MJGDS MUSIC

edJEWcon.

Please check out this amazing conference on 21st Century learning and technology our school created.  It was an incredible experience for teachers, headmasters, and consultants on many different levels.

Since we are in the final stages of “wacky school month” (technically known as Adar in the Jewish calendar) it would make sense to act like cavemen.  We’ve survived the Purim Carnival, Purim Shpiel, Community University, FCIS Re-Accreditation and the Middle School Play just in time for Standardized Testing week!!! What does this mean for music class?  Simply, we have had one wacky time…topped off by a lesson with cups.

This is actual music notation! Since I had to move room to accommodate the quiet zones for testing, we sat on the floor without internet access, my iPad, or smartboard and created music via cup notation.

This of course was followed by a riveting game of I Want Mangoes which then culminated in trying to notate I Want Mangoes using cups! Fun had by all!!!

INTRIGUED I HOPE!

“The truly revolutionary aspect of El Sistema is its proof that everyone has a capacity for music.” LA Times

Here is a brilliant article from the LA Times about “El Sistema,” the program for teaching music in Venezuela. It fosters a love for classical music and treats it as a social program, leaving no child out based on ability, special needs or financial hardship.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-ca-caracas-notebook-20120226,0,4870388.story

I was blown away by the note-reading ability of my students. We’ve only worked on 1 Octave: Middle C to High C but as soon as I showed them what leger lines were, they understood and mastered reading notes all over the staff.

Using Ricci Adams’ musictheory.net to review the staff, meter, and pitch, I tested their note reading ability.

First Grade got 16 out of 16 correct!!! So proud!

Note Reading Puzzles…with first grade, nonetheless!

Weird thing is…they asked me to Google harder words!?!

I am absolutely ecstatic that Finale Notepad is free! In order to make note-reading make more sense, we are going to start using the program along with Soundcloud. Huh? Finale Notepad lets you compose music and notate it. Soundcloud records performances either via laptop or iPad.

Grades 1 -5 will begin writing music and recording their compositions in the next few weeks.

SUPER DUPER EXCITED MUSIC TEACHER IN DA HOUSE!!!

A quick scan of my blog and wordle picked up every single word except for one: MUSIC!!!

Why? Because we’re not listening but learning to read. K-5 are all focusing on note reading and rhythm. We’ll return to our regularly scheduled listening in a few weeks but this is normally the time of year when I review and assess where everyone is and what we need to work on. Clearly, we are in pretty good shape!

Division! For our 2nd graders? Piece of cake!!!

ask 1st grade to come up with an awesome system to remember where the notes fall on the staff…

AND how to notate dynamics…