Ukulele Resources

Sing Alongs

• Someone to Lava - Link

This Week's Music Class Brought To You By….Rossini!

This week in Grade 2, we will be learning about The William Tell Overture and Giochino Rossini.

Here are some places students may have heard the William Tell Overture:

Doritos Cowboy Kid Commercial
Google Chromebook
The Lone Ranger
Cherrios Commercial 2014

Grocery Store Kid's Ride

Here is some more information about the William Tell Overture:

• Finale of the William Tell Overture - Link
• Story of William Tell Opera / Overture
• Listening Exercise -  story of the William Tell Overture / Opera
• Story of William Tell  - Lego Version
• Read Aloud Book Version 
• Video of Orchestra Performance - Start at 2:45 for the Finale section
• Hip Hop Remix Video
• Boomwhackers - http://viewpure.com/cwiH4aPgEdk?start=0&end=0
• Boomwhackers - Progressively Getting Faster - Link

Beethoven Resources

• Moonlight Sonata - Video with Moon - http://viewpure.com/arMu4f8rnBk?start=0&end=0
• Ode to Joy Sheet Music - Lyrics About Beethoven - Link
• Symphony No. 6 - Song from Lynn Kleiner Kids Make Music! - Link
• Symphony No. 6 - Video of Orchestra - Link
• Symphony No. 7 - View Pure
• Note - There is a fabulous lesson that ties the rhythm of Symphony No. 7 to Frog in the Meadow in the book From Folksongs to Masterworks by Ann Eisen  - Worth every penny! Link

Boomwhacker Play Along Videos

Here are some fun Play-Alongs for Boomwhackers!

• Frere Jacques - http://viewpure.com/YpFegKX64NY?start=0&end=0
• Imperial March - John Williams - Link
• Ode to Joy - http://viewpure.com/UjsIxCdV_fg?start=0&end=0
• In the Hall of the Mountain King - Chromatics are needed - A, C, D, D#, E, G, G#, B, C. http://viewpure.com/eSSBfVhPiNc?start=0&end=0
• Pirates of the Caribbean - http://viewpure.com/6OaZaqyZKyI?start=0&end=0
• PopCorn - http://viewpure.com/yhr3n15o0yw?start=0&end=0
• We Know The Way - Moana - We play Steady Beat with all Boomwhackers - Great for Technique Practice!  http://viewpure.com/ubZrAmRxy_M?start=0&end=0

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!