From the Piano Bench

From the OLG Music Piano Bench:
This autumn has been FUN! We’ve already done a lot of singing and moving in every class, we’ve studied several composers, and we’ve watched a img_3361little bit of opera. We have amazing technology that does get used, but most lessons in music are very low-tech: hands-on instruments, singing, moving, listening, and making noise! I continue to use our wonderful Music Express magazines that help me provide varied, polished, and engaging lessons.

Last Thursday, we had a 4th/5th Grade Chorus of about 31 for our first All-School Mass. The musical energy was infectious and I hope we can sustain that enthusiasm throughout the year! Please try to come and witness one of our school masses! We sang “Shine Jesus Shine”, “Keep Me Safe O God”, “Somebody’s Knockin”, “Go Make A Difference”, “Prayer of St. Francis”, and “Power of Peace”.

In the classrooms, we do a LOT. You can keep track by checking my Running Lesson Log on the OLG Music webpage.

Here are some highlights:

Preschool and Pre-K

  • have gotten to move/sing/discuss songs like “Walk! Skip! Gallop!”, “Happy”, “Whisper! Talk! Sing! Shout”, “Time for School”, “Fallin’ for Fall”,
    “Forte-Piano”, “Cha Cha Cha Boogie”, and “Halloween Hand Jive”.
  • We’ve talked about and listened to songs by Beethoven and Mozart.
  • We’ve kept a steady beat and/or improvised on our instruments (xylophones, rhythm sticks, Boomwhackers, etc.) as we play along with songs like “Uniquely Me”, “Welcome to Beat Street”, “Steady Eddie”, “Street Beat”, and “Cajun Spice”.
  • We’ve played various Orff instruments as accompaniment for a “Sound Poem” about Jack-O-Lanterns.

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd

  • These students enjoy moving and singing on songs like “Walk! Skip! Gallop!”, “Happy”, “Whisper! Talk! Sing! Shout”, “Time for School”, “Fallin’ for Fall”, “Forte-Piano”, “Cha Cha Cha Boogie”, and “Halloween Hand Jive”. We’ve also learned choreography to pop songs like “Sing!” and “Better When I’m Dancing”.img_3333
  • We’ve kept a steady beat and/or improvised on our instruments (xylophones, rhythm sticks, Boomwhackers, etc.) as we play along with songs like “Uniquely Me”, “Welcome to Beat Street”, “Steady Eddie”, “Street Beat”, and “Cajun Spice”. We’ve played dozens of different Orf
    f instruments as accompaniment for a “Sound Poem” about Jack-O-Lanterns.
  • We learned about rhythms through games like “Beat Detective”, “Beat the Teacher”. We’ve learned and sung “A Ram Sam Sam” in a ROUND (!) and with hand signals.
  • We’ve learned about four composers, so far: Beethoven (especially his 5th Symphony), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Eine Kleine Nacht), John Williams (“Star Wars Theme”), and Camille Saint-Saens (“Danse Macabre”).
  • We are learning an old WWI troops song, “Pack Up Your Troubles”, as we prepare for Veterans Day.

3rd, 4th, and 5th

In addition to doing most of the songs and activities for K, 1st, and 2nd; we haveimg_5916

  • learned to Identify Leitmotifs and Themes in the composer songs
  • visited Brazil through stories, songs, dances, and images
  • gotten quizzed on notes of the staff
  • compared original and “cover” songs
  • learned about Mozart’s Opera, “The Magic Flute”
  • played a singing game, “Spin Around”, akin to Marco Polo
    …and lots more!!

CHORUS is on fire this year.

  • We had a terrific first Mass with the whole school.
  • We are preparing to help lead the Veterans Day Assembly in song.
  • We are preparing some songs for our Impromptu Lunchtime Performances.
  • We’ve been practicing a Music Express Magazine song+choreography called, “Be A Friend”. We’ll submit our video to the magazine and hope to be included in their nation-wide video.

Let me just say: THIS IS STILL SO FUN! Getting to be loud/silly and then focused/reverent with your children is quite an amazing position to be in. Thank you!

Ms. Sager