January 28, 2013

Grade 6: Our goals for this week are to continue building our reading skill using our sol-fa syllables by creating and performing a simple song using the major pentatonic scale, and performing ostinati to accompany our melodies. (The pentatonic scale is often associated with Oriental melodies.)

During our first class of the week, we review by echoing and reading patterns using do, re, mi, sol and la. Since we ran out of time last class, we will now listen to the story "Mei Ming and the Dragon's Daughter" and as the story is told, imagine how the pentatonic melody in this story might sound. Students will have an opportunity create a melody with a partner/group for Mei Ming's song::

     Fish have fins,
     Bird have wings,
     I have a small voice and
     I can sing.

During our second class of the week, students will learn more about penatonic music in China. They will complete their pentatonic melodies, rehearse them, and perform these melodies using voice and appropriate pitched percussion instruments.
If time permits, we will add authentic non-pitched instruments. Finally we will work to create our own Chinese percussion ostinato for Chinese New Year called "Hsehuo Gudien" or Festival Parade.

Grade 7: 
This is week 1 in term 2. Students are expected to practise twice this week outside of class. Our goals are to begin developing independence when playing in parts.
During our first class of the week, we will review/play songs 25, 26, 33 and 34 and will work with a partner to perform one of the songs for a mark next class. Practise record sheets will be collected and new ones assigned for term 2.
During our second class of the week, students will receive a pentatonic scale worksheet and will learn to play and improvise simple patterns using the penatonic scale.  For homework students will complete this worksheet.

Homework: practise your two part song (25, 26, 33, or 34) to present to the class, and finish pentatonic worksheet.

Grade 8:
This is week one in term 2. Students should practise twice outside of class this week. Our goals for this week are to improve our reading/playing skills by learning "Crusade" after decoding it, and begin considering how music affects the listener by exploring movie theme songs (incidental music) in our unit "Music and the Movies".
During our first class of the week, we will explore our score for "Crusade" and understand all of the terms and symbols used. We will play 16 measures and learn another 8 for homework.
During our second class of the week, we will watch a short youtube video about the history of "Talkies" and then in groups, try to match movies with recordings of their theme songs. Students will need to support their choices by analyzing what they hear in each musical example, and how it makes them feel. For homework, students will be asked to complete a worksheet "Movie Theme Analysis".

Homework: Movie Theme Analysis worksheet and practise 24 measures or more of "Crusade"

Grade 6: Our goals for this week are to continue building our reading skill using our sol-fa syllables by creating and performing a simple song using the major pentatonic scale, and performing ostinati to accompany our melodies. (The pentatonic scale is often associated with Oriental melodies.)
During our first class of the week, we will take up our test. Then will work on echoing and reading patterns using do, re, mi, sol and la. Students will listen to the story "Mei Ming and the Dragon's Daughter" and as the story is told, imagine how the pentatonic melody in this story might sound. Students will have an opportunity create a melody with a partner/group.
During our second class of the week, students will learn more about penatonic music in China. They will complete their pentatonic compositions, rehearse them, and to perform these melodies using voice and pitched percussion instruments.
If time permits, we will begin an authentic Chinese percussion ostinato for Chinese New Year called "Hsehuo Gudien" or Festival Parade.

Grade 7: This is practise week 9 in term 1. Students are expected to practise twice this week outside of class. Our goals for this week are to demonstrate our composing, reading and playing skills on our instrument by performing our Question and Answer composition as a solo. We will also begin our journals in which we will record our thoughts and feelings about the music we hear and play.
During our first class of the week most students will perform their solo compositions. Students  will answer the first journal question in response to performances by other members of our class. (see last week's blog for question #1).
During our second class of the week students will continue to perform and journal to complete this assignment. We will also begin to read and play in more than one part focusing on method book songs #25, 26, 31, and 33.
Homework: practise songs #25, 26, 31, and 33

Grade 8: This is practise week 15 in term 1. Students are expected to practise twice this week outside of class. Our goals for this week are to
During our first class of the week most students will perform their Peace Hymn for a mark. (This assessment was delayed to provide an extra practise period for many students who were unprepared.)
During our second class of the week students will decode their copy of "Crusade" (* for new fingerings, ? for things that you don't understand/need to look up, ( ) around difficult sections which need extra practise, and ! or circle around things that you need to look out for. Students should be able to play 16 bars or more for next class.

Homework: practise 16 bars or more of Crusade.

January 14, 2013

Grade 6
Our goals for this are to demonstrate an understanding of music vocabulary covered during the past term and begin a new choral piece "Allelulia"
During our first class, we will have a test on music terms. If time permits, we will experiment with a variety of ways to express feelings through language by speaking with a variety of inflections in preparation for our new choral selections - two pieces titled "Alleluia" written in different historical periods and styles.
During our second class we will take up our tests and then listen to recordings of the original "Allelulia" composition by Mozart and Leonard Cohen.

Grade 7
This is practise week 8 in term 1. Students should practise twice outside of class.
Our goals for this week are demonstrate what we have learned this term by completing a "Question and Answer" composition for our instrument and perform it as a solo. The accuracy of the written work and the performance will be marked.
During our first class of the week, clarinet and sax players will receive their second reed. We will begin with a scale review and will learn the correct 7th note of the major scale.
Students will complete their composition using the rubric as a guide to the success criteria, and receive feedback on their writing. They will practise their composition in class and for homework.
During our second class of the week, students will perform their "Question and Answer" composition as a solo and will be marked on the performance. During performances, students will begin their journal writing by responding to the following question:
For two classmates who have performed their Question and Answer compositions, describe the following:
1. one compliment you would share about their writing/performance
2.one suggestion that you would give them about their writing/performance
3. how you think they used pattern in their composition (repetition, sequence, reverse, etc)

Homework: complete the writing of your Question and Answer composition and practise it.

Grade 8
This is practise week 14 in term 1. All students should practice twice outside of class.
Our goals for this week are to compose, practise and perform a polyphonic Peace Hymn in small groups which uses our understanding of harmony, chords and passing notes correctly. We will also begin a new band piece "Crusade" if time permits.
During our first class, students will complete all composing and review playing their melody focusing on rhythmic accuracy. When ready, will join members of their group to clap, finger and then play their trio together.
During our second class, students will have a short time to warm up and rehearse before performing their harmony compositions for the class. If time permits, students will receive and begin "Crusade".

Homework: practise Peace Hymn composition and Crusade.

January 7, 2013

Grade 6: 
Our goals for this week are to learn a reading song using our knowledge of sol, mi, do, la and the remaining scale notes.  We will add words to this song, and add the terms treble clef, verse, scale, pitched instrument, repeat sign, bar line, double bar line, measure, time signature, staff, quarter note, eighth notes, quarter rest, lyrics, ostinato, first and second endings, and verse to our list of terms. If time permits, we will create a simple rhythmic composition as an interlude between verses.

During our first class of the week we will review scale tones by echo singing. Then we will read and sing The Scale Song, following the first and second endings. We will add our own lyrics based upon the way the pitches move upward and downward. Some students will have an opportunity to play the melody on a xylophone.

During our second class of the week, we will review the scale song and add an ostinato using the notes  do, and sol. We will perform the song with melody, ostinato and add an interlude it time permits.Students should study for a written test on musical terms next week.

Grade 7: This is week 7 in term 1. Students are should practise twice this week outside of class. Our goals for this week are to play songs 15 to 20 confidently and begin to compose our own question and answer song using our understanding of pattern in music.

During our first class of the week we will begin with a scale warm up and then receive a complete fingering chart for our instrument which should be kept in a music binder and brought to class for the entire year. We will review songs 15-20 in our book.

During the second class of the week, we will learn about how composers use patterns to create melodies. Students will receive a composing assignment and will be expected to complete the composition and be able to play it slowly for their next class.

Grade 8:  This is week 13 in term 1. Students are should practise twice this week outside of class.OUr goals for this week are to compose an original hymn using our knowledge of  harmony, chord tones and non-chord tones.

During the first class of the week, we will review information covered about chords and harmony, referring to the worksheet provided earlier in the term. Students will form groups of 3 or 4 and begin planning their harmony chords and determine who will play the top, middle and/or bottom notes of each chord.

During the second class of the week, students will add passing tones to their composition to create an independent melody.They will practise their melody alone and then practise playing it with their group.