June 2016 Volume 4, Issue 3

North Street School Music Newsletter

KINDERGARTEN:  In  kindergarten,  students  have  been  enjoying  a  new  favorite  song,  “5  Green  And  Speckled  Frogs.”    First,  students  learned  how  to  sing  the  song  and  then  act  out  the  story  line  with  5  fun  frogs  and  the  pool!    In  class,  we  have  been  focusing  on  loud  versus  soft  sounds/music.    A  favorite  activity  has  been  listening  to  Haydn’s  “Surprise  Symphony,”  making  sure  to  sit  when  it  is  soft  and  then  stand  up  for  the  sudden,  loud  music!    Also,  students  learned  how  to  sing  “Sally  Go  Round  the  Sun”  and  use  the  music  classroom  parachute  to  act  out  a  simple  routine  to  the  song.      GRADE  1:    First  grade  students  have  continued  learning  about  forte  and  piano,  and  now  know  the  definitions  of  fortissimo  and  pianissimo.    Ask  them  the  difference  between  all  of  these  dynamics.    They  have  continued  interactive  SmartBoard  activities,  a  favorite  being  Boom  Chicka  Boom  Dynamics.    First  grade  have  been  engaging  their  singing  voice  by  creating  their  own  “Soccer  Vocal  Explorations”  on  the  SmartBoard.    A  favorite  activity  has  been  acting  out  the  story  line  to  the  music  book,  “The  Lady  With  The  Alligator  Purse.”    Most  recently,  first  grade  has  learned  how  to  sing  “Allee  Galloo.”    Like  kindergarten  students,  they  too  use  the  music  classroom  parachute  to  act  out  a  simple  routine  to  the  song.    GRADE  2:  In  second  grade,  students  have  been  focusing  on  decoding,  writing,  and  composing  quarter  and  eighth  note  rhythms  “ta”  and  “ta-­‐ti.”  Students  are  also  learning  about  the  various  instruments  of  the  orchestra.    They  have  enjoyed  learning  about  each  instrument  family  to  the  song  “We  Are  The  Orchestra,”  where  each  student  represented  an  instrument  in  the  string,  woodwind,  brass,  or  percussion  sections.    Students  have  also  been  enjoying  the  “Instrument  Crane  Game,”  where  they  must  identify  the  instruments  of  the  orchestra  by  look  and/or  sound.  Students  are  also  continuing  becoming  more  comfortable  singing  “do,  re,  mi”  tonal  syllables.      GRADE  3:    In  third  grade,  students  have  been  focusing  on  decoding,  writing,  and  composing  dotted  quarter  and  dotted  eighth  note  rhythms  “ta”  and  “ta-­‐to-­‐te.”    Third  grade  students  have  also  been  progressing  through  the  recorder  karate  unit,  where  everyone  is  learning  how  to  play  various  B,  A,  and  G  songs.    Particularly,  students  are  being  asked  to  create  their  own  B,  A,  G  song  composition  and  perform  it  individually  for  the  red  belt.    Ask  them  about  what  their  favorite  recorder  karate  song  thus  far!      GRADE  4:    In  fourth  grade,  students  have  been  focusing  on  decoding,  writing,  and  composing  rhythms  using  “ta”  “ta-­‐ti”  and  “rest.”    A  favorite  activity  for  decoding  these  rhythms  has  been  the  Turkey  Lurkey  Rhythm  Blitz.    Students  are  also  working  on  a  melody  unit,  where  they  are  focusing  on  aurally  identifying  music  that  steps,  skips,  or  repeats  as  well  as  music  that  is  major  or  minor.    Ask  them  about  some  of  their  favorite  major  or  minor  melodies!    They  have  been  using  Schoology  and  their  iPads  to  complete  quizzes  for  this  unit.    GRADE  5:    In  fifth  grade,  students  have  been  focusing  on  decoding,  writing,  and  composing  rhythms  using  “ta,  ta-­‐to-­‐te,  ta-­‐te,  and  ta-­‐-­‐.”    Students  recently  learned  about  the  song  “We  Are  One  (Ole  Ola),”  the  official  2014  FIFA  World  Cup  Song.    After  learning  the  lyrics  and  melody,  students  sang  it  for  the  Creative  Connections  collaboration  with  Guatemala.    Fifth  grade  students  have  also  spent  time  learning  about  the  music  and  culture  of  Guatemala,  particularly  its  national  instrument,  the  marimba.  Like  fourth  graders,  they  have  been  using  Schoology  and  their  iPads  to  complete  assignments  for  this  unit.  

GENERAL MUSIC:

Tori Boretsky, General Music & Chorus Jul ie Overland and Aaron Lofaro, Orchestra

Janet Atherton, Band

The  chorus  concert  featuring  music  relating  to  the  theme  Under  The  Sea  was  a  big  success!    I  am  very  proud  of  each  and  every  student  and  wish  the  fifth  graders  good  luck  next  year  in  middle  school!  Keep  up  the  singing!  

CHORUS NEWS:

Summer Practice Tips: • Never place an

instrument in an extreme hot or cold environment.

• After playing, wipe off your instrument with a soft cloth.

• Remember to tighten your bow before you play and loosen it when you’re done.

• If you should have a problem with your instrument, don’t hesitate to bring it to the rental shop for repair

• Continue to make posture and playing position an important aspect of your playing.

• Continue to work in your Essential Elements Book

Orchestra News: Congratulations to our NSS Orchestra students! The Spring Concert was awesome and it was clear that each String-Being reached their individual goal of feeling confident and proud while performing! You worked hard and it paid off…Bravo!! Our 3rd grade String-Beings: are now ready to move on to 4th grade orchestra! They have learned how to read and perform the notes in the D Major scale. While learning music for the Spring Concert, they discovered that it is helpful to analyze patterns and phrases in music. For instance, while learning Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy,” the students discovered how the musical phrases related to fraternal and identical twins! Color-coding activities helped the students to make sense of the 3 different note patterns in “French Folk Song.” Our string-beings discovered that spending a few minutes to analyze music before trying to play it can make the learning easier! Our 4th and 5th grade String-Beings: rose to the occasion, learning and performing challenging pieces for the Spring Concert! Students who participate in this level orchestra come together to perform, having varying years of prior experience in playing hteir instruments. Because of this, differentiation was widely used during instructional implementation. Each student was encouraged to progress at his/her own pace as they learned their music to perform at the Spring Concert. The 3rd grade String-Beings learned 2 Italian musical terms, tremolo and glissando. They performed tremolo at the end of “Open String Blues,” following the red, yellow, and green light rule. By keeping the light signals in mind while performing tremolo, the students knew exactly when to begin, slow down, and end their tremolo. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students performed glissando at the end of “Star Wars” to illustrate how a rocket ship might sound while traveling to a “galaxy far, far away!!”

Band News:

Page 2 of 2 North Street School Music Newsletter

4th GRADE BAND MUSIC NOTES: LESSONS in March and May continued to be devoted to sharpening skills that are needed to being a member of the band. In addition, we practiced the proper posture and etiquette each performer needs during a concert presentation. We have accomplished this year:

1. Fluency  on  the  5  note  scale  playing  whole,  half,  and  quarter  notes  and  rests.    2. The  ability  to  keep  a  steady  beat  with  your  foot  while  performing  a  simple  folk  tune.    3. The  ability  to  follow  a  conductor’s  beat  while  playing  your  melody  on  your  instrument.  4. The  ability  to  properly  care  for  the  maintenance  of  your  musical  instrument.    5. The  ability  to  listen  to  the  others  in  your  group  and  blend  with  them.  

JOINING THE BAND – OUR SPRING CONCERT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS! All students were successful performing the Serenity round as well as the Chorale. Our more difficult pieces, Star Wars and La Bamba provided opportunities to show our knowledge of whole, quarter, and eighth notes. We were also successful with counting rests and reading slurs and performing with dynamics! HELPFUL HINTS If you will be continuing to rent an instrument next year for lessons, please check wit your rental provider, as some stores will let you keep the instrument over the summer for no extra cost! Also consider this summer participating in the Parks and Recreation Summer Music Camp!! 5th GRADE BAND MUSIC NOTES: LESSONS and BAND All 5th graders have completed a great year. Our Spring Concert was a wonderful success! We performed with superior tone quality and paid excellent attention to dynamics and other musical directions that make a concert exciting. I was very pleased with the attentiveness that each student gave to me as the director. This is an important aspect of becoming a successful ensemble member. END OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENT: Every 5th grader will demonstrate their concert Bb and Eb scales from memory. In addition, each student will learn about playing a small ensemble: a trio or quartet, by working on a Beethoven piece called Ecossaise. This class performance opportunity will show their knowledge of melody, harmony and bass line, as well as demonstrate the correct use of dynamics, phrasing, and playing with a good tone quality. Each student will self-assess, explaining their understanding before inviting their peers to critique the performance. HELPFUL HINTS What is the secret of a successful musician? Steady routines of practice. So set up a schedule that works for you. Mornings are better! You are more awake to do your best work. Also consider this summer participating in the Parks and Recreation Summer Music Camp to keep your skills high! GOOD LUCK NEXT YEAR WITH MR. STRANGE IN CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL!