning Time!

Hey everyone, SONIC and DonorsChoose.org want to help our class, but they need your help.
Go to LimeadesForLearning.com to vote once a day from Sept. 24 - Oct. 29 for our project. SONIC
will donate more than half a million dollars to the projects that receive the most votes.

You can vote once every day with every email account you have.  You can also collect codes from your receipts and drinks at Sonic!  If you don't want to take the time to enter your limeade codes, please send them in and Mrs. King will do it for you.

Thanks for support our project on DonorsChoose!

Bearytones Perform at Busch Stadium

Congratulations to the Greenville Bearytones on their performance of the national anthem at Busch Stadium today.  If you have any pictures of video to share, please email them to Mrs. King and she'll post them for others to see as well.  See the current web album of pictures HERE.

Beat Buddies Help Keep the Steady Beat

I found some brand new Beanie Babies at a yard sale a few weeks ago and immediately knew what I wanted to do with them.  Introducing BEAT BUDDIES!  These cuddly critters help Kindergarteners find the steady beat.  We bounce them on our laps, our head, our shoulders and our hands to keep the beat together.

Beat Buddies are fun to use and help learning a skill with repetition more interesting!  

If you have new or like new Beanie Babies that need a new home we would love to use them as Beat Buddies.  Contact Mrs. King or drop them by one of the elementary buildings.

Teachers:  You might be interested in my Steady Beat Bulletin Board.

Composing with Classroom Instruments-First Grade

When composing in first grade with use a grid with 16 "beats".  Each box equals one beat.  Instead of using notation or words, we created symbols for the instruments in our group and drew one for ta (quarter note) or two for titi (two eighth notes).

After composing individual rhythm songs in groups, students performed them together.  What glorious sounds!  What amazing music readers!

I also love to use a Rhythm Stick Reading Station and an Instrument Reading Station with students.  This allows them to read icons for instruments and rests and play together.  This is great for workstations, small groups or large groups (my favorite!)  Check them out:

Cup Game

Sixth Graders (and some Fifth Graders) are preparing for our upcoming Pop Concert by learning the Cups song.  In these pictures students are working on perfecting the rhythmic accompaniment to this song by learning the cup game.

 

clap clap bumble bee |  clap up down (rest)

clap grab pop tap | left smack down (rest)

Whew! What a fabulous four weeks!

It is hard to believe that it is already progress report time.  It has been a fabulous four weeks.

The Bearytones are preparing for their performance at Busch Stadium next week.  We will be performing the national anthem for Cardinal Nation and the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Washington Nationals.

Look for pictures and posts soon about all of the great things going on in music class:  Star Spangled Banner, pinning rhythms, beat buddies and more!