Weekly Review

It was a busy week in music. Our second and fifth graders had performances. Congratulations to both grade levels!

First grade students watched, "Tubby the Tuba." It is about an unhappy tuba leaving an orchestra in order to search for his own melody. Next week we will continue to play the Orff instruments- the xylophones, the metallophones and the glockenspiels. 

Congratulations to our second grade students who put on a wonderful Memorial Day performance! They did a fabulous job singing and looked adorable in their patriotic attire. 

Third grade students are busy practicing for their recorder concert on Tuesday, June 8th. They should be practicing all the belt song that they have passed plus Skip to My Lou. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Our fourth grade students are busy working on their compositions. We have so many creative and talented students. We can't wait to watch their performances next week. Each class will perform for a first or second grade class. 

Our fifth grade students were so excited to learn the Ukuleles this week. We learned four chords- C, G, a minor, and F and how to switch between the chords. Skip to My Lou was the first song we learned and the song helped us practice switching between two chords. We ended our Ukulele time with Jason Miraz's famous song, "I'm Yours." Here is Mrs. Burns class playing the chords:

We held our First Annual All Town Concert on Tuesday night. It was such a wonderful experience to hear the elementary, middle school, and high school chorus perform. There was even a house band which two of our former Memorial students are now part of. Thank you to the students who participated that night. It was a memorable experience. Here are some pictures of our time:

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Weekly Review 5/14 - 5/18

This week in music, the first graders finished their Pass the Shoe game and activity from last week. They even learned how to sing the lyrics of the song in Dutch! (big thanks to Amy for helping everyone!). They also played the Orff instruments. Carl Orff believed that, "A successful and fun experience is the basis for a positive learning process." Thus, he designed a learning approach which uses tone bar instruments. These instruments include the bass, alto and soprano xylophones, metallophones, and soprano and alto glockenspiels. The students learned the difference between a xylophone, metallophone, and a glockenspiel. They also learned which mallets are appropriate for each of these instruments and how to hold the mallets properly.

The second graders continued to rehearse for next week's Memorial Day performance. Parents of second grade students: Please join us on Friday, May 25th at 10:00 in the cafeteria to see your child perform! 

We can't wait to see you there!

The third graders recently started a new recorder song, Skip to my Lou. This week, they mastered the bass line as well as two different harmony parts. Next week we will add the melody! We also listened to one more song that we will perform in our June concert - a fun Irish jig!

The fourth graders started an amazing book project. They will be composing music to accompany a children's story, and in a few weeks they will perform them for a kindergarten or first grade class. Classes will be composing for "Knuffle Bunny," "Rainbow Fish," and "Jabuti." They will be using music to help tell the story, just like how movies have a musical score playing in the background to help enhance the mood.

Fifth grade students have been rehearsing for next Tuesday's All Town Chorus concert! Here are some reminders:

• Students should wear their blue Memorial volleyball t-shirts.
• Call time is 6:25 p.m. at the HIGH SCHOOL. Students should be dropped off in the music wing, and will meet us in the band room.
• You will be representing Memorial. We expect good behavior, great attitudes, and energetic singing! 

They also learned two chords on the ukuleles, C and G. These are the I and V chords for many simple tunes! We will play through a few songs next week in music.

Weekly Review 5/7-5/11

Our school had our annual Teachers vs. 5th Grade Volleyball Tournament and guess who won?? Our fabulous 5th graders! Congratulations! Despite the upset, the art and music team still managed still show their teacher pride. Here is a picture of us to put a little smile on your face. Can you guess who is behind the white sunglasses and the blue wig?

The first graders continued to learn about the Carnival of the Animals, by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.  They had fun moving like the various animals that were invited to the carnival. Students also followed a listening map to the "Fossils" movement, and learned all about the featured instruments:  the xylophone, the piano, and the clarinet. Here is Mrs. Burnham and Mrs. Panag's students displaying their fossil maps:

Our second grade students have been busy preparing for Memorial Day Concert on Friday, May 25th at 10:00 a.m.  Many students also performed their class compositions with their partners. Here are some of the highlights from this week:




We will be posting the rest of the performances next week. Stay tuned!

Third grade students really progressing with their recorders. This week, they learned high C and high D. Those notes are tricky so keep practicing! Each student should have received a "pink belt" also known as , "Skip to My Lou" which they will be performing at the violin/recorder concert.

Fourth grade students just started their composition projects this week. Each student will be put into groups and will create music to various parts of a book. They can choose any instrument they would like, even using Garage Band on the IPAD! In a few weeks, they will be performing this book for a kindergarten or first grade class.

Our fifth graders will be learning the Ukuleles next week and will also be preparing for the All Town Chorus Concert on Tuesday, May 22nd. A yellow letter should have gone home last week. Incase you have not received it, here is a copy of it:

First Annual All-Town Chorus Concert

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

7:00 p.m.

Wooden Gym

Burlington High School

Arrival time: 6:25 p.m.

Band Room

Concert attire:  Please wear your Memorial volleyball game t-shirt!

Please email Mrs. Niu (niu@bpsk12.org) or Mrs. Rzasa (rzasa@bpsk12.org) if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Review 4/30 - 5/4

This week, the first graders learned all about a musical suite by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns called "Carnival of the Animals."  There are 14 movements, each representing a different animal (with a few jokes thrown in too!). We read a book and listened to each theme, as the students pretended to be those animals. Then, they watched a video of the suite being performed by the Mormon Youth Symphony at the San Diego Zoo!

The second grade students are continuing to rehearse for their Memorial Day Concert. Below is the flyer that is going home with the students today:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We would like to invite you and your family to the 2nd Grade Memorial Day Assembly on Friday, May 25th at 10:00 a.m. in the Cafetorium. Your child will be singing and dancing as part of their Memorial Day presentation. Students are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue - and may accessorize as they please!

We hope to see you there!

Mrs. Rzasa and Mrs. Niu

Memorial Music Department

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This week they got to add props to their songs - either scarves or ribbons! Some of the students also worked on writing lyrics for their class composition. We hope to share the results next week.

The third grade students have been working so hard on learning new songs and new notes on the recorder! Many students are learning Old MacDonald Had a Farm and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. In their centers, they started two new fun games: Crazy 8ths and Busted! They also read about the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem. Mr. Mullen, one of the music teachers at the middle school, came to guest-teach one of our third grade groups too!

The fourth and fifth graders did a WONDERFUL job at their spring concert this week.

On May 22nd, the 5th grade students will be performing at our All-Town Chorus Concert with students from Fox Hill, Francis Wyman, Pine Glen, the middle school AND the high school! Mark your calendars :)