The Many Layers of a Song

Learning is a complicated business.  Each element of the music curriculum can be studied on it's own, but in real life all of these elements are interconnected and work together to create the magic of music.  We honour this reality in the music classroom.  Every song, poem, dance or instrumental piece is full of different things to learn!

This week, the Grade One students are working on a song called "Tick Tock".  It may sound simple, but there is so much hidden inside!  First, students are working on matching pitch so that each voice sounds the same.  But as they learn the melody of the song, they also notice that the first and third phrases are the same.  This helps us understand musical form, or how a piece is organised into similar and contrasting sections.  As students sing, they are also learning how to clap on the beat, a skill which will soon be transferred to playing the wood block.  Finally, we are learning how to handle our first instrument, the "boomwhacker".  As we hit these plastic tubes on the floor, each child can hear that their instrument sings better when it bounces, which is foundational to effective percussion technique.  

The Grade Two and Three students are learning a song about Liza Briggs.  This piece is centred around our first two melody notes "so" and "mi", and offers a chance to practice showing these pitches with our voice, hand and notation.  We not only learned how to match pitch with those around us, we have also started working on using deliberate expression to portray the mood of the music.  We have also noticed that his song also has repeating sections, which helps us to understand the form of this piece.  Now that we know the song well, we have also added a repeated spoken pattern to perform at the same time, which teaches us how to perform our own part, while listening how it fits with a contrasting part that someone else is performing.  This spoken pattern will soon be transferred to instruments that will accompany our voice.  

"Mi" is a low sound.

"So" is a high sound. 

These pieces are short and simple, but they pack a punch!  When we are deliberate about our teaching and learning, one little song can teach us so very much!  

Keep the BEAT!

Students from Grades One to Three have all been keeping the beat!  Have you ever found yourself tapping your toe while listening to your favourite song?  Well, that’s the beat, and it’s the most fundamental element of music.  

We show the beat with a heart shape.  We use this symbol because our heartbeat is steady throughout our lives, just like the beat is steady through a song.  Sometimes it’s a fast beat when we are exercising, and sometimes it’s a slow beat when we are resting, but it is always, always steady.

In our first week, we have been keeping the beat by mirroring the movements of the teacher while listening to a piece called “The Royal March of the Lions” (from the suite “The Carnival of the Animals” by C. Saint-Saens).  We have noticed that some of our movements show the steady beat, and some of our movements do not.  

Click HERE and ask your child(ren) to share the actions we have learned.  Which actions show the steady pulse of the beat, and which actions are much slower than the beat?  Then turn on your favourite tune and find your own actions to keep that beat!

School Council and Volunteering at ROS!

1.  Hug & Go volunteers needed.  Hug & Go was officially up and running this week.  We in are need of volunteers who could help with Hug & Go from 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.  Ms. Dalton is currently coordinating the September schedule. The commitment could be as little as one day month or more depending on your availability.  If you already have your Police Clearance you can start volunteering right away.  If anyone is interested please contact Ms. Dalton at bfdalton@cbe.ab.ca. 

2. All parents please ensure you have filled out your volunteer survey for the 2016 – 2017 school year.  This needs to be completed annually so the volunteer coordinator can update the system.  Click on the link below to complete the survey.  

https://docs.google.com/a/educbe.ca/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVzeqXUMawWTi6LjB2yXsEZrehEVS4---nR4bXj1XSW7Wh3g/viewform?c=0&w=1

3.  School Council Meeting is on Monday, September 12 @ 7p.m. In the Royal Oak School staffroom.  We welcome all parents to attend.

Sing a New Song!

 A new school year has begun, full of excitement and opportunity!  We will learn about language and math, how the world works and how each of us fits into the community around us - and our work in the music room will enrich our learning in all of these areas.  
We will explore language by analysing the meaning and natural rhythms of speech and song, we will explore pattern and number by playing instruments and moving, and we will build meaningful connections with each other as we make music together.  More than that, each student will deepen their own understanding of what they think is beautiful, or interesting, or funny, and will have the opportunity to feel the pride and satisfaction of being a musician.

I am looking forward to working with the community of Royal Oak, and invite you to be a part of our musical adventures!  Watch this space for both classroom and extracurricular updates, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year.