Tonight's the night for entertainment! The 4th and 5th grade Chorus and the 5th Grade Orff Ensemble are performing their songs for a crowd of hundreds. They are so excited to share what they have learned.
The Orff Ensemble will be playing first. There is a song they wrote that they will begin playing as they enter. Then we will perform two classic Orff pieces, one a canon from Orff's volumes entitled "Music for Children," and one is an AB melodic song simply entitled "Dance." The final song is an instrumental jam called "Mufasa's March" with full xylophone, metallophone, and glockenspiel melodic lines, and a huge percussion group with it.
The Fry Chorus is going to wow the audience with songs from around the world including Russia, England, Italy and the United States. Nine, ten and eleven year-olds singing in Italian? Why not... The Chorus has made progress learning to sing with their head voice, and are learning more about singing in parts. "Frosty the Snowman," and "Minka" are just a few of the treats we have in store for you.
We hope you'll join us for this magical night of music.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
November Thanks!
Thank you to the fabulous Second Grade team of students, teachers and supporters! The second graders put on a wonderful concert last week. They really showed their families how nicely they sing, dance, and play instruments like we do in music class.
The Fry Chorus and Orff Ensemble are looking forward to their first concert on December 15th. It is coming up quickly. Make sure your student is on time (7:50 am) at every rehearsal leading up to this performance. Both groups are doing very well, and I'll be so happy for them to share their musical skills with you.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and may you be surrounded by family and friends.
The Fry Chorus and Orff Ensemble are looking forward to their first concert on December 15th. It is coming up quickly. Make sure your student is on time (7:50 am) at every rehearsal leading up to this performance. Both groups are doing very well, and I'll be so happy for them to share their musical skills with you.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and may you be surrounded by family and friends.
Friday, November 11, 2011
More November Updates
This past week went by quick, but was jammed with some great new things in Music. Here are a couple of quick highlights.
Our second graders are so excited to put on a wonderful performance for their families on Tuesday, November 15th. While the theme includes fall songs, we will be primarily demonstrating songs they learn in class, how they put instrumentation with basic songs, singing, and dancing. The concert begins at 6:30PM in the Fry Gym. The students are to dress up and be there by 6:15 to line up with their class in the lunch room.
The third and fourth graders worked in the computer lab on a note naming game online. The website is called ClassicsforKids.com and has some wonderful resources. We only went directly to the Note Name Game. You can find it under the games tab, and your child can access this at home for pitch name reinforcement.
The kindergarten in now focused on singing in tune, matching pitch and holding a steady beat. First grade is also moving into more singing activities, especially songs that focus on Sol, Mi and La.
The fifth graders continue to press forward by learning many difficult songs that will be featured in our concert at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria this January. I am looking forward to sharing their skills with music teachers from all over the state. Field trip information will be making its way home in the next few weeks.
Thanks for reading,
Mrs. Whitney
Our second graders are so excited to put on a wonderful performance for their families on Tuesday, November 15th. While the theme includes fall songs, we will be primarily demonstrating songs they learn in class, how they put instrumentation with basic songs, singing, and dancing. The concert begins at 6:30PM in the Fry Gym. The students are to dress up and be there by 6:15 to line up with their class in the lunch room.
The third and fourth graders worked in the computer lab on a note naming game online. The website is called ClassicsforKids.com and has some wonderful resources. We only went directly to the Note Name Game. You can find it under the games tab, and your child can access this at home for pitch name reinforcement.
The kindergarten in now focused on singing in tune, matching pitch and holding a steady beat. First grade is also moving into more singing activities, especially songs that focus on Sol, Mi and La.
The fifth graders continue to press forward by learning many difficult songs that will be featured in our concert at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria this January. I am looking forward to sharing their skills with music teachers from all over the state. Field trip information will be making its way home in the next few weeks.
Thanks for reading,
Mrs. Whitney
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
November-Lots to be Thankful For...
The music classrooms are alive with the sounds of singing!
Kindergarteners are beginning a unit on singing and playing instruments. There will be a barnyard theme to their songs, so by the end of November you can ask your child how the farm is sounding in music class. You may have seen a special little slip of paper come home with your child. The kindergarten classes have each had a chance to sing a "solo" in music class-a simple call and response song with the teacher. Every child takes a turn, and then takes home a note with them to show their family. I think they are great reminders for the kids to tell Mom and Dad what they have been doing outside the regular classroom.
The first graders have finished their percussion unit. From drums to shekeres, guiros to tambourines, claves to the piano...they have played more than 20 instruments in the past month. Rotating through stations has been fun for them, and they were able to experience many percussive sounds. They know that percussion instruments are played by striking, shaking, and scraping. They will be working on singing sol-la-mi songs in November to increase their pitch matching skills.
The BIG news is that the second graders have a program coming up this month. They will be performing on the night of November 15th. They each have a special job -singing, speaking, playing, or dancing- in the program. You won't want to miss their fabulous fall music.
The third and fourth graders are looking forward to their music reading sessions for recorder and voice. They will be ordering recorders for this year very soon. Look for the note in their backpacks. If your child already has one, they do not need to order one. A recorder is a small instrument used for reading music. The third and fourth graders will be doing an extensive amount of pitch identification, sight reading, and notation work in the next two months.
And now... the fifth graders. They are looking forward to a season of some of the best music I've ever challenged 5th graders to learn. Two of the classes of Fry School will be making a trip to Peoria in January to perform at the Illinois Music Education Conference. Music teachers from all over the state will hear the perform. I am so excited to share their talents with our great state of Illinois. Today they learned that 5 Dugger and 5 Horton have been selected to make the trip to Peoria. (More information will be coming home in the next month for permission forms and details on the trip.) All the students in 5th grade will be learning the same music, regardless of which sections are attending the field trip.
Thanks again for checking into the music blog. Have a great month!
Kindergarteners are beginning a unit on singing and playing instruments. There will be a barnyard theme to their songs, so by the end of November you can ask your child how the farm is sounding in music class. You may have seen a special little slip of paper come home with your child. The kindergarten classes have each had a chance to sing a "solo" in music class-a simple call and response song with the teacher. Every child takes a turn, and then takes home a note with them to show their family. I think they are great reminders for the kids to tell Mom and Dad what they have been doing outside the regular classroom.
The first graders have finished their percussion unit. From drums to shekeres, guiros to tambourines, claves to the piano...they have played more than 20 instruments in the past month. Rotating through stations has been fun for them, and they were able to experience many percussive sounds. They know that percussion instruments are played by striking, shaking, and scraping. They will be working on singing sol-la-mi songs in November to increase their pitch matching skills.
The BIG news is that the second graders have a program coming up this month. They will be performing on the night of November 15th. They each have a special job -singing, speaking, playing, or dancing- in the program. You won't want to miss their fabulous fall music.
The third and fourth graders are looking forward to their music reading sessions for recorder and voice. They will be ordering recorders for this year very soon. Look for the note in their backpacks. If your child already has one, they do not need to order one. A recorder is a small instrument used for reading music. The third and fourth graders will be doing an extensive amount of pitch identification, sight reading, and notation work in the next two months.
And now... the fifth graders. They are looking forward to a season of some of the best music I've ever challenged 5th graders to learn. Two of the classes of Fry School will be making a trip to Peoria in January to perform at the Illinois Music Education Conference. Music teachers from all over the state will hear the perform. I am so excited to share their talents with our great state of Illinois. Today they learned that 5 Dugger and 5 Horton have been selected to make the trip to Peoria. (More information will be coming home in the next month for permission forms and details on the trip.) All the students in 5th grade will be learning the same music, regardless of which sections are attending the field trip.
Thanks again for checking into the music blog. Have a great month!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
October Update
The Music room has been rocking in rhythm! All of the kids in grades Kindergarten-4th grade have been learning new rhythms. The entire school district is changing the music counting system, and I am teaching the children to phase in the new counting names. So they kids may come home saying "Du, Du-De" instead of "Ta, Ti-Ti" like in the past.
The fifth graders have been coming up with dances to show the Rondo form they have been learning about. In mixed groups, they have created amazing performances that they are sharing this week and the next.
Soon on the horizon? The 2nd grade concert. They will be showcasing the things they have learned over the past year and a half on their concert November 15th. You will see the children singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Each child will have a special part in the performance, weather it be a speaking part, an instrument part, a special prop to share, or a dance part. I believe that each child has a musical gift, and the performances help them show off those talents.
It was fun to watch our fabulous Fry students perform in the past week at the Fry Idol night. The auditions were fabulous, and I enjoyed seeing their talents shine.
The fifth graders have been coming up with dances to show the Rondo form they have been learning about. In mixed groups, they have created amazing performances that they are sharing this week and the next.
Soon on the horizon? The 2nd grade concert. They will be showcasing the things they have learned over the past year and a half on their concert November 15th. You will see the children singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Each child will have a special part in the performance, weather it be a speaking part, an instrument part, a special prop to share, or a dance part. I believe that each child has a musical gift, and the performances help them show off those talents.
It was fun to watch our fabulous Fry students perform in the past week at the Fry Idol night. The auditions were fabulous, and I enjoyed seeing their talents shine.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Excited for School? I AM!
Welcome back to school, 2011-2012! Here's an important and time sensitive announcement for families of fourth and fifth graders~
Are you thinking of having your 4th or 5th grader join chorus? There is a parent informational meeting at Waubonsie Valley High School for you to attend on Wednesday, August 24, at 6:00-6:45pm. It will include a short performace from high schoolers, testimonials from 3 of our very own FRY students, and a chance to meet the teacher of your child's choir. (That's me--Mrs. Whitney!) The short presentation is packed full of information about the chorus program not only at elementary school, but how it develops into middle school at Scullen and the Grammy Award winning high school programs like Waubonsie Valley that our school district is so proud of.
Please be aware, this presentation is also happening at Matea Valley and Neuqua Valley High Schools as well, so if you are unable to attend at Waubonsie, you can catch it at one of the other buildings that same night.
Information about joining chorus will be coming home with your fourth or fifth grader the first two days of school.
I hope to see you there!
Mrs. Whitney
Friday, August 5, 2011
And We're Back in 5....4....3...
Just two weeks to go everyone! Are you ready for a brand new school year? I AM!
As always, I've already been to school in early August making preparations for the new school year. Selecting music, setting up the classroom, hanging posters, and getting the calendar ready for a musical year are all tasks I like to take on way before school begins. I'm excited to see the children again-who have grown up a bit over the summer- and challenge them with new musical concepts. And of course, I can't wait to meet our newest students, the Kindergarteners. The remind me of how it all begins... fresh, wide-eyed, and ready to take on the world.
I'll be seeing you on August 22nd,
Mrs. Whitney
As always, I've already been to school in early August making preparations for the new school year. Selecting music, setting up the classroom, hanging posters, and getting the calendar ready for a musical year are all tasks I like to take on way before school begins. I'm excited to see the children again-who have grown up a bit over the summer- and challenge them with new musical concepts. And of course, I can't wait to meet our newest students, the Kindergarteners. The remind me of how it all begins... fresh, wide-eyed, and ready to take on the world.
I'll be seeing you on August 22nd,
Mrs. Whitney
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