Ode To Joy - Easy Version for Recorder

For quite some time now, I have enjoyed using Ode To Joy as a teaching piece for students learning high C and high D on recorder.  However, the original dotted quarter to eighth note rhythms have always been a challenge.  The link below offers a modified rhythm that will be more easy for students to perform.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzshsl6W45K9N1RKOWs1Smx2c1U/edit?usp=sharing

Alphabet Movement Cards

Practice Steady Beat and support learning the alphabet with these Alphabet Movement Cards. When using this activity, I usually display the PDF on the projector for students to follow along.  Click here to download!

Sheet Music - Cheetah Anthem, Engine Engine Number Nine, and Hornpipe Theme by Handel for Recorder

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, so thought I would place a few links to free sheet music:

Our school song, the Cheetah Anthem.

Engine, Engine Number Nine


Theme from Handel's Hornpipe - arranged for Elementary Music Students to play on Recorder

Movement Activities

Cards for Weather
In our district, students study the weather as part of science in Grade 1.  I found this resource with movement cards that depict weather.  Great to use when we sing weather songs in April!
http://www.thingstoshareandremember.com/whats-the-weather-movement-activity/

Movement List - http://makememusical.blogspot.com/2011/01/101-movement-words-fantastic-list-for.html

Today's Music Class brought to you by…..what famous composer??

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Tchaikovsky Music in Commercials

Pease Porridge Hot Rhythms

First Grade students have been working on learning about Quarter Notes, Eighth Notes, and Quarter Rests this month in music.  We recently learned the chant Pease Porridge Hot, then practiced writing our rhythms.

Turkey Dinner - Thanksgiving Rhythm Assessment

Turkey Dinner is a Thanksgiving Rhythm Assessment for sixteenth notes that I'll be using with my fourth grade students next week.  Students have been performing songs with sixteenth note patterns such as: Ghost of John (ostinato), Tideo/Jingle At The Windows, Chattanooga Choo Choo, and No One's In The House But Dinah.  The melody of Turkey Dinner matches that of Frere Jacques and is based on lyrics created by fellow elementary music teacher, Cynthia Tomes (thanks Cynthia!!).  In this assessment, students will sing the melody as an A section while the B section will be rhythmic patterns.  Students can perform rhythms individually, followed by group echoes.  When the student is done performing, they could select a barred instrument (set to pentatonic scale) or rhythm instruments upon which to play the remaining patterns.    Click here to get the SmartNotebook file.

Step by step lesson plans are shown below.