Concert Happenings!

Concert Day!!! December 9th in the HS auditorium (Snow date is December 16th)

Like last year, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in the HS gym for a quick picture before your K-3 student performs! The music department will also be accepting monetary donations at the door. We will also have hot food, snacks, drinks, treats, and novelty items available for purchase in the lobby. Our concert day fundraiser last year was a huge hit and raised a significant amount of money due to your support and generosity!

Kindergarten performs at 10 AM: Please report to the HS gym for 9:30 AM, holiday attire

First Grade performs at 11 AM: Please report to the HS gym for 10:30 AM, holiday attire

Second Grade performs at 12 PM: Please report to the HS gym for 11:30 AM, holiday attire

Third Grade performs at 1 PM: Please report to the HS gym for 12:30 PM, holiday attire

4th Chorus performs at 2 PM: Please report to the HS gym by 1:30 PM.
If you have a character role, please dress for the part. All others may wear dress-up clothing or holiday attire.

5th Chorus performs at 3 PM: Please report to the HS gym by 2:30 PM.
If you have a character role, please dress for the part. All others may wear dress-up clothing or holiday attire. Don’t forget your coffee mug!

6th Chorus performs at 4 PM: Please report to the HS gym by 3:30 PM.
If you have a character role, please dress for the part. All others may wear dress-up clothing or holiday attire.

Concert & Symphonic Bands perform at 5 PM: Please report to the HS band room at 4:20 PM

Week 9

K-3: Holiday concert prep

4th Grade: Spiritual Style/instrument ostinatos

5th Grade: begin music mapping project

6th Grade: Reggae style and rhythm complex

Chorus: memorize all lyrics, speaking parts, and look at packets I prepared for you (especially for the actors during the songs!)

Week 8

K-3 will be preparing their concert music for the holiday show.

4th Grade will be performing their sound effects with a Halloween song.

5th Grade will be creating fall/Halloween chants and performing them with percussion instruments

6th Grade: 2 part harmony Thriller!

Week 7

Grades K-4 will be working on Halloween/Fall songs focusing on special sound effects.

Fifth Grade will finish their sound stories and watch a computer generated video of Danse Macabre

Sixth grade will complete their final rap performance

Week 6

Kindergarten: Movement Rondo, how to move to different music, listening worksheet

First Grade: You'll Sing a Song, ways to use the voice, rhythm game if time permits

Second Grade: Let's Go Fly a Kite, melodic contour, carousel music, contour worksheet

Third Grade: It's a Small World and East/West, steady beat, marching band, dance moves on the beat, strong and weak beats

Fourth Graade: Clock Music, imagery, art/music relationship, woodblock ticking, woodblock performances, Compare to Sleigh Ride

Fifth Grade: Work on sound story with added Foley effects

Sixth Grade: Begin rehearsing composed rap lyrics with Karaoke track

Chorus: All students should listen to song 1 & 2 in their packets to prepare for chorus this week. Memorize as much as you can so we can start auditions for solos and speaking roles.

Week 5

Kindergarten: Jump that Jody, identify percussion instruments by sound and perform with song, steady beat

First Grade: Chicka Hanka, discuss 'sidetracking a train,' train sounds, call and response, singing and performing on egg shakers to the repeated patterns

Second Grade: Exploring non musical sounds in the environment and using opposite words to describe them- high/low, loud/soft, fast/slow, and long/short

Third Grade: Vocab study guide was sent home for a short 5 question quiz we will take at the beginning of class. Ragtime Rhythms, Scott Joplin, stomping/clapping patterns, discuss history of ragtime music

Fourth Grade: Breathe Easy Blues, the purpose of rests in music compared to phrasing in the English language. Diagramming sentences in order to sing correctly using punctuation

Fifth Grade: Begin writing a sound story using words that make sound and instruments to make them. Perform sound stories using percussion instruments next week

Sixth Grade: continue rap writing assignment in small groups

Chorus: keep listening to those CDs. We will begin working on harmonies

Week 4

Kindergarten: My Head & My Shoulders, identify body parts, identify slow, medium, fast tempos, perform drums and maracas while steady beat is changing

First Grade: March for a Zany Prince, discuss lyrics, identify soft and loud sections, march to steady beat, beat vs. no beat quiz, practice writing rhythms on board to create patterns for the class to perform on percussion

Second Grade: Shake Hands, Mary, identifying song movements with the steady beat, performing tasks on the steady beat with a partner, creating new tasks on the steady beat with a partner, using scarves to show a steady beat vs free movements

Third Grade: Stodola Pumpa, tempo: fast vs. slow, wood block performance showing tempo change, non-sense syllables, review all vocab for quiz next week

Fourth Grade: Finish Joe Turner Blues activity from last week, blues style, complete compare/contrast chart on different vocal styles, vocal LSA game if time allows

Fifth Grade: vocab quiz first, Come and Go with Me to that Land, Civil Right discussion, Gospel Style, instrumentation, tambourine performances on beats 2 & 4

Sixth Grade: Continue brainstorming/rap writing new section in We Are the World based on Hurricane Harvey and Irma

Chorus: Grades 4-6 will meet on Wednesday, September 20th, during recess times. The first rehearsal will be to get assigned voice parts and seating in rows. CDs and packets will also be given out!

Week 3

Kindergarten: songs with fingerplay, s. will practice drawing ta, ti-ti, and rest, compose and perform a short 4 bar rhythm during class

First Grade: March for a Zany Prince, beat vs no beat, practice ta, ti-ti, and rest, note formation, compose and perform student rhythms

Second Grade: Springtime Has Come, discuss Japan, culture, sing, perform rhythm ostinato on claves/finger cymbals, play gong

Third Grade: Rappin' in Rhythm, discuss silly rap lyrics, listen to blank rap tracks, compose/perform one sentence rap with rap tracks, review all vocab words for practice quiz in class

Fourth Grade: Silent steady beat & Joe Turner Blues, non-sense syllables, perform all rhythm in small groups with various percussion, discuss blues style and changes between both songs

Fifth Grade: Tzena, meter in 4/4, conducting, teach chord building and perform chords on boomsticks to accompany, tambourines if time allows

Sixth Grade: small groups will rewrite We Are the World rap lyrics and modify for Florida/Texas Hurricane. Rap performances if time allows

Chorus: We will meet on Day 6, Wednesday, September 20th. We will split into Melody and Harmony groups and get assigned seats in height order so that you can see me during rehearsals. We will also discuss solos and speaking part opportunities. I do not expect to have CDs or packets ready for that day. The music is arriving this week and I will need time to edit everything first.

Week 2

Kindergarten: singing and creating new dance moves to Finger in the Air, review Ta & Ti-Ti

First Grade: Review Everybody Says, begin Walk Right In, discuss beat vs. no beat, listening and playing activity using beat/no beat

Second Grade: Zudio dance for fun, begin Down Down Baby with dance moves, discuss and act out strong vs weak beats with partners

Third Grade: Rockin' Robin, sing and discuss Jackson 5 and watch YouTube video, non-sense syllables, perform percussion on vocal rests

Fourth Grade: Rock Around the Clock, Elvis Presley, Interlude, Introduction, Chorus, verse, beginning of Rock & Roll

Fifth Grade: Review Adelita with 2/4, begin Roll On Columbia with 3/4, discuss Woody Guthrie, melody, harmony, descant

Sisth Grade: We Are the World original vs 25 year anniversary remake. At least 10 listening observations are due after both YouTube videos are watched.

Chorus slips are still being collected. Chorus will begin in a few weeks. I am still anxiously awaiting the music arrival and will immediately begin burning CDs and getting your packets ready! Don't forget about joining the NSE Choral Department Facebook page!

Welcome Back

All classes will be going over safety rules, fire procedures, intruder drills, and music curriculum the first rotation. All classes will learn one song before class is over.

Grades 4-6 will also be receiving chorus and band information. Any chorus forms can be returned to me during the first 2 weeks of school. Mr. Kelly will collect band forms.

I hope you all have an amazing school year!!! Keep singing!

May 12-18

K & 6 will continue to work on Graduation music

1st: Review loud and soft, introduce long and short sounds- listening quiz on both sets of opposite words

2nd: Sunset song, Native American culture, recreate song using drawings

3rd: continue to work with Mr. Kelly on recorder/instrument demonstrations for 4th grade

4th & 5th: Friendly competition of Name that Tune for bonus points on their music grade!

May 5th-11th

All lessons for this rotation will remain the same due to concert rehearsals delaying our music schedule. Please see the post below for the accurate lessons.

April 28-May 4

Kdg & 6th: graduation music

1st: Race You Down the Mountain- Tempo, ostinato chords, bells and boomsticks

2nd: In the Barnyard- introduce the half note, perform animal movements to assigned rhythm patterns, percussion instruments

3rd: working with Mr. Kelly on recorders and introducing band instrument choices for 4th grade!

4th: Happiness Runs- ostinato patterns on bells and boomsticks, repeating patterns- melodic/rhythmic

5th: memorial day music and partner songs in western style

April 21-26

Kdg: begin graduation music

1st: Spring songs about gardening, weather poem with percussion instruments to add sound effects

2nd: Old John Braddelum, wood block performances with short, short, long pattern; introduce half note

3rd: all classes should look over song # 15 for in-class practice

4th: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, introduce leaps. Review visual/aural identification of steps/leaps/repeats for in-class quiz

5th: rehearse music for memorial day program

6th: begin graduation music and music for memorial day program

April 13th-20th

Kdg: Bluebird, Bluebird- moving to the beat, performing bell patterns

1st: Old House- discuss construction tools and move to the beat, create new tools to the beat, violin

2nd: Ise Oluwa- African background, African percussion instruments, performing ostinato patterns to the song

3rd: All classes review songs 12-14 to play together as a class.

4th: Follow the Yellow Brick Road- notes that move by step, upward, and downward. Briefly discuss The Wizard of Oz background

5th: Go over final call chart maps and make corrections

6th On the Road Again- country style music, Willie Nelson, use of repetition/contrast, watch live performance on Youtube

Chorus will begin karaoke tracks this week!

April 6-12

Kindergarten - 2nd grade: varied activities due to schedule changes.

3rd Grade: all classes should review # 9-11. We will play together in class along with the recordings.

4th grade: MTA song, repeated notes, tall tale lyrics.

5th grade: all art/call charts will be finished this week.

6th grade: Final singing/bell performances for Bells of Liberty song.

March 30-April 5th

Kdg: Allee, Allee, O- discuss boats/ocean, identify repeating patterns, play ship game to the beat

1st: Identifying non-musical sounds, listen to 3 sound stories and discuss sounds, field trip in building to hear non-music sounds

2nd: How Good and Joyous, repeat signs, percussion performances using hand drum, tambourine, and triangle

3rd: McCabe, Lynch, and Shadle- # 9 individual playing grade and # 10 extra credit
Smith- Hot Cross Buns Variation for homework; in-class we will begin note 'E'

4th: Finish technology unit, Skrillex Bass, Artiphon, and Looping

5th: Final Call Chart due

6th: label bell parts and rehearse in small groups. Singing groups will also be assigned for our patriotic round.

March 23- 29

Kdg- The Days of the Week/Spanish also. Writing with Capital letters

1st- Going Over the Sea, numbers, rhyming words, and creating choreography

2nd- Old Dan Tucker, Tall Tales, and counting a dance sequence

3rd- All classes will be introduce to note 'E' using the right hand. Number 9 will be the playing assignment with number 10 as extra credit

4th- dubpad and launchpad examples. Expand the definition of Dubstep music and focus on a 'riser' and 'the drop'

5th- Week 2 of setting up call chart. Map key and symbols due by the end of class

6th- Patriotic unit, week 1, The Bells of Liberty, focus on singing, lyrics, and harmony parts

March 9-15

kindergarten: Continue learning song unit; Roll Over & Numbers Rap, counting forward and backward.

1st: Acka Backa Soda Cracka rhythm game. Must pass the 'hot potato' to the beat so you don't get out!

2nd: Strings/Not strings listening activity. Rock vs. Folk style music.

3rd: McCabe and Shadle: # 7 & 8. Lynch: # 9 and BAGE Mad Minute worksheet. Smith: review all material from the beginning. #7 is your playing solo. All classes- please remember to practice. I was surprised at how many students have not taken the time to do your playing homework. Each week will get more difficult.

4th: Tech Unit #2 open note quiz. Begin Tech unit #3 including Dubstep and Skrillex.

5th: Call chart unit. You will listen and create a map of what you hear.

6th: Final bell performance of your composition.

March 1-7

Kdg: begin unit with learning songs- ABC Rock

1st: Clap Your Hands- explore loud vs soft

2nd: String Sounds- fiddle = violin

3rd: Lynch # 8 due
Smith, shadle, McCabe # 6 & 7 due

4th: Tech unit- hot hand and vocoder demonstration videos

5th: Spiritual/Gospel style- scat, descant, and tambourine

6th: Begin rhythm/melody compositions

Feb 22-28

K-Locomotor movements and listening activity.

1- Lullaby unit with percussion performances on beats 2 & 4

2- Country line dance and creating new dance moves to the beat.

3-McCabe- # 6 & 7
Lynch- # 8
Shadle # 6 & 7
Smith # 4 & 5

4- Begin Evolution on Music technology unit, Madness by Muse and Kitara introduction.

5- Performing chords with Locked Away by Adam Levine and R. City.

6- Continue rhythm writing review and add staff notes. Return all classwork.

Rotation of Feb 13-21

5th Grade Chorus auditions will be this week and extend through Tuesday, Feb 21st.

A reminder that our NSE Choral Department has a Facebook page for 4th, 5th, and 6th chorus students and parents to stay informed and share ideas. Please type NSE Choral Department into the search box and send me a join request.

Kindergarten: Frog song, chords, boomsticks, and singing

First Grade: When the Saints Go Marching In, naming instruments by sound, choreography, and Marching Band

Second Grade: Draw what you hear!!!! Discuss Chinese instruments in art activity.

Third Grade: Write in letters on the bottom of the page with song 3 & 4. Practice song 5 as your homework. (Miss Smith's class is behind due to Valentine parties and should practice song 3 & 4)

Fourth Grade: Bon Jovi quiz, introduce and discuss synthesizer use.

Fifth Grade: Watch 2 short videos on Foley Artists in the studio.

Sixth Grade: Perform your rhythm composition with your group. You will have rehearsal time as a group before your final performance. (Miss Ney's class is behind due to my absence. You will compose your composition this week)

Chorus Auditions

Solo Auditions for chorus are:

6th grade Feb 6th-9th
5th grade Feb 13th-16th
4th grade Feb 21st-24th

Grades K-2 will be learning Valentine's Day songs this rotation.

3rd Grade is assigned to practice recorder songs # 1 & 2.

4th Grade will continue with their Bon Jovi unit learning about the uses of the talk box.

5th Grade will have a sight and sound listening quiz on notes that move by step, leap, and repeat.

6th Grade is beginning a rhythm unit focusing on sixteenth notes, math values, and performing written rhythm compositions.