Thank you to those who attended the K-4 Winter Celebration!  I look forward to seeing some of you at the Grade 5/6 concert.

The Nutcracker

As Winter draws near, students learn songs and poems about the wintery season.  Needless to say, one of the most popular and well-loved classical works is the ballet The Nutcracker by Piotr Tchaikovsky.  Over the past week or so, students have been listening to excerpts from the ballet suite. 

If you want to learn more about the composer, you may click on the following link:

https://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/composer_profile.php?id=75

If you want to learn more about The Nutcracker ballet, you may click on the following link:

https://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/shows.php?id=93

Classics for Kids is an excellent website for anyone who wants to learn more about classical music.  Enjoy!

Winter Celebration

Just to add to the message from last week.  The Grade 5/6 Winter Celebration will take place on December 13, 2018 at 6 pm.  See you there!

One of Those Wonderful Winter Nights...

You are cordially invited to join us for the K-4 Winter Celebration, One of Those Wonderful Winter Nights.

Date:   December 6, 2018

Time:  6 pm

Place:  Elboya School gymnasium

The Grade 3/4 choir will be featured.  See you there!

"When playing music, 

it is possible to achieve a unique sense of peace."

~Daniel Barenboim

In preparation of our winter celebration, students are already learning pieces of music connected to this wintery season.  Students sing songs about snow, snowflakes, and the traditions and ceremonies held around this wintery season hundreds of years ago.  

Stay tuned with more updates about our Winter Celebrations. 

Music is the social act of communication among people,

a gesture of friendship, 

the strongest there is.

~ Malcolm Arnold

English composer

For the first time, Kindergarten students "performed" off a non-standardized musical score.  By observing the shapes, symbols and signs on the musical score, students responded by varying the pitch, articulation and volume of their voices.  Grade 1 students continued to explore different instruments; this time, barred instruments.  

Grade 2 students accepted the challenge to play a bordun on barred instruments.  This skill requires good mallet control and precision in rhythm.  Grade 3 students performed a multi-voiced texture with three layers of rhythm.  They also extended their instrumental techniques on barred instruments by exploring different ways to use the mallets in order to achieve the effects that they want.

Grade 4 students expanded their understanding of rhythm to include ti-ticka's and ticka-ti's.  They will be learning to notate familiar songs involving this rhythmic pattern.  Grade 5 students explored arpeggiated bordun and syncopations when playing multi-voiced textures.

On Imagination and Inner Hearing

"We should read music in the same way 

that an educated adult will read a book:

In silence, but imagining the sound."

~ Zoltan Kodaly

This quote by Zoltan Kodaly, one of the greatest music educators of our time, captures very well the philosophy of my music program.  For the past few weeks, students have been working on developing their "inner hearing", i.e. imagining the sound before delivering the performance.  This could mean what the melody, rhythm, dynamics, articulation, expression might be in an ideal performance.  

Kindergarten and Grade 1 students have been working a lot on interpreting a text and finding the right sound or mode of expression to communicate the meaning of the text.  Grade 1 students have extended this skill to "score reading".  They were asked to interpret a graphic notation and used different vocal qualities, dynamics and articulation in response to what they saw in the "music score."  Grade 2 and 3 students have been working on imagining a beat of silence in the midst of sounds.  This is a kind of "inner hearing" that is important in developing rhythmic precision when playing with other musicians.  Grade 4 and 5 students focused on the concept of "balance" when playing in ensembles especially when certain instruments, e.g. the recorder, have a softer tone than other instruments.

The Power of Music

Music begins where the possibilities of language end.
~ Jean Sibelius

In our music program, students have the opportunity to experience the power of music.  Kindergarten and Grade 1 students continued to explore the four families of non-pitched instruments and see what possibilities they have to offer.  Kindergarten students created their first non-standardized "musical score" while Grade 1 used these non-pitched instruments to tell a story.  Grade 2 students continued to build on their inquiry on "polarities" (or opposites) in music.  They identified high vs. low, loud vs. soft as different "polarities".  Now they are experiencing sound vs. silence as another type of "polarities."  

Grade 3 students performed a three-voice texture through chant. They experienced the connection between language and the musical language and will soon be transferring these complex rhythmic levels into non-pitched instruments.  Grade 4 students learned about how the composer Franz Schubert, in an absolutely ingenious way, told a musical story, e.g. how the piano was used to mimic the galloping of the horse and how one singer took on four different characters in the song.  Grade 5 students took on the challenge to incorporate a recorder part into their complex multi-voiced texture.  Through instrumental playing, not only do students have a chance to experience what ensemble playing means, they can also feel the power of music, which is capable of evoking a huge range of moods.

Blow, Wind, Blow

Students continued to use Autumn as the unifying theme to explore different concepts in music. 

After having explored different vocal qualities and body percussion, Kindergarten and Grade 1 students learned about the four families of non-pitched instruments:  wood, metal, shake and scrape, and membrane.  Grade 2 students begin to explore beats groups in 3s rather than 2s.  Grade 3 reviewed basic rhythmic reading while Grade 4 continued to build on their skill to notate the rhythm of familiar songs.  Grade 5 students performed complex multi-voiced texture on barred instruments, the drum and the recorder.

Autumn songs

As we enter into the season of Autumn, students learn songs about this beautiful time of the year.  Through these songs, Kindergarten and Grade 1 students explore the concept of high vs. low in music.  Grade 2 students use these songs as an inspiration for the creation of a soundscape.  Grade 3 students and 4 students build on their instrumental playing skills with a multi-voiced texture.  Grade 5 students explore unique rhythmic patterns in Israeli songs about harvest.

Music - the universal language of mankind

Music is the universal language of mankind.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Language development and literacy is a huge part of the elementary program, and music is the  universal language which allows us to communicate across cultures, traditions, and languages.  It is another means to explore and express our feelings.

Kindergarten and Grade 1 have been exploring different vocal qualities ---- speaking voice, singing voice, stage voice and whispering voice.  They have also begun exploring their own body as a musical instrument.  Apart from the four main body percussion, that is, snapping, clapping, patting and stomping, students created original body percussion sounds to add to this repertoire of sonic resource. Grade 2 students started to explore "opposites" in music.  Through songs and pieces that they have sung and listened to, students noticed that there are many "opposites" in music, e.g. high vs. low, loud vs. soft.  These "opposites" create what musicians call "polarities" in music.

While Grade 3 students begin to explore the basic rhythmic building blocks of music, Grade 4 students extended their understanding of rhythm into "meter" as indicated by time signatures as they begin to examine the topic "Music in Motion and Motion is Music."  They are also performing different ostinato patterns which are part of a multi-voiced texture.  Grade 5 students delve deeper into music literacy by exploring 16th notes and the corresponding rests.  Looking into solfège gives students the basic vocabulary to analyze melodic and harmonic structure of a piece of music. 

Music is Everywhere

Everything you do is music, and

everywhere is the best seat. 

~ John Cage

Kindergarten and Grade 1 began exploring "body percussion" as one of the ways to create music.  They learned that it is called body percussion because we use different body parts to make music.  They also learned that it is called body percussion because it works just like percussion instruments where one makes music by "striking." Grade 2 told their first musical story The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  By assigning a different instrument to each main character, they captured vividly each of the main characters. 

Grade 3 students added the note doh to their knowledge of solfège.  They learned that doh represents "home" in music.  Grade 4 reviewed the concept of ticka-ticka's and looked at how the different rhythmic values can be put together to create some basic rhythmic building blocks.  They also performed canons through singing.  Grade 5 worked on notating the rhythm of a chant they have learned.  They also experienced a new musical style ---- Calypso ---- through singing. 

Reminder:
Grade 3/4 choir starts Tuesday, September 25.
Grade 5/6 choir starts on Wednesday, September 26.

Let's make some joyful noise!

We have enjoyed the first week of music classes!  Kindergarten and Grade 1 students sang a number of familiar songs, listened to some stories sung by Ms. Ling and explored the concept of body percussion.  They also experienced the concepts of high vs. low and sound vs. silence.

Grade 2 students reviewed some of the concepts from last year, including non-pitched instruments and rhythmic reading based on ta's and ti-ti's.  Using Three Billy Goats Gruff as an inspiration, students tried to find the best non-pitched instruments to represent main characters in the story.

Grade 3 students created and performed soundscapes by using non-pitched instruments while Grade 4 students explored rhythmic patterns based on ticka-ticka's. 

Grade 5 students reviewed their skills on barred instruments and performed complex rhythmic pieces on various levels of body percussion.

Choir
Students who are interested in joining the choir as an extra-curricular activity is encouraged to see Ms. Ling for a permission form.  Grade 3/4 choir will meet on Tuesdays over the lunch hour and Grade 5/6 choir will meet on Wednesdays over the lunch hour.

Welcome!

"The true beauty of music is that it connects people.

It carries a message, and, we, the musicians, are the messengers."

~Roy Ayers

My name is Ms. Ling and I will be teaching music to the students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 at Elboya School this year.  I look forward to making some "joyful noise" together with my students.

Music is a unique and powerful language.  When children make music, they develop a sense of self-awareness and self-expression.

This year, Kindergarten to Grade 5 students will have the opportunity to enjoy and gain insight into music through exploring, improvising, and performing while combining elements of speech, rhythm, movement, dance, song and instrumental playing.  They will be active participants in a process which allows for differing musical abilities.