PIERCE SCHOOL MUSIC
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What's happening in music?

1st Grade

1/26/2022

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During the month of January, our first graders spent time in music class learning about Freedom Songs. We talked about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and why we celebrate him each year in our community and around the world. We read the book "Sometimes People March" by Tessa Allen. This book is a great place to begin a conversation around the many peaceful ways that people can stand up for what they believe in and the power that songs can hold. Students talked about the ways that sharing songs can make us feel strong and connected with other people. Two classes shared some of these songs on the morning announcements and said they felt "famous" knowing that the whole school watched them sing! 
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5th Grade

1/25/2022

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5th graders learned a Russian folk dance called "Sasha" in music this week. Despite some initial eye rolls and grumbling, they embraced this dance and had a blast. I love to start class with movement that encourages partner work, develops sequencing and planning skills and gets students laughing and moving! This style of dance is called a "mixer" because the partners change after each repetition of dance steps. This allows for students to have many different partners that change quickly and places the focus on the inclusive sense of community in a large group dance.
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5th Grade

1/23/2022

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5th graders have been trying out some creative ideas in music class working with a new set of playground balls. This learning is an extension of the drumming they've been previously working on. Students are developing fine and gross motor skills as well as their ability to feel and move to both a steady beat and more complex rhythms. These are essential skills for any musician. They are beginning to work with partners  which requires intense focus, coordination, communication and cooperation. In addition, they are analyzing and responding to the form of musical pieces and demonstrating their understanding through movement. Most importantly, we are having so much fun! They have been eager and flexible as I roll out this new curriculum. These new materials were generously funded by our fabulous PTO. I am grateful to work in a community that values and supports our music program and trusts me to explore new ideas even if they may seem outside the box!
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1st Grade

12/22/2021

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1st Graders have been learning about ballet and listening and responding to the music of the Nutcracker by Pyotr Llyich Tchaikovsky. In the Nutcracker March, students act out the form of the piece dancing as soldiers or mice and using their hands and arms to move like snowflakes during the frenzy of activity in the middle section. In the Russian Dance, or Trepak, students are using scarves to accentuate beats and patterns throughout the music. Students moving to Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy are using their magical wands to paint musical pictures using both the steady beat and special phrases to inspire their movement.
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2nd Grade

12/15/2021

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2nd graders explored the concept of form in music while learning about the composer Leroy Anderson and his famous piece called "Sleigh Ride". In this video, you can see them working together to identify different sections and respond to these sections with their cups.
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Grade 5 Chorus

12/15/2021

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Our 5th grade Chorus is small but mighty! Here are two songs students have been rehearsing each week. Although we will not be gathering for a performance this winter, we are really looking forward to putting on an extra special concert in the spring for family and friends. We will continue to work towards that goal as we learn new music and develop our sight reading skills. 
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2nd Grade

11/17/2021

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An important part of our daily routine in the music room is to begin each class with a greeting game or song. This month, our 2nd graders have learned a new greeting game that lets them sing independently, work with a partner, and act like a turkey! This particular greeting begins with one "lead turkey" who chooses a partner to gobble with. The number of turkeys flocking around the circle multiplies with each repetition. Students are practicing tuneful singing and rhythmic patterns, developing gross motor coordination, internalizing the form of this two part game and they are having fun with all of it!
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Students have also been reviewing 16th notes. We've been singing them, playing them, building them from popsicle sticks and identifying them aurally through games and songs as well.
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6/7/8 Chorus

11/5/2021

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Chorus students spent rehearsal today learning about Diwali. Several students who celebrate this holiday shared their favorite family traditions with us as an introduction. All 82 students were up and dancing to begin their day with positive energy and shared fun. 

This traditional dance, called Dandiya, has origins in Gujarat, India and is designed to be done in large groups.  Dandiya is closely associated with the Navratri festival (usually occurring in October), but is also commonly done at Diwali (late October or November), and at other special occasions and gatherings, such as weddings. Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists all celebrate Diwali, although for each faith it marks different historical events and stories. The focus of the celebration centers around new beginnings, good over evil, and lightness or darkness. Happy Diwali!
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6/7/8 Chorus

10/29/2021

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Our middle school Chorus has been rehearsing both inside and outside this fall. When we are indoors in the Auditorium, students sing 3 feet apart while fully masked. We use this time for warming up, learning new pieces and adjusting to singing in a large ensemble. There are 82 students in this group! 

When we go outside, students usually pair up or form quartets for independent work. This time is spent practicing sight singing, building confidence and developing skills that lead to singing in harmony. During this time, students may sing without their masks (if distanced). It allows for me to talk with students individually and hear them sing apart from the huge group.
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2nd Grade

10/26/2021

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Students have been exploring form in music. This means that they are learning to identify sections within a piece of music and show their understanding of these patterns through movement. This week, they have been analyzing and moving to "The Wild Horseman" by Robert Schumann. Schumann was a German composer who lived from 1810-1856. This dance is indeed wild, like the horseman, and follows an ABA pattern. Students have also been listening to "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" by Vince Guaraldi. Guaraldi was an American jazz pianist who lived from 1928-1976. This music expresses a very different mood and energy. In this piece, students have to listen for a much more complicated pattern and dance to each section with their personal pumpkin.
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  • What's Happening in Music?
    • 5RO Projects
    • 5A Projects
    • 5R Projects
    • 5VW Projects
  • Conservatory Info.
  • Past Performances
  • Contact
  • Untitled