Today in MusIQ Club!

We were missing three this week.  Please get well quickly, and everyone, please don’t forget your orange notes each Monday or you are required to go home on the bus.

At the start of class we talked about folk tunes and where they come from (out in the “country,” far from city life, usually) and that they are tunes passed from generation to generation and not written down (originally).  We referred to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star which was originally a French folk song, used by Mozart for his Theme and Variations for piano, and many other songs like the A, B, C’s and Baa Baa Black Sheep, so familiar!

The CMJ 2 students (Arianna, Caroline, Pratik, Haley, Delaney, Hwan) during floor time were introduced to the Grand Staff ladder game.  We clarified how the notes relate to the lines and spaces, and Pratik and Caroline drew middle C  (ledger) lines without which the game could not be played!  This generated a discussion regarding the fact that there are TWO places where the SAME middle C note can be represented on the Grand Staff.  (home practice sheet below)

At the keyboards everyone in this group continued their work with Mr. Mozart, and some are ready for their next teacher.  Others had jumped ahead, but came back to lesson 33 so they could focus on the G clef notes of C, D and E, and (lesson 35) the F clef notes C, B and A  played by the left hand.  It is very exciting that this group is now starting to read notes on the Grand Staff!  Congratulations!

CMJ 1 students (Rachel, Andrew and Aeden) reviewed word rhythms (I—Like—Mus-ic Class), talked about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Ode to Joy.  Everyone has finished their first five lessons with Mr. Beethoven, and they were impressed that he could  write a huge symphony with a chorus after becoming deaf.  (These children are not yet playing this piece, but they are hearing the others in this class play it.)  We did a few finger exercises with our hands on our knees, remembering that our thumb is referred to as finger number one and making a big effort to wiggle (or tap if possible) only one finger at a time.  This is can be very, very tricky for some, but don’t worry, any of you!  It will get easier with even just a little bit of practice, even just tapping your fingers while waiting at the dinner table or riding to school or on a trip in the car.

At the keyboards Rachel worked very hard on her first lessons (11 and 12) with Mr. Scott Joplin, learning about how her fingers are numbered for piano playing and how to hold her hand with an ant tunnel to remind her of the best position.  Andrew and Aeden worked on their lessons with Mr. Bach and learned about holding notes (some notes longer than others, counting different lengths to keep track) and Aeden worked very hard and played some pieces which also included double notes.  Andrew discovered a new way to practice the alphabet backwards, using his car to travel the musical hopscotch board forwards and backwards!  Nice job!

For practice at home this week Andrew, Aeden and Rachel:

1. Print out this sheet with a simple staff on it (middle line is middle C) and write a short piece of music with some holding notes.  (use the numbers, like Mr. Bach)  Aeden, can you include some double notes?  Don’t make it too long, and play it for us next week in class!

2.  Have some fun in the games room with Bongo Boy, as well as playing the Cliff Hanger game.

3.  Go to the improvisation room and pick out a track that you like, then play some music using both long and short notes.  Aeden, use some double notes as well!

4.  Rachel only (others if you wish though) print out this sheet to help you stay familiar with how the fingers on your  hands are numbered for piano playing.

For practice at home this week Caroline, Pratik, Delaney, Haley, Hwan and Arianna:

1.  Print out this activity sheet which we looked at in class, and practice (again is OK!) writing the two different middle C’s and the neighboring notes on each of the Grand Staff clefs.

2.  Here is another activity sheet,  for lines and spaces and again to clarify the notation for the two middle C’s.

3. Practice with any of the games available to you in the Games Room.  This is important so that you get very  familiar with the letter names of notes as well as what they look like on the staff.

4.  If you do not have Ode to Joy memorized yet, please go to lesson 21 in CMJ1 (click through to Villa-Lobos’ last exercise) in free mode and practice it a few times with the finger numbers.  Then try it from memory!  We will play this on the recital two classes from now!

See you next Monday

Filed under: Blanchard Memorial Elementary