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.