PIERCE SCHOOL MUSIC - What's Happening in Music? 2022-23

PIERCE SCHOOL MUSIC

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Kindergarten

5/30/2023

Throughout the year in kindergarten music class, we work to develop tuneful singing. There are a few games that I use every few months to assess students in a way that feels natural and fun. We use the book "Brown Bear" by Bill Martin and Eric Carle as the inspiration for the game shown here. In October, students were not ready to sing independently and many were still finding their "singing voice" as opposed to a talk, whisper or shout. In January, many were singing and matching pitch but only half felt ready to take a solo turn. In this video taken this week, you can see the immense growth from this group of students. They are comfortable running the game, singing on their own and taking turns.

4th Grade

5/23/2023

This 4th grade has been an absolute pleasure to work with this year. They walk in the door ready for anything at each music class. They particularly liked our Jazz unit this spring. Watching their skills develop as they practiced improvisation on recorder or learned to scat sing like Ella Fitzgerald was really fun. Their positivity and enthusiasm is such a gift! They worked hard to prepare for this spring concert choosing their songs carefully and practicing recorder for months before hand. We hope you enjoyed being a part of the 4th grade spring sing.

Kindergarten

5/16/2023

Our Kindergarten class had a fantastic performance this week. After a group reflection about the experience of sharing their work with you all, we ventured outside for some bubbles and chalk time together to celebrate their success! It's been an absolute joy to work with these students each week in music class. I look forward to seeing them again in 1st grade!

2nd Grade

5/12/2023

2nd grade classes have been exploring traditional Japanese music. They have listened to the koto, a cousin to the Guzheng from China. They read the book "Natsumi" and watched a taiko performance in preparation for an in-school Taiko performance that will take place next week! They also learned a singing game called "Suzume No Gakko" about sparrows in a singing school. Students formed small groups and created their own hand clapping patterns to compliment the song. They really enjoyed the creativity of this work. Even though group dynamics can sometimes be a challenge, they all persevered and cooperated to perform their final creations.

5th Grade

3/17/2023

Our 5th graders have been very busy learning a digital composition program called Noteflight. This program allows them to compose music, play it back, edit and revise, and ultimately share their final result in a printed score. Today as I worked with students, I heard a project in which a student was recreating a piano piece they are learning. Another student was composing for a brass quintet. Another student was experimenting with a Jazz drum kit and how to create a percussion accompaniment that complimented their vocal line. This type of individualized and personal music making can be hard to manage in a tradition general music class setting, but Noteflight makes this possible. Our PTO helped make this possible too! They generously funded a set of 24 new headphones for my classroom. These headphones allow our students to tune out the world around them and drop into the musical one they are working to create. Thank you Pierce PTO!!!

3rd grade

3/14/2023

3rd graders continue to work hard on their music literacy skills and their recorder playing skills. They have mastered our newest note and are working through a few new songs that feature low D. They are also practicing improvisation as we warm up each day and they are getting more comfortable and more creative with the patterns they choose. For the past few classes, they have had the opportunity to transfer this knowledge onto the xylophone! They have been working in pairs to play recorder and xylophone at the same time. It's harder than it looks!

1st Grade

3/1/2023

1st graders have been loving this traditional dance called "The Noble Duke of York". Students can practice finding a partner, remembering the sequence of the dance steps, moving to a steady beat, following the musical cues and working with a partner. It also gets them moving, singing and giggling!

2nd Grade

2/27/2023

2nd graders have been studying Ghana in their classrooms and learning about Ghanaian songs, games and instruments in music class. They have played two passing games: "Obwisana" and "Sansa Kroma". Here they are dancing to a song called "Tue Tue". They have learned about the djembe, axaste, the gankogui (or double bell) and more!

In addition, they have begun learning some songs that they will share with you at their spring concert on May 2nd at 8:15 am in the Pierce School Auditorium. We can't wait to share our music making with you!

Kindergarten

2/20/2023

Kindergarteners have been learning about a piece of music called "The Carnival of the Animals" written by a French composer named Camille Saint-Saens. Saint-Saens originally composed this suite of 14 short pieces as a joke for his music Conservatory students but it has become one of his most famous works! So far, our students have learned about all of the instruments used to play each piece. They have explored creative movement for the Elephant, Hens and Roosters, Kangaroos, Aquarium, Lion, Mules, Cuckoo and more! If you play the music at home, I'm sure you'll be learning some of the moves too! In the two clips below, you can see a class practicing some mindful visualization as sea stars resting on the ocean floor. Being still and deeply listening are skills that need practice as much as moving and responding! Each child got a chance to share what they imagined as the music washed over them. In a following lesson, we explored how we can move fluidly to the phrases of the piece as if we were seaweed swaying in the tide.

Kindergarten

2/10/2023

Kindergarteners love to dance and they love the surprise of a new partner in each turn of this dance called "Heel and Toe". I love watching them practice being flexible and inclusive as they welcome each new friend for a turn. These kids are such a delight to teach each day!