STOMP! Video Project

To finish off their unit on sound production, the 6th graders created their own Stomp compositions, based on ideas taken from the popular show "Stomp!" They had to create a scene, decide on what "instruments" they would use, compose a rhythmic score, and then perform it. Easier said than done! Here's how the final videos turned out.

The Library

Lunch Time

Musical Chairs

Sword Fight

Basketall Practice

Bike Shop

Lunch Line

Math Class

Russian Dance

The 2nd graders are once again studying The Nutcracker Suite by Peter Tchaikovsky. While listening to Russian Dance, we added hand drums and rhythm sticks to play along with the recording. We discussed the form of the piece (ABA Coda) and each instrument was used to represent the different sounding sections. We also discussed accents, repeats, and codas. So many things to learn in one piece!

The rhythms each part played.

The hand drums played on the A section.

Rhythm sticks played the B section.

We Love Our Mittens!

The December 2011 issue of Music Express had a great movement game and song about mittens in it that our 1st graders played this month. Each student brought a pair of mittens to class. They could bring their regular mittens/gloves, or get creative and bring silly mittens such as oven mitts or really large or small mittens. We then sang the song and played the game in class. The students had a blast trying to memorize what everyone's mittens looked like and clapping the steady beat with their mittens on.

Christmas Composers

The Kindergarten and 1st graders have been working on composing their own rhythms. We used different holiday and winter pictures to create 4-beat rhythm patterns. In kindergarten, we call our rhythms long and short-short. In 1st grade, they become ta and ti-ti. A picture that has one syllable (tree) would be a long/ta and a picture with two syllables (present) would be a short-short/ti-ti. Check out the Christmas Rhythm Patterns they created!

Shh, present, present, present (rest, ta, ta, ta)

Present, shh, shh, tree (Ti-ti, rest, rest, ta)

Reindeer, Elf, Elf, Reindeer (ti-ti, ta, ta, ti-ti)

Elf, Elf, Reindeer, Reindeer (Ta, Ta, Ti-Ti, Ti-Ti)

Mittens, Mittens,...(ti-ti, ti-ti...)

Noisy Egg Shakers

The 6th Graders are working on a unit of sound production and how sounds are made. We studied vibrations and the difference between pitch, volume, and timbre. In this egg shaker activity, the students were paired up and given 10 different eggs. Each egg was filled with different items such as popcorn kernels, buttons, rice, marbles, paper clips, etc. The groups had to describe the sound each egg made (its timbre) and guess what was inside of it. Here are some pictures of our egg detectives!

Could it be erasers?!

Hmm...sounds like dirt!

Destination: America!

The 3rd and 4th graders had their fall program in November. The program this year was "Destination: America!" a musical tribute to all of the different types of music that developed in the United States. We sang about Rock 'n' Roll, Jazz, Motown, Grunge, Country, and Classic Rock. The kids even dressed up to represent the different genres! Here are a few pictures so you can check out their awesome costumes! (I apologize for the poor lighting in the auditorium.)

Winter Concert

The 5th and 6th graders just finished up their Winter Concert and it was a huge success! The 5th and 6th grade bands performed as well as the 5th/6th Choir. Great job everybody!

Mrs. Mattson's Rock Stars!

Every day in music class, I choose one student to be a Rock Star in my class and that student gets to autograph a giant Rock Star poster. They also receive a Rock Star certificate to take home to their parents.

To be a Rock Star, students must:

* Follow all of the Do, Re, Mi classroom rules

* Be a leader for other musicians

* Show good character towards others

Here are the Rock Stars for the first quarter! As you can see, there were quite a few (almost everyone in the school!) Way to go!!

Surround the State in Song

"Surround the State in Song" is a 5th and 6th grade honor choir that occurs every October in our state. The top singers from choirs all over are selected to perform. Five students from Ely were selected to attend this year's festival. They rehearsed for a full day and performed a wonderful concert that night. At the same time our concert was being performed, the exact same concert was being sung at 3 other locations around the state, literally surrounding the state in song! Here are some pictures of our day!

We've got such "Funny Feet"

The 5th graders have been working very hard on this video that we will be entering in a Video Mash-Up contest sponsored by Music Express. What is a Video Mash-Up, you ask? It will be a combination of multiple schools performing this same song and dance. The final video will have each group singing a portion of the song "Funny Feet" mixed in with others. Schools from all the across the United States and beyond will be entering. Wish us luck!!

Success in music is as easy as Do, Re, Mi!

GoAnimate.com: Music Room Rules by andee.mattson


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Singin' the 12-Bar Blues

The 3rd and 4th graders learned about the 12-bar blues this week. After discussing the form of the 12-bar blues, we composed our own song about things that make us blue. Here is what they came up with!

Pizza-Mia Blues 
by Mrs. Grochow's 4th Grade

We went to the store, but we didn't get pizza.

I said we went to the store, but we didn't get pizza.

We didn't get pizza, we got brussel sprouts instead!

Rainy Day Blues
by Mrs. Grochow's 4th Grade

It's raining outside. We can't play baseball.

I said it's raining outside. We can't play baseball.

We can't play baseball, so we had to play Barbies instead!

Rainy Day Blues
by Mrs. Foster's 4th Grade

I hate rainy days. I can't play outside.

I said I hate rainy days. I can't play outside.

I can't play outside, so I had to clean my room instead!

Taco Boom Blues
by Mrs. Foster's 4th Grade

I can't eat my taco. We're outta sour cream.

I said I can't eat my taco. We're outta sour cream.

We're outta sour cream, so I had to use mustard instead!

The Bad Homework Blues

by Mrs. Gault's 3rd Grade

I had to do my homework. It's all long division.

I said I had to do my homework. It's all long division.

It's all long division. Why did she do this to me?

The Bad Break-up Blues

by Mrs. Fritz's 3rd Grade

I really hate break-ups. My true love just dumped me.

I said I really hate break-ups. My true love just dumped me.

My true love just dumped me and walked right outta the door.

Krazy for Kazoos!

The 1st graders learned how to play the kazoos this week. They loved them so much, they wanted to take them home with them, so we decided to make our own kazoos to keep.

To make a homemade kazoo you will need:

• 1 empty toilet paper roll or half of a paper towel roll
• a 4"x4" piece of waxed paper
• a rubber band. 

1st: Poke a hole in the toilet paper roll (about 1/3 of the way down) with a pencil. 

2nd: Cover the end of the roll that is closest to the hole with the waxed paper.

3rd: Secure the paper with the rubber band. Make sure that no paper is covering the pencil hole.

4th: Decorate your kazoo with crayons or markers.

To play your kazoo: Hum into the opposite end of the roll. If you are having trouble making a noise, try saying "Who."

You now have your own kazoo!

 

Name That Tune

At the beginning of the year, I was dreading making my first bulletin board so much that I actually conned a friend of mine into making it for me! Now, I love making them! My latest one is a "Name That Tune" board. Each week, I change the song on the board. If students think they know what the song is, they put their name and their guess in the "Name That Tune" box. At the end of the week, I draw a winner from the correct answers. Last week's tune was "Twinkle, Twinkle." This week's is a bit harder.

Can you name this tune?

Eggcellent Rhythms!

Several of the classes decorated eggs with "eggcellent rhythms" the week of Easter. The lower grades had to compose 3 measures of music using the various note values we have learned over the year. The upper grades had to compose a measure each of 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time using a combination of note values learned over the year.

Filling in their rhythms.

A very proud Kindergartner showing off his egg.

HOPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!

There was a man lived in the moon and his name was Aiken Drum!

The 5th graders created their own kitchen band to accompany the Scottish folk tune "Aiken Drum." Our band was made up of ladles, serving spoons, pie tins, cookie sheets, skillets, metal cans, muffin tins, and a teapot! We're thinking about taking our band on the road and performing professionally! ;o)

Newspaper Dance-Off

Each month, we do a creative movement activity. This month, we had a dance-off; but not your ordinary dance-off! Each student was given a section of the newspaper to dance on. If their foot touched the floor, they were out. Easy enough, right?! WRONG!

Once round one was over, students had to fold their newspaper in half. This caused students to think up more creative ways to dance.

And slowly, the newspapers got smaller...

 And smaller...

 ...and smaller!

Some of the most creative dancers (who also happened to be the ones with the smallest feet!) made it all the way to Round 5! WOW!

5 Green and Speckled Frogs

The 1st graders put on a full performance of "5 Green and Speckled Frogs" complete with a choir, guiros (yum! yum!), hand drums (glub! glub!), acting, and a visual board display!

The 5 frogs and our band!

1 jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool!

Making the frogs on the Promethean board jump into the pool.

"Rats! The Story of the Pied Piper"

Here are some pictures from the 4th-6th grade spring program. Great job everyone!!