February 6, 2012

Grade 7: This is week 2 in term 2. Students are expected to practise twice this week outside of class.

During classes this week our goals will be to understand the difference between the major and chromatic scale through performance, and to be able to read and perform measures 1-20 of "Star Wars".

We will begin our first class by comparing our new fingering chart to our scale fingering chart, and then will learn to play the 4 notes needed to perform the chromatic scale.

Then we will listen to and study our parts for "Star Wars" to be sure that we understand all of the symbols in measures 1-20. We will clap the rhythm and then finger and play our parts. Finally, we will perform all of the parts together.

During our second class, we will receive a three-page listening guide and begin to learn about the elements of music and how they are used to communicate with the listener. We will focus on dynamics, tempo and instrument tone colours as we will listen to Air on a G String, Carmina Burana. We will listen to Beethoven's 5th Symphony (first movement) or Troika by Prokofiev and answer journal question #1 for homework.

Homework: Journal #1 "Describe the use of dynamics, tempo and tone colours in Beethoven's 5th Symphony or Prokofiev's "Troika". How do you feel when you listen to the music, and how do the music elements contribute to that feeling?" Practise Star Wars measures 1-20 for this week, and 21-37 for next week.

Grade 8: This is week 2 in term 2. Students are expected to practise twice this week outside of class.

Our goals for this week include applying our understanding of counting to "Mission Impossible" and be able to perform measures 46-51.

We will begin with a clapping exercise to develop the feeling of 5/4 time. Once the feeling of counting 5 beats per measure is mastered, we will move on to learning the high notes for woodwinds in measures 21-25 (the similar section for low brasses at 31-35). If time permits we will also work on measures 27 and 28 for all instruments.

Homework: Write the counting under measures 46-51, and 21-21 of Mission Impossible and practise them for rhythmic accuracy.