Grade 5 - Opera Unit

Our Fifth Grade students get to learn about Opera!  Last year, I found an AMAZING opera video of Hansel and Gretel from The Metropolitan Opera.  It is even in English!!!  My students (and myself) were mesmerized!  It is a little dark at times, but has wonderful videography, costumes, and set.

The video can be purchased from Met Opera's store - just $21!!!
https://www.metoperashop.org/shop/hansel-and-gretel-live-in-hd-dvd-met-opera-1730


Here is an excerpt on viewpure.com. There is no singing, but it will let viewers see the amazing costumes!
http://viewpure.com/HR6EmxZYMJQ?start=0&end=0

Sometimes we have time to fully immerse ourselves in the many jobs that must be done to create an opera.  Students have completed these artifacts to show the knowledge they gained about opera:

• Create a Brochure showing what you learned about Opera
• Create/Design Costume
• Create/Design Set
• Create/Design Music

George Gershwin

It's Composers and Compositions Week at Crestview Elementary!

In Grade 4, we are learning about George Gershwin.  George Gershwin was a musical composer.  He lived from 1898 to 1937.  He composers during the 20th Century Music Era.  Some of his most famous works are Rhapsody In Blue, Funny Face, I Got Rhythm, and Summertime.  Some interesting facts about Gershwin include:  he wrote music with his brother Ira, he wrote music for movies and musicals, and his music was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.  United Airlines uses his music, Rhapsody in Blue, for their theme song.

• United Airlines Theme Song - Click Here to Watch on View Pure
• George Gershwin Biography from Making Music Fun - Click Here
• Free American Composers Flip Book  - Click Here

Concert Checklist

These are the things that need done for a concert to run smoothly.

• August
• Reserve the stage or venue
• send note home about concerts - get translated for other languages
• Send out the information to teachers - ask them to put it in their Newsletter
• Ask Secretary to placed on school website
• Ask to meet with teachers if your concert aligns with their curriculum
• Select Music (for the most part); videotape students performing one of the songs from the concert each quarter (same song throughout the year so they can see their growth).
• January
• Ask teachers to again place information in their newsletter
• Send home additional note
• At Least 6 Weeks before the Concert
• Rehearsal Schedule - Always 2 with the entire group.  No large group rehearsal on the day of the concert if at all possible.
• Rehearsal Schedule for Readers and Soloists - including practicing with the microphone in front of an audience
• Send home fliers with Concert Information and Lyrics
• Writing Challenge and Art Contest
• 4 Weeks Before the Concert
• Riser Order (If students are transitioning to play instruments, consider placing groups on risers as opposed to in rows.)
• Start building stamina for standing on the risers.
• Assign instruments and part (if used.  Practice transitions including the expectations for voice / body when moving to instruments).  Remember to put all the instrument in rehearsal where you want them at the concert.
• Request permission to video from publishers.
• Create a Scale with students regarding behavior and performance at the concert.
• 3 Weeks Before the Concert
• Custodian Request - Concert Arrangement and Instrument Moving to Concert Location
• Refreshments - Cookies and Drinks
• -Prepare Packets / Files for Classroom Teachers
• Email Schedule to Classroom Teachers
• -Get someone to run the CD Player (even a student)!
• Record and Critique
• 2 Weeks Before the Concert
• Call parents of students ending video permission
• Pre-concert meeting to go over the details with all staff that are involved (if possible)
• Make a recording of students reading the Concert Etiquette to play at the concert.
• 1 Week Before the Concert
• Concert Program created and printed
• Reminder letters (include where to go at beginning and how to pick up)
• Double check in with the secretary at the Auditorium that the event is taking place.
• Week of the Concert
• Parent Phone Calls
• Provide Concert Order to Teachers for Rehearsals
• Create Riser Order by ROW for use in pre-concert staging area.  Students should go on the rises in a long row even if they are groups by class spread out among multiple rows)
• Request teacher assistance with monitoring hallway and video
• Plan your thanks you for after the concert.  Give thanks to ALL that helped with the concert and families for getting students there.
• Decorations if needed
• Double Check with Venue about Performance Dates and Details
• Be very clear about expectations during rehearsals
• Evening of Concert
• Signs to show parents where each classroom is standing
• Concert Etiquette - 
• Student microphones should be loud.  More light on stage than in audience
• Students should exit the risers and stay in their order - returning to the staging area for pick up and meeting their parents.  Parents form a line and staff call the student to meet with parent.
• Need supervision of students in the classrooms by 10 minutes before students arrive.
• Student Arrival and Pre Concert Staging.  Students should sit in their spot and stay seated until heading out to the auditorium.
• Post Concert
• Thank you Emails and Small Gifts (Kind Bars, Small bags of Chips / Popcorn, etc)
• Students
• Concert Evaluation
• Rewards for Coming
• Grading - input information as students evaluate their performance
• Fun Activities!

Songs About Perseverance

The character trait of Perseverance has been the focus for our school this month.  Here are some songs about Perseverance for the Elementary Music Room:

• Bright Happy Day - Music K-8 (Keep a Good Attitude no matter what) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qgj_4dSqxA
• Fly - Maddie and Tae
• Little By Little - Natalie Sleeth - http://www.hinshawmusic.com/search_results.php?keyword=sleeth&RECORD_INDEX(hinshaw_search)=31
• Lyrics - http://www.scoutscan.com/songs/songsl.html
• Haba Na Haba - http://www.stantons.com/sheet-music/title/haba-na-haba-little-by-little/35008658/

Using Your iPod For Assessment in the Music Classroom

Today we tried a solfege assessment that utilized an iPod and it worked out great!  Students are often intimidated by singing a solo all by themselves.  This activity allowed students to have the support of a group sound while still allowing me to hear their growth as individuals.

1. Display a Grade Level Appropriate Solfeggi Melody for all to see
2. As a class, practice the melodies a few times.
3. Set your iPod to Voice Memo and start a new recording.
4. The first student says "This is Student Name."  Then holds the iPod close to his or her mouth while the entire class sings several melodies.
5. Pass the iPod to the next student and repeat several times.
6. Assess different students on the next class meeting.

This is so great for several reasons!  Not only did I get to hear each student individually on the recording, but I also was able to hear who was using a singing voice versus a speaking voice.  I could also diagnose which students were able to identify the solfege on sight versus which students were hesitating to sing until the other students had already begun.

This could be a great tool for encouraging your reluctant singers or finding hidden stars in your music classroom!

Baby Music Class Lesson Plans

Song List

December 7, 2016

                                              

•   Greeting:  

Hello Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGiTL-C2peM  

Say Hello to Katie, Katie, Katie.

Say Hello to Katie, Say Hello.

•   Stretch: Way Up High Snow is Falling

Way up high up near the clouds (Baby hands above head)

Snowflakes fall down to the ground (Guide baby hands to toes)

Down to the ground. (Guide baby hands above head and back to toes)

•   Tickles: Babies Fingers https://storytimekatie.com/songs-rhymes/babies/

These are baby’s fingers (touch fingers)

These are baby’s toes (touch toes)

This is baby’s belly button (touch stomach)

Round and round it goes! (tickle)

•  Listen:  Nutcracker - March (Play Drum) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2PQ8LWXZD8

•   Other: Snowflakes Falling Down – Scarf Tickles

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down.

See them falling to the ground.

See them landing here and there.

See them landing everywhere!

•   Action:  Here's A Hill - https://rockthelibrary.com/story-time/songs-rhymes-tickles/ 

Here’s a hill (tilt left arm so that it forms a hill)

And here’s a hill (tilt right arm so that it forms a hill)

All covered with snow (raise hands up, bring down in snow motion)

I’ll put on my coat, (put coat on)

And jump on my sled (hold the rope of a sled)

And ZOOM, down the hill I will go! (clap hands, slid hands down)

•   Instrument: Jingle Bells and Sing

•   Bounce:  Trot Trot to London

With baby in lap, bouce to beat as saying the chant.

Trot trot to London,

Trot trot to Dover.

Look out Katie,

You might fall over!

·      Goodbye:  Come My Friends - Lynn Kleiner - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC1N12EM6vw

Come my friends and gather round so we can sing goodbye

We’ll sing and dance another day.

So long, farewell goodbye.

Great Resource:

• https://storytimekatie.com/songs-rhymes/babies/