Thriller on Channel 12!

I am so proud of all my Stormonth students! Happy Halloween!

http://m.wisn.com/news/a-thriller-friday-at-stormonth-elementary/36166844

New 4th Grade Song!

Another concert change!

After singing through "Carry on my Wayward Son" with 4th graders, I realized that it wasn't the best fit for their voices, and I think I found an even better song to replace it...

"Old Time Rock and Roll" By Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band!

Check your e-mail for lyrics that you can use to practice with at home!

Change to K5 and 1st Grade Concert Songs

Good morning!

Through my years of teaching music, I've learned that some songs will work, and others won't, but you really have to test those songs out with the students to know for sure.  

After singing through the concert songs with K5 and 1st grade, I realized that I may have given them too much music!  I want to make sure that they feel confidant on stage, not scared or nervous, so I have decided to take a few songs out of the program.

1st grade will no longer be singing "Lean On Me," and K5 will no longer be singing "Get Up Offa That Thing."

There will be solo opportunities for K5 students on the song "ABC!"  The chorus will be sung by all kindergartners, but the verses will be solos for students interested.  We will have solo try outs in music class during the week of November 9th.

Please e-mail me with any questions you may have!

Skin and Bones

Lots of spooky sounding songs are happening in the music room!  Last week kindergartners learned the song "Skin and Bones" and then added instruments as sound effects.

Spooky Ukee

1st graders played the bass bars and bass xylophones on the song "Spooky Ukee!"

This Halloween song let us sing and play in minor tonality while also practicing our mallet techniques.

Pass the Pumpkin!

Kindergarten students learned the song "Pass the Pumpkin" this week, and then played a game while singing the song!

Students passed a paper pumpkin around the circle, and on the word "you" whoever was holding the pumpkin got to play an instrument!

The students played a bass bar, the slap stick, and the thunder tube!

Halloween Dance

Our Halloween dance is "Thriller!"  If you would like to practice at home, here is a good video:

All About the 70's

The first week practicing our 70's music has been a blast!  The students are so enthusiastic, and they are already showing that their performance is going to be one of a kind!

Sensational Seventies Concert!

I am SO EXCITED to get started on our fall concert music!  Today, students got to hear their concert pieces for the first time, and the 70's theme was a hit!  We are also very excited to have a live rock band play with us during our concert!

This year, Stormonth's Artist in Residence will be four rock band teachers from The School of Rock in Shorewood.  These teachers will be at Stormonth in the music room November 18th, 19th, and 20th to work with our students on how to perform with a live band.  

On November 23rd, the band will be back to practice with the students on stage, and on the 24th we will hold our concert!  There will be two times for the concert:
10am for last names A-M and K4am
2pm for last names N-Z and K4pm  

Check your e-mail for a letter from me and the lyrics to all of the students' songs for this year's Fall Concert, "Sensational Seventies!"

Kokoleoko

In unit two for second graders we are working on making music as an ensemble.  We have learned a few different pieces that use teamwork to come together, and recently 2nd graders learned the song "Kokoleoko" from Ghana.  This is a children's song that is accompanied by a hand clap.  The melody is so beautiful, and the hand clap is challenging, so we had a great time putting it all together!

3rd Grade Boomwhacker Mystery

3rd graders have started to learn how to use Boomwhackers, and their first challenge was to solve a Boomwhacker Mystery! They were separated into three groups with the goal of figuring out what the title of the song was, and at the end of 10 minutes, their group would need to perform the piece for the class.

This symbolic notation was what they used to play the piece:

They were told that every square equaled a quarter note, and the colors match up with their Boomwhackers.  They practiced with their groups, and the end result was a beautiful "Twinkle, Twinkle!"

Kindergarten Syncopated Clock with Instruments!

After acting out the story of the "Syncopated Clock" by Leroy Anderson, students then get to add instruments to the piece!

The sound of the clock is made by the woodblocks and the sound of the cuckoo bird is made by the triangles.

Kindergarten Syncopated Clock

Last week was a busy one!  Lots of new things were happening in the music room, and in Kindergarten, we starting working on listening for changes in musical form.  To do this, we listened to a story about a cuckoo clock in a family's home, and when that family went to sleep the cuckoo bird flew around the house!  Then we acted the story out while listening to "Syncopated Clock" by Leroy Anderson.

First, the clock ticks on the wall.

When it's bedtime, the family goes to sleep.

When the cuckoo is sure everyone is asleep, he comes out to play!

In the morning, the cuckoo hears the family waking up, and goes back to his job inside the clock.

Finishing Unit One

Most classes are now finishing unit one and moving on to their second music unit of the year.  These units differ from grade level to grade level, but all units end in some type of assessment.

In third and fourth grade, students did a short written assessment where they had to answer questions about time signature, the note names on the treble clef staff, and the amount of beats different notes and rests receive.  

In fourth grade, we have "student experts" that work with other student to help them be successful.  I am so excited to say that almost every person in 3rd and 4th grade received 100%!

1st Grade Orff Orchestra

1st graders are starting to learn how to play in the Orff orchestra - xylophones, metalophones, glockenspeils, and bass bars!  Students are first learning how to hold mallets and the four different mallet techniques that we will be using this year - hands together, alternating hands, glissando, and tremolo.  

To practice these techniques, students took turns being the "body conductor."  The conductor told students what technique to use based on their body movements.

Students had to watch very closely so that the mallets only hit the bars when the conductor's body moved!