Week of: December 13, 2009

Grade 7:
This is week 5 in our term and students should complete their 10th practise period outside of class by the end of the week.
Mad Minute note reading drill #4 is our first activity of the week. After a warm-up (long tones and tonguing exercises on four notes of the scale), we will review songs from Staff Songs sheet 4. Students will have an opportunity to demonstrate their playing skills.
We will continue to listen for and describe specific elements of music in selections from The Nutcracker by P. I. Tchaikovsky. (For titles/links see the information listed in last week's blog.) Using our Listening Web Guide, we will compare contrasting selections to determine how the elements of music are used to create mood. Students will be asked to record their thoughts in an on-going listening journal.
Happy Holiday to all!

Grade 8:
This is week 5 in our term and students should complete their 10th practise period outside of class by the end of the week.
Students in grade 8 will be marked on their performance of a blues solo. The solos must be 4 measures or more in length, and be performed without the use of written notes or cues. The soloist should demonstrate the ability to start and end on time, use 3 or 4 notes from the blues scale to create patterns, and include blues rhythmic elements (swinging eighth notes, syncopation and silence). We will also play and review all measures of "Spiderman" except for 31-39. These measures should be practised for homework.
Happy Holiday to all!