Scales, Rhythms, Recorders and a Concert

Good morning! The third and fourth graders have been moving very quickly with their recorder playing. All students should now be able to play at least one song. The fourth graders have already begun to work on their recorder piece for VIP day. (Save the date, May 24 for parents, May 25 for other special guests.) When we are confident with playing, the recorders will be put aside for a while so we can concentrate on other activities as well.
Younger students have been exploring the major scale with hand signs, walking the scale (moving from a rubber dot signifying low do to other scale steps) and playing boomwackers. They are also building rhythm patterns by placing classmates as human notes. A child standing straight and alone is a quarter note. Two children holding on to hands or shoulders are eighth notes and a child alone kneeling on the floor is a quarter rest. Their patterns are very creative! Younger students are also having a chance to explore dynamic changes (quiet and loud) with games of ‘Lucy Locket.’
We are all looking forward to our ‘Concert for Music in our Schools Month’ assembly on March 8, 2012. Watch for the broadcast of the sing-a-long concert from the Association for Music Education, with our own fourth graders, on the Mt. Pleasant Schools channel 98 during the month of March.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

The National Association for Music Education has put out a press release about this year's Concert for Music in Our Schools Month (formerly the World's Largest Concert.) It's official! The Vowles fourth graders are on the show! Vowles is the ONLY school representing Michigan this year. Congratulations students! The Concert is available for purchase on DVD or mp4 download. It will also be shown during the month of March on the Mt. Pleasant Schools cable channel 98. You can read the press release at: http://www.menc.org/news/view/press-release-student-voices-from-around-the-globe-join-together-in-the-inaugural-concert-for-music/

Paddle Drums, Boomwackers and Recorders Oh My!

Good morning! Thank you to everyone who sent Valentine’s Day greetings! Fortunately, assessments were finished before the holiday. We have spent a lot of time playing paddle drums, boomwackers and recorders in the last week. Paddle drums and boomwackers are among the newest instruments in the school music scene. Paddle drums are drum heads in a frame that looks very much like a small tennis racquet. They are held by a foam covered handle and played either with the hand or mallets. We choose mallets for the assessment activities. Boomwackers are brightly colored lengths of 2” lightweight plastic pipe. Each length makes a different sound as the pipes are tapped on the floor or other hard object. We did some scale activities with these as well as some beat keeping. Third and fourth graders have begun to play the recorders. Vowles School owns enough recorders for each student to have their own to play. These are washed after each use. Germs are one thing we try not to share in the music room.

Grading and the PTO Auction

Good Morning!
This week we are in the middle of assessments for the next report cards. Amazingly, that time is quickly approaching. Students will be marked on "playing instruments." This will be either keeping a steady beat or maintaining a pattern, depending on the grade level. Students have been playing our new paddle drums for this portion of the assessment. We are also starting to learn some of the music for this year's World's Largest Concert. The WLC has been renamed this year. It's now "Concert for Music in our Schools Month." This year Vowles own fourth graders will appear on the broadcast. They will be featured during the singing of the National Anthem. Watch for the concert in your own home on the Mt. Pleasant Schools' cable channel during the month of March.
Don't forget the PTO silent auction on Feb. 9! There are many exciting items up for bid. I'm looking forward to having lunch with 4 Vowles students. They will be able to bring their lunches to the music room. I'll bring some brownies and we'll enjoy a nice visit.

Rhythm, Rhythm

Good morning! This week we finished looking at the clarinet and are moving forward to some classroom instruments played by the students. With report cards coming soon, the next couple of weeks will have some assessment of how students are able to use these instruments. Lower el students will demonstrate their ability to keep a beat, while upper el students will be patterning. We will be using drums, xylophones and rhythm instruments in these assessments. Younger students will begin by building a 'musical piece' from nursery rhymes. Second graders are preparing for their celebration of the Chinese New Year, so we tried some traditional movements with ribbon sticks to some traditional Chinese music. Watch for a few students to showcase this activity in the parade on Friday morning.