Week 6/15-6/19
Congratulations on making it through 13 weeks of distance learning! There is no new work assigned for this week. I will still be accepting assignments up until Thursday. If you have work you have not completed, please use this this week to catch up!
Week 12: 6/8-6/12
There are many examples of the power of music all around us right now. At this time in history, and through many, many others, music is helping bring people together and helping them find a common language. Not just in America, but all over the world, people are gathering, protesting, marching, chanting, dancing and singing for justice and an end to police brutality. Music is helping them unite and move forward. It is building them up and propelling them onward because Black Lives Matter. And we know that the fight for freedom and true equality is nowhere near over.
There are countless examples of strength though song that have moved me to tears over the last week from all around our country and the world. Here are just a few. Please take the time to watch them and think about what you are seeing and hearing.
Ask questions about what these brave individuals are singing and why.
Please share your thoughts with me here: Strength Through Song Form
There are countless examples of strength though song that have moved me to tears over the last week from all around our country and the world. Here are just a few. Please take the time to watch them and think about what you are seeing and hearing.
Ask questions about what these brave individuals are singing and why.
Please share your thoughts with me here: Strength Through Song Form
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Week 11: 6/1-6/5
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I loved hearing your sight reading recordings this past week! Not only was is just great to hear the sound of your voices, your singing was impressive! This week, you have the chance to share a favorite song with me. It can be a song in any style, with singing or without. Use this google form to tell me all about it!
Picking a favorite song is incredibly difficult for me. I literally have dozens of "favorite songs". I love so many different styles and genres of music and my tastes are always changing. But, this song, "Rainbow" by Kacey Musgraves, is one that I keep coming back to. I sing it and play it at home with my daughter who also loves it. The piano part is so simple and perfect to me. I think her voice is AMAZING. I love her song writing and the message of this song really speaks to me and always lifts me up. Since the beginning of this pandemic, the meaning of her song has shifted for me. I think a truly excellent song can do that. It can mean different things to you at different times in your life. It's sort of like a great book that you re-read or a great piece of art that you look at again and suddenly see something new and interesting. I suddenly started seeing rainbows in people's windows and thought of the power of that image. The pride, the hope, and joy that rainbows convey in any form. My kids and I made one out of cut up magazine pages and hung it in our front porch window. I like to think that people who walk by and notice it might smile when they see it. I hope you like it too. I can't wait to hear your favorite songs and read about why you chose them. Reach out if you need help or have any questions: [email protected] |
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Week Ten: 5/26-5/29
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Sight Reading Factory is an online resource for practicing sight singing. I made a video tutorial posted here (where I look very excited and little crazy) to show you how to use this program. It's quick, it's easy, and it's the assignment for this week!
Once you've practiced and feel confident with how it works, please record yourself singing one example and send me the recording. You can do a voice recording or a video recording so I can see your solfege hand signs. Please email me with any questions you may have. You may email me your recordings or drop them in this folder. Happy Sight Singing! :) |
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Week Nine: 5/18-5/22
Ok Go is a band and they like to make stuff. They make really interesting music and amazingly creative videos. Here are some of my favorites! Head to their website to learn more about all the cool projects they do and listen to some more of their music.
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These videos rely on brilliant (or crazy!) ideas, creative film production, masterful special effects, lots of knowledge about science, and a willingness for the band to dance, play, experiment and test the boundaries of what we usually think rock bands do. At their core though, they are musicians and they are people. They wrote a song about the pandemic, inspired by the lead singer's first hand experience. Damian Kulash contracted the virus early on, then his wife then got it, and their 2 year old twins had symptoms as well. You can read about his experience, and why he wrote this song, on their website. I found his letter really powerful. One part that really spoke to me was when he wrote about how different communities are cheering for frontline workers each evening. He said:
"We’re telling each other we believe in one another. We’re reassuring ourselves that human goodness is rugged, that our capacity to care for each other is less fragile than our individual bodies, that we can choose compassion for others over the comfort of our routines."
ASSIGNMENT: Read his letter, watch their video,
and share your thoughts about it with me using this Google Form.
and share your thoughts about it with me using this Google Form.
Week Eight: 5/11-5/15
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Become Your Own Music Producer:
I've been playing around with an awesome music app called Acapella. Using the free version, you can record multiple tracks of your voice, or any instrument. You can also share your project with friends to collaborate, and have different people sing different parts! The free version of the app allows you to make 30 second projects. This is super fun to do and eliminates the issue of lag time that happens when you try to make music using Meet or Zoom. I made two videos this week to show you how you can use this app at home. The Pizza Hut Round is for you 5th graders!!! I also made a video of our Soprano, Alto and Baritone parts for "Ain't Got Far to Go" for my 6/7/8 Chorus students. When I made these videos, I used the metronome feature to keep time, and headphones to block our all the other sounds in the room. *You REALLY need to use headphones for this to work!! ASSIGNMENT: Spend some time exploring the Acapella app. You need to go to the app store to download it. Watch some musicians and get inspired by the different ways people have used this app to create music together. Then, record yourself (and maybe some friends too!) singing the "Pizza Hut Round"! Send me your file at: [email protected] 
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Week Seven: 5/4-5/8
CATCH UP WEEK!
This week, I'd like you to work to get caught up with assignments from the previous 6 weeks. Pick one activity from any week that you have not yet completed, and submit it to me through the Google Folder or email your work to me. If you are a superstar and you've already completed each week, then you can take a vacation from Chorus this week OR complete a new version of a previous project! If you have any questions, or need any help please reach out! [email protected]
Scroll down this page for complete details. Here's a quick list of each week's activity remind you of all your options:
This week, I'd like you to work to get caught up with assignments from the previous 6 weeks. Pick one activity from any week that you have not yet completed, and submit it to me through the Google Folder or email your work to me. If you are a superstar and you've already completed each week, then you can take a vacation from Chorus this week OR complete a new version of a previous project! If you have any questions, or need any help please reach out! [email protected]
Scroll down this page for complete details. Here's a quick list of each week's activity remind you of all your options:
- Week 6: Tiny Desk Concert Review
- Week 5: Karaoke Challenge
- Week 4: Virtual Talent Show Prep (*show will be in a few more weeks)
- Week 3: Quarantine Vocal Exercise
- Week 2: Concert Review
- Week 1: Listen and sing through our concert music
Week Six: 4/27-5/1
Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live performances hosted by NPR Music and the radio program All Songs Considered in Washington, D.C. This mini-concert series of small and personal performances has hosted artists from all walks of life, spanning a wide variety of musical styles, and all degrees of fame. You'll find performances by well known pop-stars as well as more obscure performances from artists you've never heard of before. Watching these performances is one of my favorite ways to learn about new artists and styles of music. I could spend hours watching Tiny Desk Concerts! It was nearly impossible for me to pick my favorites, so I just picked a handful of my most recent favorites.
Your assignment this week is to pick a Tiny Desk Concert and write a review about it. You can choose one of the performances I posted here, OR visit Tiny Desk Concerts and browse until you find something you like! Use this google form to submit your work to me. I'm excited to read your thoughts!!
Your assignment this week is to pick a Tiny Desk Concert and write a review about it. You can choose one of the performances I posted here, OR visit Tiny Desk Concerts and browse until you find something you like! Use this google form to submit your work to me. I'm excited to read your thoughts!!
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Week Five: 4/21-4/24
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Karaoke Challenge! This week's assignment is to record yourself performing the karaoke song of your choice and submit it to this google drive folder. Please do not email me each submission individually. Include choreography, costumes, props for extra creativity points! You could even recruit family members to be in on the act as back up singers/dancers.
If you want to team up with a friend for this project, try using a split screen using Google Meet and record yourself! When you do this, the recording saves to your google drive automatically and you can share it with me that way. If you need help figuring out how to do this, please let me know! I would be happy to walk you through the steps and make sure you can team up with friends for this project. Remember, it should be fun. I miss you and I can't wait to see you and hear you this week! |
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Week Four: 4/13-4/17
Hello 5th graders!
Please revisit the assignments from the past 3 weeks below. I have only received a few recordings and reviews so this week will be an opportunity for you to go back, look at what was assigned, and complete a lesson. Just add your file to this google drive folder. Once you have submitted some work, I will provide feedback on it.
PREPARE: In a few weeks, we are going to have a virtual talent show for just the members of our Chorus. You can sing, play, or dance for us! More details will come next week. For now , start thinking about what you would like to share with the group and get practicing. This is not required, but it will be fun!
Please revisit the assignments from the past 3 weeks below. I have only received a few recordings and reviews so this week will be an opportunity for you to go back, look at what was assigned, and complete a lesson. Just add your file to this google drive folder. Once you have submitted some work, I will provide feedback on it.
PREPARE: In a few weeks, we are going to have a virtual talent show for just the members of our Chorus. You can sing, play, or dance for us! More details will come next week. For now , start thinking about what you would like to share with the group and get practicing. This is not required, but it will be fun!
Week Three: 4/6-4/10
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Hello 5th graders!
Thank you to the students who completed the assignment for last week. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the different performances I had posted of groups singing "Dansi Na Kuimba" and "Something Just Like This". WARM UP: Try singing this "Quarantine Vocal Exercise" each day and focus on starting slowly and building up to the tempo (speed) that she sings it at. This warm up has a good message but also lets you focus on vocal agility, breath support, and intonation. Once you've got it down, send a recording of yourself singing it to me! Just add your file to this google drive folder. Be sure you include your name with your file! "Don't touch my face, don't my eyes, Six feet away, and I will wash my hands!" LISTEN: Please take the time to listen to this amazing version of the song "Rise Up" by Andra Day. It was recorded by students in the Boston Children's Chorus, in collaboration with Denver Children's Choir, Children's Chorus of Washington DC, Gondwana Choirs, Sydney, and and theCincinnati Boychoir. PREPARE: In a few weeks, we are going to have a virtual talent show for just the members of our Chorus. You can sing, play, or dance for us! More details will come next week. For now , start thinking about what you would like to share with the group and get practicing. This is not required, but it will be fun! |
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Week Two: 3/30-4/3
Hello 5th graders!
I hope you listened to the recordings I posted last week and sang along at home. I'm sharing a few more recordings this week as well. Here is your assignment for this week:
Write a Concert Review:
You are going to watch two performances of the same song and compare and contrast the two different versions in your concert review. Use complete sentences. Use musical terms when possible! Think about all aspects of their performance.
Answer the following questions:
1. What makes these two performances different?
2. What do these two performances have in common?
3. Which one is your favorite?
4. What made you choose the one you liked best?
Type your answers and send them to me at: [email protected]
I hope you listened to the recordings I posted last week and sang along at home. I'm sharing a few more recordings this week as well. Here is your assignment for this week:
Write a Concert Review:
You are going to watch two performances of the same song and compare and contrast the two different versions in your concert review. Use complete sentences. Use musical terms when possible! Think about all aspects of their performance.
Answer the following questions:
1. What makes these two performances different?
2. What do these two performances have in common?
3. Which one is your favorite?
4. What made you choose the one you liked best?
Type your answers and send them to me at: [email protected]
Dansi Na Kuimba #1Something Just Like This #1 |
Dansi Na Kuimba #2Something Just Like This #2 |
Week One: 3/23-3/27
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Hi 5th graders!
I miss you! Although we are not together to make music, let’s keep our new songs fresh by singing at home. Have you seen the video of Italians in their windows singing to each other? This video shows how music is EVERYWHERE. Every chorus student from Pierce will be singing our songs at home too! Maybe you can even sing out your windows to one another. :) This week we are going to focus on listening to our chorus music. Sing along if you remember the words! Cielito Lindo Dansi Na Kuimba Something Just Like This Stand Up And Sing |
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