The first graders are starting to learn solfege:
We are starting with Sol and Mi. The students have learned the hand signs for these two syllables, and can echo the four beat patterns we sing! We will be spending a lot of time on mastering Sol and Mi, and will eventually add La and Do. Practicing solfege will help your child sing in tune more accurately and confidently! We also learned a chant called "Chop, Chop, Chippety Chop." We all pretended that we were chefs in a fancy restaurant (wearing our fancy hats and jackets too, of course!) and we "made" the most interesting soup you could imagine! Broth, celery, chicken, carrots....Kit-Kats? Pizza? Each student selected their own ingredients, and we incorporated them into the chant.
The second graders have been working on a challenging new song called, "Come and Follow Me." Each phrase is sung a little bit higher than the last, with one phrase ("singing together, as one!") completing the phrases. Once the students were comfortable with the song, we added the body percussion! It takes a lot of coordination to get the hang of, but we worked on it slowly and patiently. The students have done a wonderful job! They also began singing a hilarious song- "Alligator Pie." Some of the students suggested new lyrics, and it was a blast to sing!
In third grade, the students have been practicing "Four White Horses." It is a calypso song from Trinidad with a catchy rhythm and steel drum accompaniment. The students giggle every time we get to the lyric, "shallow bay is a ripe banana!" You can ask your child what that lyric means :) After we learned the song, the students got into quartets and practiced a fun hand clapping routine. We will be performing the song in class next week, complete with a conga line!
The fourth graders reviewed the cup game, and did some variations on the routine. Cups were passed right, cups were passed left, and they even performed with their eyes closed! It was fun to practice different ways to play. The fourth graders also started chorus this week! We spent a lot of time setting up our iPads so we can read the score, and learned about the importance of warming up our voices. Bill and Ted (see below) helped with breathing! We are ready to get busy with our Winter concert songs next week!
Bill and Ted
Fifth grade students reviewed their cup game along with the song "I've Been to Harlem." Some students were even ready to learn the "super hard cup game." The routine is a little bit harder, and a little bit faster. It pairs perfectly with "In the Hall of the Mountain King," and things certainly get trickier when the tempo increases! Most students spent the second half of the week at Bourndale, so they will start chorus next week!
We hope you have an awesome weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment