WELCOME BACK MUSIC MAKERS

TO THE 2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR!



Thank you to our wonderful PTA's and MBUSD Ed Foundation for all your support and donations towards arts education.

A BIG THANK YOU to Robinson School for their donation of wooden, authentic maracas.  These were used as decorations for Robinson's Traveling Party, a fund raising event, and graciously donated afterward so our great kids can enjoy keeping the beat and shaking it in music!  Thank you!


Ms. Jordan will be teaching 1st and 2nd grade music every week beginning September 14, 2009 and running through May 2010. This is Ms. Jordan's third year teaching music at all 5 Manhattan Beach Elementary Schools.

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MUSIC SCHEDULE:

Monday - Meadows

Tuesday - Pacific

Wednesday - Robinson

Thursday - Grand View

Friday - Pennekamp

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MUSIC NOTES FOR NOVEMBER!!



.................. First Grade ................................

In October our first graders began learning the musical language and practiced 2 music notes in class: ta and ti-ti (these words represent a quarter note for a single beat, and barred eighth notes for a sub-divided beat)  First graders also got their hands on some instruments for the fun book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.  We sequenced some action words with instruments, added a song, and performed this great festive story together.   

In NOVEMBER.....

11/2  Creative "falling leaf" movement:  Identifying, following, and demonstrating ascending and descending melodies.  As the teacher plays 2 melodies on recorder, the students are asked to describe the direction of the notes with words, then transfer that to their bodies and act out the process of falling and blowing leaves to music.

11/9  Five Fat Turkeys Are We!:  Introducing the rest symbol in rhythms.  Students will identify, read, and perform quarter rests using song.  They will also have the opportunity to help create a rhythm using lots of rests, and the occasional "gobble!" (A rest is a symbol in music that means a beat of silence) 

11/16  "Tumblin Down":  Song and movement.  This song has students divide into 3 groups represented by leaves, nuts, and snowflakes.  The song's lyrics describe the falling actions for each item during this festive time, and the entire group gets to sing and act out their specific part.  Ask your student which part he or she got to play!

11/26  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!




............................................... Second Grade .................................


In October 2nd graders had a lot of fun learning about program music, specifically Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre.  They also learned a couple spooky songs including "Skin and Bones" and "Witches Brew" where they actually wrote in their own ingredients for the lyrics. 

In November....

11/2  Pumpkin Patch Rhythm Game:  Learning and practicing half notes and whole notes.  Students were given a pumpkin patch of 18 pumpkins, each with a letter on the front.  Students selected pumpkins and had to successfully read and play the rhythm behind each to get the letter.  Letters were added below to the mystery phrase as rhythms were completed, and in the end it was "Fall Fun For Everyone!"

11/9  Sol Fege:  Learning the pitches Do, Re, Mi, and Sol.  Students practice singing and using hand signs for these 4 syllables using the song "Turkey, Turkey."  Then a game is played where this song is sung as a turkey is passed around the circle.  One person sits in the middle with eyes shut, and must guess there the turkey ends up.  The one clue they get is they can sing the question "Who has the turkey?" and the person who has it responds "I have the turkey" reinforcing the pitches Mi, Re, and Do. 

11/16  Turkey Tango!  Students get to dance the Tango to this festive turkey song.  Origins and instruments heard are discussed, and in the end a dramatic tango is reenacted to music. 

11/26  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!