Music Archive
Ms. Sheridan also maintains a music site, available at http://sites.google.com/site/pierceschoolmusic/
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Music Update – April 2016
Kindergarten music students continue to sing songs that focus on learning about pitch (high and low) and explore their vocal range. Kindergarten spring sing will be on Tuesday, June 14th at 8:15 am in the Pierce Auditorium, parents are invited.
Grade One music students spring sing will be on Thursday, June 2nd at 8:15 am in the Pierce Auditorium, parents are invited.
Second grade music students will present a musical adaptation of the West African tale: Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears in the Pierce Auditorium on Tuesday, June 7 at 8:15 am, parents are invited. Students need to wear a black top and black bottoms with comfortable dancing shoes. No flip-flops for performing.
Third grade music students will perform as an entire class, Thursday, June 9 at 8:15 am in the Pierce Auditorium, parents are invited. Students should dress up for this daytime concert event, bring their recorder, and they can bring play clothes to change into if they need to. Students have learned C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D’ on the recorder and are now working individually on Ms. Manion’s Recorder Karate levels. In order for your child to be prepared for the concert encourage him/her to practice their recorder songs: Hungarian dance no.5, The Magic Flute 5 note scale, Olympic Theme, Pachelbel Canon & River.
Fourth grade music students have been learning American folk songs, stories and dances from out West. The students will present their spring sing and band concert on Wednesday, June 8th at 8:15 am in the auditorium. They should wear a white top and black bottoms for this event. No flip-flops, please.
Fifth grade chorus students will join the middle school choral concert this spring. The concert is Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30 pm in the Pierce Auditorium.
(Band and Orchestra students will have separate concerts TBA by those directing teachers.)
All fifth grade music students have been composing with Note flight, an online composition tool during their general music class that meets once per week.
If you are interested in having an audio CD recording of your child’s Spring Sing concert, please contact Ms. Manion via email at Alison_manion@brookline.k12.ma.us We’d love to share the school’s recordings with you!
Music Update – January 2016
Kindergarten
Congratulations to all the Kindergarteners on a fantastic job performing last month in their very first Sing! They have been learning songs to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, and also putting the steady beat into hands, feet, knees, hips and elbows. Ask your Kindergartner to show you how to ‘Hambone.’
First grade
After their fabulous Winter Sing performance, first graders listened, danced, and played instruments along with pieces from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. They are continuing to expand their knowledge of instrument families, and how to move to music in various locomotor and non-locomotor ways. First graders are also learning about musical scales. Ask your child to sing to you about kooky “Ebeneezer Sneezer.”
Second grade
Second graders reflected on their performances in the Winter Sing by writing, drawing, and discussing their performance. They continue to work with a “Rhythm we’re working on,” playing a “ta-ka-di” rhythms on instruments with the song Winter Snowflakes, and finding the “ta-mi” rhythm in Let It Snow. Second graders with Ms. Murphy are learning different parts of the “Instrument Song” (ask your child to sing you theirs), and all of the students are beginning a focus on music from Japan.
Third grade
Third graders have been preparing songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King Jr. school assembly this month. Students have been learning to play low D on the recorder and have worked on several new songs using this note. Ask your child to show you each note that they have learned to play so far. “Up and Down in 5-Note Town” is a new song that uses all of these notes.
Fourth grade
Fourth graders were very thoughtful in their written reflections about their Winter Sing, noticing what a great job they had done preparing for it. They are currently learning several songs from the Civil Rights Movement in preparation for Martin Luther King Day. Fourth graders continue to read and sing rhythms patterns using sixteenth notes, and learning about folk music, dance, and stories from the South. Ask your child to show you the first few steps in the dance Sashay the Donut, or how the tale of John Henry has been told through music in many different ways.
Fifth grade
Fifth graders have been exploring the concept of style in music. We will use the original of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, and listen to many different arrangements of the piece ranging from the Bee Gees disco classic to a piece performed entirely by tools in a garage. We will have more conversations about Jazz styles and genres. Currently, students are playing music of Zimbabwe and composing original themes on xylophone. Ask your child what a rondo is!
Music Update – December 2015
Kindergarten music students continue to sing songs that focus on learning about pitch (high and low) and explore their vocal range.
First Grade music students learned to notate quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests with rhythmic solfège. Students have practiced in small groups to play three different rhythms at the same time in the song “Great Big House.” The three parts are: the first ostinato pattern on xylophone, the second chanting while tapping rhythm sticks, and the third singing the melody to the song. Ask your child to show you each of these parts separately at home!
Second Grade music students are discussing “Just Right Songs” -- songs that have a positive message and/or meaningful lyrics, are of appropriate length (not too short, not too long), have a beautiful melodic line, and are sung with or without accompaniment. These are the qualifying characteristics of songs for the performance setting. Students are also exploring American folk music and songs with a winter or seasonal theme. Look for classwork to come home about “Rhythm we’re working on…”
Third Grade music students have learned the notes B, A, G, E, and D on the recorder. In order for your child to be prepared for the concert ask him/her to practice and perform for you at home the following music selections: March of the Toys, Fum Fum Fum or In the Bleak Midwinter, and Accentuate the Positive.
Fourth Grade music students have been singing lots of songs, learning about Bluegrass instruments and learning to square dance in music class! Things to ask your child:
Fifth Grade music students have been composing a fourth theme to add to our “Candles, Candles” selection with Noteflight, an online composition tool. You can view the composers’ works in the music room on Monday, 12/21 before the Winter Sing. Come in and take a peek at the compositions filling the music bulletin boards. The students have been asked to think and rethink about the overarching question of “What does it mean to compose?” this fall.
Finally, please contact Ms. Manion via email at Alison_manion@brookline.k12.ma.us if:
Winter Sing Update (from Ms. Manion and Ms. Murphy)
December Music classes focus on preparing for Winter Sings, reflecting upon those performances and learning new seasonally appropriate and festive repertoire. Congratulations to Kindergarten and Second grade students for their successful Winter Sing performances! Remaining concerts are on the following dates:
Third and Fourth Grade Winter Sing
Thurs., 12/17 8:15am -- Parents invited but be prepared for an extremely full auditorium, with any overflow will be in the cafeteria.
Fifth Grade Winter Sing
Mon., 12/21 8:15am
6, 7 & 8 Grade All Town Festival Chorus concert
Tues., 1/12 6:30pm @ Brookline HS
Chorus students need to arrive at 5:45 pm in concert attire at the high school.
Music Update – November 2015
Here is a quick update on what’s happening in music, grades K-5.
Kindergarteners continue to work on keeping the steady beat, both moving to music and playing instruments. They learned how to play “striker” instruments like rhythm sticks, xylophones, and drums using “hands together” and “alternating” technique. We continue to develop our singing voices, and how to recognize high and low, loud and soft, fast and slow. Ask your child to try singing “Oh How Lovely” with you in a round. We’re learning songs about family and the moon and stars for our Winter Sing, which will take place on Tuesday, December 8, from 8:15-8:45 am.
Grade 1 students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills, encourage turn taking, cooperation, improvisation and vocal independence. Each class has spent the last few weeks listening to Peter and the Wolf, and learning about the instruments in the orchestra that play each character in the story. Ask your child to act out the story with the music at home using the characters and background that they created in class, and to tell you which character is portrayed in the story by the flute, the violins, or the French horn. They have also been learning and practicing songs for the Winter Sing, coming up on Tuesday, December 15, at 8:15 am.
Grade 2 students have been dancing and playing instruments, learning to read and play rhythm patterns on classroom instruments, and even creating their own. Students have been practicing writing or decoding rhythms they hear, and identifying rhythmic patterns visually using quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and quarter rests. Ask your 2nd grader to show you the singing game Tue Tue. We’ve been learning about music in 3/4 time, and practicing songs for the upcoming Winter Sing, on Thursday, December 10, at 8:15 am.
Grade 3 students are practicing the notes B, A, G and E on recorder. They should practice some of the following songs at home for 5 minutes every night: Hot Cross Buns, Au Claire De La Lune, Skin and Bones, or Act Your AGE. Please help your child remember to bring their recorder and binder to every music class! Also, please note that 4th graders will be joining the 3rd graders for their Winter Sing on Thursday, December 17th, at 8:15 am.
Grade 4 students moved their American folk music focus out to New York State area, where we sang songs like the Erie Canal, listened to the Knickerbocker Line, and heard the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. We added instrument parts for drums, xylophones and recorder to the partner folk songs Canoe Round and Land of the Silver Birch, and learned to do the Iroquois nations’ Moccasin Dance. 4th graders will be joining the 3rd graders for their Winter Sing on Thursday, December 17th, at 8:15 am.
Grade 5 music students have been exploring Symphonic Poems, “Danse Macabre” composed by Camille St. Saens. They have used a listening map and the main themes to find their way through this exciting piece. Classes read a story about how St. Saens found his inspiration for the piece down in the catacombs of Paris with his poet friend, Henri Cazalis. Students are currently writing themes or ostinato patterns to add to the song “Candles, Candles” for their Winter Sing on Monday, December 21 at 8:15 am and preparing songs for this performance.
Just a note for parents of Chorus, Band, and Orchestra students in grades 7 and 8: District Audition information for students wishing to audition can be found on the MMEA website at http://www.mmeaeasterndistrict.org/junior.htm. The auditions will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016.
Music Update – October 2015
Here is a quick update on what’s happening in music, grades K-5 with Ms. Manion and Ms. Murphy
Kindergarten students are singing, listening, dancing, and playing classroom instruments twice per week. October focuses on some Fall/Halloween favorites along with continued musical vocabulary expansion. Ask your son or daughter about the aural concepts of high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, and echo/silence. Have them sing about the different seasons for you with the Tree Song- (“This is my trunk, I’m a tall, tall tree…”).
Grade 1 students are enjoying rhyming songs and song tales. The children have focused on identifying steady beats versus rhythm patterns. We will continue to learn about orchestra instruments and the story of "Peter and the Wolf." We will learn about the story "Peer Gynt" and dance out the story. Ask your child to teach you to sing “You Sing a Song and I’ll sing a song” or “Great Big House.” We will be exploring and practicing loco-motor and non-loco-motor ways of moving to the beat.
Grade 2 students are singing songs and playing games that help identify micro and macro beats. We will continue this work with dances and activities to identify beats grouped by 2s and 3s. We will also begin sight-reading more solfege and rhythmic patterns. Ask your student to teach you the song and dance “Heel & Toe,” or show you the game “Obwisana.” We are working on right and left direction while keeping in time with the song.
Grade 3 students are learning how to produce a soft, musical tone as they play recorder. We are learning music that uses the notes B, A, G and low E. Ask your child to sing and play “There was an Old Woman” for you. The students are completing their first level of “Rainbow Recorder”, which is red. All students must pass the red, orange, and yellow level with their class. Each student receives a colored “ribbon” (yarn) to tie on the end of their recorder to show they have completed the corresponding level of playing. Please remind your student to bring their recorder and binder to music class each day. Practicing 5 minutes a day will help your child feel successful in music class!
Grade 4 students have been singing folk songs from New England, such as Charlie on the MTA and Goin’ to Boston. Ask your 4th grader to show you some of the folk dance “Bridge of Athlone,” or to sing the 50 States in Rhyme. We are also working on vocal warm-ups to help build our singing skills. This week, we begin learning songs from the New York State area, and listening to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Grade 5 students have been learning about composers and what it means to compose. We have listened to “Rhapsody in Blue” and have sung “I Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin. We are exploring the musical form of symphonic poems, an instrumental song that tells a story. We will learn about themes and symphonic poems as we study the composer Saint-Saens and his famous piece “Dance Macabre.” We will also study Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and Danny Elfman’s film music for comparing and contrasting themes of yesterday and today. Also, please note that Grade 5 Winter Sing will take place Monday, December 21 at 8:15 am in the auditorium.
Music Update – September 2015
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2
Students have been singing songs together focused on learning about pitch (high and low) and exploring vocal range. Students have been learning classroom routines, playing rhythm games, reading and chanting rhythmic patterns. Students are developing a greater understanding of the difference between steady beat and rhythmic patterning. Students sing songs that teach them how to internalize the beat in their minds and bodies. Ask your child the questions below to encourage musical connections at home: Where do we hear music? What does it mean to use your thinking voice while singing a song? What are the different ways you can use your voice? What is the difference between a steady beat and a rhythmic pattern? What do musical sounds and silences look like?
Grade 3
Third grade music classes are singing songs and rounds that focus on storytelling and steady beat. We are reading basic quarter and eighth note, rhythmic patterns with the Takadimi solfege system along with learning the pitches B, A, G on the recorder. Students need to bring their recorder, music binder, and pencil to each music class.
Grade 4
Music students will study American folk music through dance and song throughout the year.
Grade 5
Students in Grade 5 take one conservatory class in band, orchestra, or chorus per week along with one general music class with Ms. Manion per week. Every month, Grade 5 music students will be studying a composer and thinking about what it means to compose. We have already listened to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “I Got Rhythm” from the musical Girl Crazy, while thinking about theme and variations.
In addition, please note the following dates for student music performances for the 2015-16 school year. Parents/caregivers and siblings of students in each respective grade are invited to attend. All Pierce School performances take place in the auditorium unless otherwise noted. Please put the concert dates on your calendar, we look forward to seeing you there!
Music Update – May 2015
Please welcome Ms. Cecchini as our full time music substitute this spring while Ms. Sheridan is on maternity leave. Ms. C. is teaching grades 1, 2, 3 and the 5-8 chorus.
K-8 students will be honoring veterans this month during the school day. We hope students will gain a better understanding of the meaning of Memorial Day through singing patriotic songs and listening to our guest speaker, Major McGroarty.
There are a lot of art, singing and musical performances happening during May and June. Please add these dates to your calendar. Children should dress appropriately for the concert setting. All concerts will be held in the Pierce Auditorium. Parents and siblings are invited to attend.
Art Night Grades 5-8 Chorus
Tues., 6/2. Time TBA
Kindergarten Spring Sing
Thurs., 6/4 at 8:15 am
2nd Grade Spring Sing
Fri., 6/5 at 8:15 am
4th grade Spring Sing
Mon., 6/8 at 8:15 am
Band Night Grades 5-8
Tues. 6/16. Time TBA
Music Update - February 2015
Kindergarten
Students have concluded their in-class performances of A Three Piggy Opera. Each child created a character mask and sang the story with the entire class. The songs were based on the pitches SOL, LA, MI and high DO.
Grade 1
Students have concluded their unit on the Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. Each class had a blast exploring all fourteen pieces in this set, and students have gained great confidence in identifying each instrument in the orchestra visually and aurally. Some games we have been playing are “A Tisket a Tasket,” “Button You May Wander,” and “Poison Pattern.” Some songs we have been singing are “Ebeneezer Sneezer,” “I love the Mountains,” and “City Life.”
Grade 2
Students in 2Y and 2R have completed their musical story telling of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Each class created a soundscape to bring the story to life, and we recorded our finished performances. These two classes will be exploring songs and games from Ghana in the coming weeks.
Students in 2LE and 2LO have been studying pentatonic scales and improvising using xylophones on the song "Sakura.” We studied songs of love in February – "Don Gato" and "Side by Side" – and discussed tempo changes, beat groupings, melody, and countermelody. During March, 2LE and 2LO will be learning the dance “Pata Pata” from South Africa and drumming the music of Kpanglog from Ghana.
Grade 3
Students are mastering the C Major scale! Each group is practicing new music that helps reinforce both reading and playing the notes in this scale. Some songs your student should be working on at home are: “Ice in the Air,” “Takin' it Easy,” “Stepping and Skipping,” “Under the Radar,” and “Up and Down in Five Note Town.” Please remind them to bring their materials to every class AND practice for 5 minutes every night.
Grade 4
Students learned folk songs of love during the month of February - "The Gypsy Rover", "The Crawdad Song", and "Down in The Valley.” We have transitioned to learning folk dances from around the world and traditional American folk songs from the early 1800s. 4C has had many instances where an announcement about recess would happen during music class. We created a commercial jingle called "Optional Recess,” recorded it, and it was played over the school's intercom. It was well received and quite a hit!
Grade 5
Students have finished making their rondos on xylophone, and are beginning to learn the basics of composing with the program Noteflight. This program allows them add the music they have created in class and continue to compose as they go. The playback feature makes it a really engaging process. Ask your students about what they are working on in class, and have them show it to you! Their finished products will be printed out and brought home and we will have a listening lesson in a few weeks in which each group can share their creation and get feedback!
Kindergarten music students continue to sing songs that focus on learning about pitch (high and low) and explore their vocal range. Kindergarten spring sing will be on Tuesday, June 14th at 8:15 am in the Pierce Auditorium, parents are invited.
Grade One music students spring sing will be on Thursday, June 2nd at 8:15 am in the Pierce Auditorium, parents are invited.
Second grade music students will present a musical adaptation of the West African tale: Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears in the Pierce Auditorium on Tuesday, June 7 at 8:15 am, parents are invited. Students need to wear a black top and black bottoms with comfortable dancing shoes. No flip-flops for performing.
Third grade music students will perform as an entire class, Thursday, June 9 at 8:15 am in the Pierce Auditorium, parents are invited. Students should dress up for this daytime concert event, bring their recorder, and they can bring play clothes to change into if they need to. Students have learned C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D’ on the recorder and are now working individually on Ms. Manion’s Recorder Karate levels. In order for your child to be prepared for the concert encourage him/her to practice their recorder songs: Hungarian dance no.5, The Magic Flute 5 note scale, Olympic Theme, Pachelbel Canon & River.
Fourth grade music students have been learning American folk songs, stories and dances from out West. The students will present their spring sing and band concert on Wednesday, June 8th at 8:15 am in the auditorium. They should wear a white top and black bottoms for this event. No flip-flops, please.
Fifth grade chorus students will join the middle school choral concert this spring. The concert is Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30 pm in the Pierce Auditorium.
(Band and Orchestra students will have separate concerts TBA by those directing teachers.)
All fifth grade music students have been composing with Note flight, an online composition tool during their general music class that meets once per week.
If you are interested in having an audio CD recording of your child’s Spring Sing concert, please contact Ms. Manion via email at Alison_manion@brookline.k12.ma.us We’d love to share the school’s recordings with you!
Music Update – January 2016
Kindergarten
Congratulations to all the Kindergarteners on a fantastic job performing last month in their very first Sing! They have been learning songs to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, and also putting the steady beat into hands, feet, knees, hips and elbows. Ask your Kindergartner to show you how to ‘Hambone.’
First grade
After their fabulous Winter Sing performance, first graders listened, danced, and played instruments along with pieces from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. They are continuing to expand their knowledge of instrument families, and how to move to music in various locomotor and non-locomotor ways. First graders are also learning about musical scales. Ask your child to sing to you about kooky “Ebeneezer Sneezer.”
Second grade
Second graders reflected on their performances in the Winter Sing by writing, drawing, and discussing their performance. They continue to work with a “Rhythm we’re working on,” playing a “ta-ka-di” rhythms on instruments with the song Winter Snowflakes, and finding the “ta-mi” rhythm in Let It Snow. Second graders with Ms. Murphy are learning different parts of the “Instrument Song” (ask your child to sing you theirs), and all of the students are beginning a focus on music from Japan.
Third grade
Third graders have been preparing songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King Jr. school assembly this month. Students have been learning to play low D on the recorder and have worked on several new songs using this note. Ask your child to show you each note that they have learned to play so far. “Up and Down in 5-Note Town” is a new song that uses all of these notes.
Fourth grade
Fourth graders were very thoughtful in their written reflections about their Winter Sing, noticing what a great job they had done preparing for it. They are currently learning several songs from the Civil Rights Movement in preparation for Martin Luther King Day. Fourth graders continue to read and sing rhythms patterns using sixteenth notes, and learning about folk music, dance, and stories from the South. Ask your child to show you the first few steps in the dance Sashay the Donut, or how the tale of John Henry has been told through music in many different ways.
Fifth grade
Fifth graders have been exploring the concept of style in music. We will use the original of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, and listen to many different arrangements of the piece ranging from the Bee Gees disco classic to a piece performed entirely by tools in a garage. We will have more conversations about Jazz styles and genres. Currently, students are playing music of Zimbabwe and composing original themes on xylophone. Ask your child what a rondo is!
Music Update – December 2015
Kindergarten music students continue to sing songs that focus on learning about pitch (high and low) and explore their vocal range.
First Grade music students learned to notate quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests with rhythmic solfège. Students have practiced in small groups to play three different rhythms at the same time in the song “Great Big House.” The three parts are: the first ostinato pattern on xylophone, the second chanting while tapping rhythm sticks, and the third singing the melody to the song. Ask your child to show you each of these parts separately at home!
Second Grade music students are discussing “Just Right Songs” -- songs that have a positive message and/or meaningful lyrics, are of appropriate length (not too short, not too long), have a beautiful melodic line, and are sung with or without accompaniment. These are the qualifying characteristics of songs for the performance setting. Students are also exploring American folk music and songs with a winter or seasonal theme. Look for classwork to come home about “Rhythm we’re working on…”
Third Grade music students have learned the notes B, A, G, E, and D on the recorder. In order for your child to be prepared for the concert ask him/her to practice and perform for you at home the following music selections: March of the Toys, Fum Fum Fum or In the Bleak Midwinter, and Accentuate the Positive.
Fourth Grade music students have been singing lots of songs, learning about Bluegrass instruments and learning to square dance in music class! Things to ask your child:
- Why was the Erie Canal an important thing to Americans?
- What are four different Bluegrass instruments?
- Can you sing your Winter Sing songs from memory?
Fifth Grade music students have been composing a fourth theme to add to our “Candles, Candles” selection with Noteflight, an online composition tool. You can view the composers’ works in the music room on Monday, 12/21 before the Winter Sing. Come in and take a peek at the compositions filling the music bulletin boards. The students have been asked to think and rethink about the overarching question of “What does it mean to compose?” this fall.
Finally, please contact Ms. Manion via email at Alison_manion@brookline.k12.ma.us if:
- you are someone who participates weekly in a music group/ensemble, have a musical background or are a working professional musician. We are reaching out to the greater Pierce community through our school musician of the month program. We’d love to learn about your talents!
- you are someone who is interested in having an audio or CD recording of your child’s Winter Sing concert. We’d love to share the school’s recordings with you!
Winter Sing Update (from Ms. Manion and Ms. Murphy)
December Music classes focus on preparing for Winter Sings, reflecting upon those performances and learning new seasonally appropriate and festive repertoire. Congratulations to Kindergarten and Second grade students for their successful Winter Sing performances! Remaining concerts are on the following dates:
Third and Fourth Grade Winter Sing
Thurs., 12/17 8:15am -- Parents invited but be prepared for an extremely full auditorium, with any overflow will be in the cafeteria.
Fifth Grade Winter Sing
Mon., 12/21 8:15am
6, 7 & 8 Grade All Town Festival Chorus concert
Tues., 1/12 6:30pm @ Brookline HS
Chorus students need to arrive at 5:45 pm in concert attire at the high school.
Music Update – November 2015
Here is a quick update on what’s happening in music, grades K-5.
Kindergarteners continue to work on keeping the steady beat, both moving to music and playing instruments. They learned how to play “striker” instruments like rhythm sticks, xylophones, and drums using “hands together” and “alternating” technique. We continue to develop our singing voices, and how to recognize high and low, loud and soft, fast and slow. Ask your child to try singing “Oh How Lovely” with you in a round. We’re learning songs about family and the moon and stars for our Winter Sing, which will take place on Tuesday, December 8, from 8:15-8:45 am.
Grade 1 students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills, encourage turn taking, cooperation, improvisation and vocal independence. Each class has spent the last few weeks listening to Peter and the Wolf, and learning about the instruments in the orchestra that play each character in the story. Ask your child to act out the story with the music at home using the characters and background that they created in class, and to tell you which character is portrayed in the story by the flute, the violins, or the French horn. They have also been learning and practicing songs for the Winter Sing, coming up on Tuesday, December 15, at 8:15 am.
Grade 2 students have been dancing and playing instruments, learning to read and play rhythm patterns on classroom instruments, and even creating their own. Students have been practicing writing or decoding rhythms they hear, and identifying rhythmic patterns visually using quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and quarter rests. Ask your 2nd grader to show you the singing game Tue Tue. We’ve been learning about music in 3/4 time, and practicing songs for the upcoming Winter Sing, on Thursday, December 10, at 8:15 am.
Grade 3 students are practicing the notes B, A, G and E on recorder. They should practice some of the following songs at home for 5 minutes every night: Hot Cross Buns, Au Claire De La Lune, Skin and Bones, or Act Your AGE. Please help your child remember to bring their recorder and binder to every music class! Also, please note that 4th graders will be joining the 3rd graders for their Winter Sing on Thursday, December 17th, at 8:15 am.
Grade 4 students moved their American folk music focus out to New York State area, where we sang songs like the Erie Canal, listened to the Knickerbocker Line, and heard the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. We added instrument parts for drums, xylophones and recorder to the partner folk songs Canoe Round and Land of the Silver Birch, and learned to do the Iroquois nations’ Moccasin Dance. 4th graders will be joining the 3rd graders for their Winter Sing on Thursday, December 17th, at 8:15 am.
Grade 5 music students have been exploring Symphonic Poems, “Danse Macabre” composed by Camille St. Saens. They have used a listening map and the main themes to find their way through this exciting piece. Classes read a story about how St. Saens found his inspiration for the piece down in the catacombs of Paris with his poet friend, Henri Cazalis. Students are currently writing themes or ostinato patterns to add to the song “Candles, Candles” for their Winter Sing on Monday, December 21 at 8:15 am and preparing songs for this performance.
Just a note for parents of Chorus, Band, and Orchestra students in grades 7 and 8: District Audition information for students wishing to audition can be found on the MMEA website at http://www.mmeaeasterndistrict.org/junior.htm. The auditions will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016.
Music Update – October 2015
Here is a quick update on what’s happening in music, grades K-5 with Ms. Manion and Ms. Murphy
Kindergarten students are singing, listening, dancing, and playing classroom instruments twice per week. October focuses on some Fall/Halloween favorites along with continued musical vocabulary expansion. Ask your son or daughter about the aural concepts of high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, and echo/silence. Have them sing about the different seasons for you with the Tree Song- (“This is my trunk, I’m a tall, tall tree…”).
Grade 1 students are enjoying rhyming songs and song tales. The children have focused on identifying steady beats versus rhythm patterns. We will continue to learn about orchestra instruments and the story of "Peter and the Wolf." We will learn about the story "Peer Gynt" and dance out the story. Ask your child to teach you to sing “You Sing a Song and I’ll sing a song” or “Great Big House.” We will be exploring and practicing loco-motor and non-loco-motor ways of moving to the beat.
Grade 2 students are singing songs and playing games that help identify micro and macro beats. We will continue this work with dances and activities to identify beats grouped by 2s and 3s. We will also begin sight-reading more solfege and rhythmic patterns. Ask your student to teach you the song and dance “Heel & Toe,” or show you the game “Obwisana.” We are working on right and left direction while keeping in time with the song.
Grade 3 students are learning how to produce a soft, musical tone as they play recorder. We are learning music that uses the notes B, A, G and low E. Ask your child to sing and play “There was an Old Woman” for you. The students are completing their first level of “Rainbow Recorder”, which is red. All students must pass the red, orange, and yellow level with their class. Each student receives a colored “ribbon” (yarn) to tie on the end of their recorder to show they have completed the corresponding level of playing. Please remind your student to bring their recorder and binder to music class each day. Practicing 5 minutes a day will help your child feel successful in music class!
Grade 4 students have been singing folk songs from New England, such as Charlie on the MTA and Goin’ to Boston. Ask your 4th grader to show you some of the folk dance “Bridge of Athlone,” or to sing the 50 States in Rhyme. We are also working on vocal warm-ups to help build our singing skills. This week, we begin learning songs from the New York State area, and listening to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Grade 5 students have been learning about composers and what it means to compose. We have listened to “Rhapsody in Blue” and have sung “I Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin. We are exploring the musical form of symphonic poems, an instrumental song that tells a story. We will learn about themes and symphonic poems as we study the composer Saint-Saens and his famous piece “Dance Macabre.” We will also study Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and Danny Elfman’s film music for comparing and contrasting themes of yesterday and today. Also, please note that Grade 5 Winter Sing will take place Monday, December 21 at 8:15 am in the auditorium.
Music Update – September 2015
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2
Students have been singing songs together focused on learning about pitch (high and low) and exploring vocal range. Students have been learning classroom routines, playing rhythm games, reading and chanting rhythmic patterns. Students are developing a greater understanding of the difference between steady beat and rhythmic patterning. Students sing songs that teach them how to internalize the beat in their minds and bodies. Ask your child the questions below to encourage musical connections at home: Where do we hear music? What does it mean to use your thinking voice while singing a song? What are the different ways you can use your voice? What is the difference between a steady beat and a rhythmic pattern? What do musical sounds and silences look like?
Grade 3
Third grade music classes are singing songs and rounds that focus on storytelling and steady beat. We are reading basic quarter and eighth note, rhythmic patterns with the Takadimi solfege system along with learning the pitches B, A, G on the recorder. Students need to bring their recorder, music binder, and pencil to each music class.
Grade 4
Music students will study American folk music through dance and song throughout the year.
Grade 5
Students in Grade 5 take one conservatory class in band, orchestra, or chorus per week along with one general music class with Ms. Manion per week. Every month, Grade 5 music students will be studying a composer and thinking about what it means to compose. We have already listened to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “I Got Rhythm” from the musical Girl Crazy, while thinking about theme and variations.
In addition, please note the following dates for student music performances for the 2015-16 school year. Parents/caregivers and siblings of students in each respective grade are invited to attend. All Pierce School performances take place in the auditorium unless otherwise noted. Please put the concert dates on your calendar, we look forward to seeing you there!
- Kindergarten Spring Sing – Fri., 6/10/16 8:15am
- 1st Grade Winter Sing – Tues., 12/15/15 at 8:15am
- 1st Grade Spring Sing – Thurs., 6/2/16 at 8:15am
- 2nd Grade Winter Sing– Thurs., 12/10/15 at 8:15am
- 2nd Grade Spring Sing – Tues., 6/7/16 at 8:15am
- 3rd Grade Winter Sing and Recorder Concert – Thurs., 12/17/15 at 8:15am
- 3rd Grade Spring Sing and Recorder Concert – Thurs., 6/9/16 at 8:15am
- 4th Grade Spring Sing and Band Concert – Wed., 6/8/16 8:15am
- 5th Grade Winter Sing – Mon. 12/21 at 8:15am
- The Pierce School K-8 Art Exhibit and 5-8 Choral Concert will take place on Wed., 6/1/16 from 6–7:30pm, with the concert starting at 6:30pm.
Music Update – May 2015
Please welcome Ms. Cecchini as our full time music substitute this spring while Ms. Sheridan is on maternity leave. Ms. C. is teaching grades 1, 2, 3 and the 5-8 chorus.
K-8 students will be honoring veterans this month during the school day. We hope students will gain a better understanding of the meaning of Memorial Day through singing patriotic songs and listening to our guest speaker, Major McGroarty.
There are a lot of art, singing and musical performances happening during May and June. Please add these dates to your calendar. Children should dress appropriately for the concert setting. All concerts will be held in the Pierce Auditorium. Parents and siblings are invited to attend.
Art Night Grades 5-8 Chorus
Tues., 6/2. Time TBA
Kindergarten Spring Sing
Thurs., 6/4 at 8:15 am
2nd Grade Spring Sing
Fri., 6/5 at 8:15 am
4th grade Spring Sing
Mon., 6/8 at 8:15 am
Band Night Grades 5-8
Tues. 6/16. Time TBA
Music Update - February 2015
Kindergarten
Students have concluded their in-class performances of A Three Piggy Opera. Each child created a character mask and sang the story with the entire class. The songs were based on the pitches SOL, LA, MI and high DO.
Grade 1
Students have concluded their unit on the Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. Each class had a blast exploring all fourteen pieces in this set, and students have gained great confidence in identifying each instrument in the orchestra visually and aurally. Some games we have been playing are “A Tisket a Tasket,” “Button You May Wander,” and “Poison Pattern.” Some songs we have been singing are “Ebeneezer Sneezer,” “I love the Mountains,” and “City Life.”
Grade 2
Students in 2Y and 2R have completed their musical story telling of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Each class created a soundscape to bring the story to life, and we recorded our finished performances. These two classes will be exploring songs and games from Ghana in the coming weeks.
Students in 2LE and 2LO have been studying pentatonic scales and improvising using xylophones on the song "Sakura.” We studied songs of love in February – "Don Gato" and "Side by Side" – and discussed tempo changes, beat groupings, melody, and countermelody. During March, 2LE and 2LO will be learning the dance “Pata Pata” from South Africa and drumming the music of Kpanglog from Ghana.
Grade 3
Students are mastering the C Major scale! Each group is practicing new music that helps reinforce both reading and playing the notes in this scale. Some songs your student should be working on at home are: “Ice in the Air,” “Takin' it Easy,” “Stepping and Skipping,” “Under the Radar,” and “Up and Down in Five Note Town.” Please remind them to bring their materials to every class AND practice for 5 minutes every night.
Grade 4
Students learned folk songs of love during the month of February - "The Gypsy Rover", "The Crawdad Song", and "Down in The Valley.” We have transitioned to learning folk dances from around the world and traditional American folk songs from the early 1800s. 4C has had many instances where an announcement about recess would happen during music class. We created a commercial jingle called "Optional Recess,” recorded it, and it was played over the school's intercom. It was well received and quite a hit!
Grade 5
Students have finished making their rondos on xylophone, and are beginning to learn the basics of composing with the program Noteflight. This program allows them add the music they have created in class and continue to compose as they go. The playback feature makes it a really engaging process. Ask your students about what they are working on in class, and have them show it to you! Their finished products will be printed out and brought home and we will have a listening lesson in a few weeks in which each group can share their creation and get feedback!
Music Update - January 2015
Kindergarten
Students are moving and singing, playing hand held instruments, listening and reflecting about what they hear in music. December's Winter Sing was a joyful expression of our music class time. Thank you parents for your support of your children's music education and growth.
Grade 1
Students are reviewing all the instrument families in the orchestra and reading Jake the Philharmonic Dog. Each class will begin exploring the many parts of Carnival of the Animals by Camille St. Saens through a variety of listening and movement activities. Students are learning about the Civil Rights movement and preparing "This Little Light of Mine" and "Sing About Martin" for our upcoming MLK assembly.
Grade 2
Students are focusing on inner hearing, song tales or songs from Japan, Ghana, and collaborative music games and dances. Students are learning about the Civil Rights movement and preparing "We Shall Overcome" and "What Can One Little Person Do" for our upcoming MLK assembly.
Grade 3
Students are reviewing all the notes in a C Major scale on recorder and beginning an exciting new piece called "Snowstorm". Students are learning about the Civil Rights movement and preparing "This Little Light of Mine" and "Martin Luther King" for our upcoming MLK assembly.
Grade 4
Students are focusing on learning music for the MLK assembly and folk music of America.
Grade 5
Students are learning about the musical form called "rondo" through a piece called "The Viennese Musical Clock" by Kodaly. They are creating movement in small groups inspired by the piece to represent each part of the rondo and will compose original rondos on xylophone as well.
Kindergarten
Students are moving and singing, playing hand held instruments, listening and reflecting about what they hear in music. December's Winter Sing was a joyful expression of our music class time. Thank you parents for your support of your children's music education and growth.
Grade 1
Students are reviewing all the instrument families in the orchestra and reading Jake the Philharmonic Dog. Each class will begin exploring the many parts of Carnival of the Animals by Camille St. Saens through a variety of listening and movement activities. Students are learning about the Civil Rights movement and preparing "This Little Light of Mine" and "Sing About Martin" for our upcoming MLK assembly.
Grade 2
Students are focusing on inner hearing, song tales or songs from Japan, Ghana, and collaborative music games and dances. Students are learning about the Civil Rights movement and preparing "We Shall Overcome" and "What Can One Little Person Do" for our upcoming MLK assembly.
Grade 3
Students are reviewing all the notes in a C Major scale on recorder and beginning an exciting new piece called "Snowstorm". Students are learning about the Civil Rights movement and preparing "This Little Light of Mine" and "Martin Luther King" for our upcoming MLK assembly.
Grade 4
Students are focusing on learning music for the MLK assembly and folk music of America.
Grade 5
Students are learning about the musical form called "rondo" through a piece called "The Viennese Musical Clock" by Kodaly. They are creating movement in small groups inspired by the piece to represent each part of the rondo and will compose original rondos on xylophone as well.
Music Update - November 2014
Kindergarten
Students have been singing songs, playing musical games, and playing hand-held instruments to help support building fine and gross motor skills, pitch and rhythm matching, and overall music appreciation. We have been focused on songs about autumn and preparing “Just Right Songs” for the K Winter Sing on Friday, 12/5 at 8:15 am in the Auditorium.
Grade 1
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Each class has spent the last few weeks listening to Peter and the Wolf and learning about the instruments in the orchestra that play each character in the story. Ask your child to act out the story with the music at home, using the characters and background created in class! Students are beginning to learn new songs for the 1st Grade Winter Sing on Wednesday, 12/17 at 8:15 am.
Grade 2
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Songs that students have been singing in class include Bicycle, Tue Tue, Will Winter End, and Windy Old Weather in preparation for their Winter Sing on Friday, 12/12 at 8:15 am. Students have been moving to Looby Loo, Close Encounters, and In the Hall of the Mountain King. Students have been practicing writing or decoding rhythms they hear, and identifying rhythmic patterns visually using quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and quarter rests.
Grade 3
Students are practicing the notes B, A, G and E on recorder. They should be practicing some of the following songs at home for five minutes every night: Hot Cross Buns, Down By The Station, Au Claire De La Lune, Skin and Bones, B A Superhero, Scarily We Troll Along, and BA Rockstar. Please help your child remember to bring his/her recorder and binder to every music class! Make a note of our 3/4th Grade Winter Sing date: Friday, 12/19 at 8:15 am. We hope to see you there!
Grade 4
Students always come to music prepared and ready to sing and play music games! They are preparing for their Winter Sing on Friday, 12/19 at 8:15 in the Auditorium. We have been studying folk songs of America and Native American music. Please encourage your child to practice singing and memorizing songs from the song packet that was sent home.
Grade 5
Students have been exploring another Symphonic Poem, Danse Macabre, composed by Camille St. Saens. They have been using a listening map and the main themes to find their way through this exciting piece. Classes have read a story about how St. Saens found his inspiration for the piece down in the catacombs of Paris with his poet friend, Henri Cazalis. Ask your child to tell you about the story and to sing each main theme from the piece!
Kindergarten
Students have been singing songs, playing musical games, and playing hand-held instruments to help support building fine and gross motor skills, pitch and rhythm matching, and overall music appreciation. We have been focused on songs about autumn and preparing “Just Right Songs” for the K Winter Sing on Friday, 12/5 at 8:15 am in the Auditorium.
Grade 1
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Each class has spent the last few weeks listening to Peter and the Wolf and learning about the instruments in the orchestra that play each character in the story. Ask your child to act out the story with the music at home, using the characters and background created in class! Students are beginning to learn new songs for the 1st Grade Winter Sing on Wednesday, 12/17 at 8:15 am.
Grade 2
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Songs that students have been singing in class include Bicycle, Tue Tue, Will Winter End, and Windy Old Weather in preparation for their Winter Sing on Friday, 12/12 at 8:15 am. Students have been moving to Looby Loo, Close Encounters, and In the Hall of the Mountain King. Students have been practicing writing or decoding rhythms they hear, and identifying rhythmic patterns visually using quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and quarter rests.
Grade 3
Students are practicing the notes B, A, G and E on recorder. They should be practicing some of the following songs at home for five minutes every night: Hot Cross Buns, Down By The Station, Au Claire De La Lune, Skin and Bones, B A Superhero, Scarily We Troll Along, and BA Rockstar. Please help your child remember to bring his/her recorder and binder to every music class! Make a note of our 3/4th Grade Winter Sing date: Friday, 12/19 at 8:15 am. We hope to see you there!
Grade 4
Students always come to music prepared and ready to sing and play music games! They are preparing for their Winter Sing on Friday, 12/19 at 8:15 in the Auditorium. We have been studying folk songs of America and Native American music. Please encourage your child to practice singing and memorizing songs from the song packet that was sent home.
Grade 5
Students have been exploring another Symphonic Poem, Danse Macabre, composed by Camille St. Saens. They have been using a listening map and the main themes to find their way through this exciting piece. Classes have read a story about how St. Saens found his inspiration for the piece down in the catacombs of Paris with his poet friend, Henri Cazalis. Ask your child to tell you about the story and to sing each main theme from the piece!
Music Update - October 2014
Kindergarten
We are focusing on the love of singing, playing instruments, and creating music together. Our voices are raised together in song every music class. Students continue to work on keeping a steady beat with one and two hands, small and gross motor skills, and eye/hand coordination through playing xylophones and drums. We have read the story “Stone Soup”, “Silly Kitty Cat”, and listened to the “Kitty Cat Opera,” aka “A Comic Duet for two Cats” by G. Rossini. Ask your child to sing and surprise you with a song about yucky soup (“brew”) called “Stirring and Stirring.” Many happy October songs will be coming your way.
Grade 1
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Songs include “Over in the Meadow,” “Autumn Leaves,” and “So Glad To See You,” and games to help develop steady beat include “The Wind Blows East” and “Pumpkin Patch.” We’ve been listening to Pizziacato Polka and Troika as we practice careful listening and creative movement.
Grade 2
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Songs include “Apache Melody,” “Hickety Pickety,” and “Hop Old Squirrel,” and games and dances we have learned include “Alley Cat,” “Paw Paw Patch,” and “Simons Sings.” Students have been composing and reading with quarter-note, eighth-note, and sixteenth-note rhythms and rests.
Grade 3
Students are learning the notes B, A, and G on recorder, and should be practicing the following songs at home for 5 minutes every night: “Hot Cross Buns,” “Down By The Station,” “Au Claire De La Lune,” and “B A Superhero.” Please help your child remember to bring his/her recorder and binder to every music class!
Grade 4
Music students are currently sight-reading exercises in the key of F and G major with movable do. The students are really enjoying learning new music and singing traditional American folk songs together. Ask your son or daughter to share a favorite song so far this fall; this might be “Something Told the Wild Geese”, “The Erie Canal”, “ Blue Waters of the North”, “Accentuate the Positive”, “The Wabash Cannonball”, or “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier”. We are creating a humorous song-tale in each fourth grade class about the past life of various objects. This lesson inspires creativity and improvisation through interdisciplinary work in music, writing, and art. Please check my website, http://www.msmanionsmusicclass.weebly.com, for the finished works on the last Friday of October. BOO!
Grade 5
Students have been creating an original symphonic poem (instrumental piece that tells a story) inspired by a poem we read in class. Each class has created different themes on xylophone to represent different parts of the poem. Many students have taken turns conducting the ensemble, and we are in the process of adding sound effects using instruments such as the gong, shakers, thunder tube, finger cymbals, calabash, rain stick, and more! We will be recording their masterpieces this week! Ask your child to tell you a bit more about the class composition and the role he/she has played in it!
Kindergarten
We are focusing on the love of singing, playing instruments, and creating music together. Our voices are raised together in song every music class. Students continue to work on keeping a steady beat with one and two hands, small and gross motor skills, and eye/hand coordination through playing xylophones and drums. We have read the story “Stone Soup”, “Silly Kitty Cat”, and listened to the “Kitty Cat Opera,” aka “A Comic Duet for two Cats” by G. Rossini. Ask your child to sing and surprise you with a song about yucky soup (“brew”) called “Stirring and Stirring.” Many happy October songs will be coming your way.
Grade 1
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Songs include “Over in the Meadow,” “Autumn Leaves,” and “So Glad To See You,” and games to help develop steady beat include “The Wind Blows East” and “Pumpkin Patch.” We’ve been listening to Pizziacato Polka and Troika as we practice careful listening and creative movement.
Grade 2
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, improvisation, and vocal independence. Songs include “Apache Melody,” “Hickety Pickety,” and “Hop Old Squirrel,” and games and dances we have learned include “Alley Cat,” “Paw Paw Patch,” and “Simons Sings.” Students have been composing and reading with quarter-note, eighth-note, and sixteenth-note rhythms and rests.
Grade 3
Students are learning the notes B, A, and G on recorder, and should be practicing the following songs at home for 5 minutes every night: “Hot Cross Buns,” “Down By The Station,” “Au Claire De La Lune,” and “B A Superhero.” Please help your child remember to bring his/her recorder and binder to every music class!
Grade 4
Music students are currently sight-reading exercises in the key of F and G major with movable do. The students are really enjoying learning new music and singing traditional American folk songs together. Ask your son or daughter to share a favorite song so far this fall; this might be “Something Told the Wild Geese”, “The Erie Canal”, “ Blue Waters of the North”, “Accentuate the Positive”, “The Wabash Cannonball”, or “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier”. We are creating a humorous song-tale in each fourth grade class about the past life of various objects. This lesson inspires creativity and improvisation through interdisciplinary work in music, writing, and art. Please check my website, http://www.msmanionsmusicclass.weebly.com, for the finished works on the last Friday of October. BOO!
Grade 5
Students have been creating an original symphonic poem (instrumental piece that tells a story) inspired by a poem we read in class. Each class has created different themes on xylophone to represent different parts of the poem. Many students have taken turns conducting the ensemble, and we are in the process of adding sound effects using instruments such as the gong, shakers, thunder tube, finger cymbals, calabash, rain stick, and more! We will be recording their masterpieces this week! Ask your child to tell you a bit more about the class composition and the role he/she has played in it!
Music Update - September 2014
Kindergarten
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Songs include Johnny One Note, Johnny Works With one Hammer, and Kye Kye Kule. Students have been playing Charlie Over the Ocean and using a stretchy band.
Grade 1
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Songs include Bubble Gum, Sunshine, Mr. Clickety Cane, and Farmer Brown. We’ve been playing Hello Everybody, Jump Josie, and Sally Go Round the Sun. Ask your child to sing one of these new songs for you at home!
Grade 2
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Songs include My Aunt Came Back, She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain, My Hat It Has Three Corners, and Go Well and Safely. We’ve been playing Circle Round the Zero, Hello Everybody, and Simon Sings.
Grade 3
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. We’re practicing reading rhythm and finding notes on the treble clef in preparation for our work with recorder in October. Students have been singing, dancing, and playing a xylophone accompaniment to the song Turn the Glasses Over.
Grade 4
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Each class will be learning about traditional American folk music and practicing basic folk dances and games. Songs include Accentuate the Positive, America, and The Erie Canal.
Grade 5
Students have begun a class composition inspired by a seasonal poem invoking a mysterious and suspenseful mood. Each student will work with a partner to compose a short motive on xylophone to complement the theme of the piece. We’ll work at combining these ideas in the next few classes. Students will also practice conducting the entire work, and putting their own creative spin on the arrangement.
Kindergarten
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Songs include Johnny One Note, Johnny Works With one Hammer, and Kye Kye Kule. Students have been playing Charlie Over the Ocean and using a stretchy band.
Grade 1
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Songs include Bubble Gum, Sunshine, Mr. Clickety Cane, and Farmer Brown. We’ve been playing Hello Everybody, Jump Josie, and Sally Go Round the Sun. Ask your child to sing one of these new songs for you at home!
Grade 2
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Songs include My Aunt Came Back, She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain, My Hat It Has Three Corners, and Go Well and Safely. We’ve been playing Circle Round the Zero, Hello Everybody, and Simon Sings.
Grade 3
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. We’re practicing reading rhythm and finding notes on the treble clef in preparation for our work with recorder in October. Students have been singing, dancing, and playing a xylophone accompaniment to the song Turn the Glasses Over.
Grade 4
Students have been singing songs and playing games to help build musical skills and encourage turn-taking, cooperation, and vocal independence. Each class will be learning about traditional American folk music and practicing basic folk dances and games. Songs include Accentuate the Positive, America, and The Erie Canal.
Grade 5
Students have begun a class composition inspired by a seasonal poem invoking a mysterious and suspenseful mood. Each student will work with a partner to compose a short motive on xylophone to complement the theme of the piece. We’ll work at combining these ideas in the next few classes. Students will also practice conducting the entire work, and putting their own creative spin on the arrangement.
Music Update - June 2014
1st grade
Students have been busily preparing their songs for the Spring Sing that took place last week. The first song performed was called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing,” then the children sang, danced and played "La Raspa,” a Mexian folk song. They sang and played xylophone for a Japanese song about the moon called "Tsuki,” and wowed us all with their fantastic moves on the the partner song "I Love the Mountains & City Life.” They sang a 1st grade favorite called "Best Friends" as well. We were very proud of their hard work and beautiful singing!
2nd grade
Students are hard at work preparing for their Spring Sing concert tomorrow, 6/11 at 8:15 am! We hope you can join us!! They will be performing the following songs:
3rd grade
Students are preparing for their spring concert on Friday, 6/13 at 8:15 am. They will be singing, playing recorder, playing xylophone and dancing!! We hope you can join us. All are welcome!
4th grade
Students have been busily preparing for their Spring Sing which took place on Monday, 6/9. Each class performed American folk songs and dances learned throughout the year. Congratulations 4th graders!
5th grade
Students have been exploring music technology and composing using the notation program Noteflight and the program GarageBand. Ask your student to share what he or she has created in class. There is some wonderfully creative work being done!
Wishing all of the students and their families a relaxing and wonderful summer vacation. A special thank you to the PTO for the support of the music program at Pierce. Please visit our websites, below, when you have a moment with your child.
Best regards, Ms. Manion & Ms. Sheridan
https://sites.google.com/site/pierceschoolmusic/
http://www.msmanionsmusicclass.weebly.com
Students have been busily preparing their songs for the Spring Sing that took place last week. The first song performed was called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing,” then the children sang, danced and played "La Raspa,” a Mexian folk song. They sang and played xylophone for a Japanese song about the moon called "Tsuki,” and wowed us all with their fantastic moves on the the partner song "I Love the Mountains & City Life.” They sang a 1st grade favorite called "Best Friends" as well. We were very proud of their hard work and beautiful singing!
2nd grade
Students are hard at work preparing for their Spring Sing concert tomorrow, 6/11 at 8:15 am! We hope you can join us!! They will be performing the following songs:
- Doraji (Korean folk song)
- Rhythm of the Rain
- Take Me Out To The Ballgame
- You And I
- Listen to the Sun (part of the Aesop fable "The Sun and the North Wind")
- Don't Let the Wind (part of the Aesop fable "The Sun and the North Wind")
- Go Well and Safely (Zulu parting song)
3rd grade
Students are preparing for their spring concert on Friday, 6/13 at 8:15 am. They will be singing, playing recorder, playing xylophone and dancing!! We hope you can join us. All are welcome!
4th grade
Students have been busily preparing for their Spring Sing which took place on Monday, 6/9. Each class performed American folk songs and dances learned throughout the year. Congratulations 4th graders!
5th grade
Students have been exploring music technology and composing using the notation program Noteflight and the program GarageBand. Ask your student to share what he or she has created in class. There is some wonderfully creative work being done!
Wishing all of the students and their families a relaxing and wonderful summer vacation. A special thank you to the PTO for the support of the music program at Pierce. Please visit our websites, below, when you have a moment with your child.
Best regards, Ms. Manion & Ms. Sheridan
https://sites.google.com/site/pierceschoolmusic/
http://www.msmanionsmusicclass.weebly.com
Music Update - May 2014
Kindergarten
Students have been acting out stories set to music through the "Three Piggy Opera" and "The Mouse and The Flower.” Ask your child what they heard when they listened to "Spring" by A. Vivaldi. The students were singing and moving to the beat, developing small and large motor skill coordination by participating in music games and songs such as “Chee Chee Cha” and “Rig a Jig Jig.” We are very much looking forward to our Kindergarten Spring Sing on May 16 at 8:15 in the Auditorium. See you then! Happy spring!
Grade 1
Students studied fables with "Sing A Sing of Aesop.” They danced, sang, and played the games "Closet Key,” "Highland Gates,” “The Wind Blow East,” and “The Sweets of May.” We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 6th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 2
Students have been playing instruments, singing, and acting out the fable “The Sun and the North Wind.” In addition, we had a wonderful drumming program (funded by the amazing PTO) come and lead workshops with each class on April 11th. The students were drumming, singing, dancing and having a blast! They all had their own djembe drum to play. The classes made some great connections with the music we have been learning, the music from the workshop on their “Trip to Africa” and their study of Ghana in the classroom. Each class has also begun to learn songs for our Memorial Day assembly as well. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 11th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 3
Students have been continuing their work with recorder, and have been building on their skills using the C scale. We have learned several duets, which students will take turns performing for each other in class this month. Classes have also been dancing! Ask your child to explain how “The Snowball” dance works, or what makes “The Boston Tea Party” a challenge. In addition, we have been preparing songs for our Memorial Day assembly. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 13th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 4
Students have continued to learn about traditional American folk music. Classes have been square dancing, singing spirituals such as “Wade in the Water” and “Rock-A-My Soul,” and using classroom instruments to accompany their singing. Students have been working on memorizing “Fifty States that Rhyme” and preparing songs for our Memorial Day assembly as well. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 9th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 5
Students have been exploring the compositional form of theme and variations. Working in pairs on xylophone, each group has created their own variation on the theme from Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony No.94, using rhythm, pitch, dynamics, key, tempo, expression and several other musical elements. Each class will perform their variations this week. Students will also be listening to “Variations on America” by Charles Ives and identifying consonance and dissonance in his music.
Upcoming performances for K-8: Parents invited to all!
Kindergarten, May 16, 8:15am
4th Grade Instrumental Concert, June 2, 8:30am
5-8th Chorus & Band w/ K-8 Art Exhibit, June 3, 6-7:30pm
1st Grade, June 6, 8:15am
4th Grade, June 9, 8:15am
2nd Grade, June 11, 8:15am
3rd Grade, June 13, 8:15am
All performances held in Pierce Auditorium.
Kindergarten
Students have been acting out stories set to music through the "Three Piggy Opera" and "The Mouse and The Flower.” Ask your child what they heard when they listened to "Spring" by A. Vivaldi. The students were singing and moving to the beat, developing small and large motor skill coordination by participating in music games and songs such as “Chee Chee Cha” and “Rig a Jig Jig.” We are very much looking forward to our Kindergarten Spring Sing on May 16 at 8:15 in the Auditorium. See you then! Happy spring!
Grade 1
Students studied fables with "Sing A Sing of Aesop.” They danced, sang, and played the games "Closet Key,” "Highland Gates,” “The Wind Blow East,” and “The Sweets of May.” We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 6th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 2
Students have been playing instruments, singing, and acting out the fable “The Sun and the North Wind.” In addition, we had a wonderful drumming program (funded by the amazing PTO) come and lead workshops with each class on April 11th. The students were drumming, singing, dancing and having a blast! They all had their own djembe drum to play. The classes made some great connections with the music we have been learning, the music from the workshop on their “Trip to Africa” and their study of Ghana in the classroom. Each class has also begun to learn songs for our Memorial Day assembly as well. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 11th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 3
Students have been continuing their work with recorder, and have been building on their skills using the C scale. We have learned several duets, which students will take turns performing for each other in class this month. Classes have also been dancing! Ask your child to explain how “The Snowball” dance works, or what makes “The Boston Tea Party” a challenge. In addition, we have been preparing songs for our Memorial Day assembly. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 13th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 4
Students have continued to learn about traditional American folk music. Classes have been square dancing, singing spirituals such as “Wade in the Water” and “Rock-A-My Soul,” and using classroom instruments to accompany their singing. Students have been working on memorizing “Fifty States that Rhyme” and preparing songs for our Memorial Day assembly as well. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring Sing on June 9th at 8:15 am in the Auditorium!
Grade 5
Students have been exploring the compositional form of theme and variations. Working in pairs on xylophone, each group has created their own variation on the theme from Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony No.94, using rhythm, pitch, dynamics, key, tempo, expression and several other musical elements. Each class will perform their variations this week. Students will also be listening to “Variations on America” by Charles Ives and identifying consonance and dissonance in his music.
Upcoming performances for K-8: Parents invited to all!
Kindergarten, May 16, 8:15am
4th Grade Instrumental Concert, June 2, 8:30am
5-8th Chorus & Band w/ K-8 Art Exhibit, June 3, 6-7:30pm
1st Grade, June 6, 8:15am
4th Grade, June 9, 8:15am
2nd Grade, June 11, 8:15am
3rd Grade, June 13, 8:15am
All performances held in Pierce Auditorium.
Music Update - April 2014
Kindergarten students are working on telling stories through instruments and song. We are also learning new signing games and movement activities. We have lots of fun ending each class with our Austrian song that includes an avalanche, a bear, a dog, a cow, a train, and a pretty girl, the last of which is acted out with a super-silly kiss that the kids LOVE doing!
First graders have been working on moving to music in creative ways as well as following a steady beat with their bodies. We have learned a folk dance called “The Sweets of May” in preparation for spring! Each class will be learning many new songs and games that tie in to the welcome change in season as well.
Second graders have been singing songs and playing games from West Africa. They are also playing instruments and acting out the well known fable “The Sun and the North Wind” using pantomime, xylophones, percussion instruments, and voices. On April 11th, each second-grade class will have an in-school workshop with a drumming group called Rhythm Kids. This enrichment program will have students singing, moving, dancing, and drumming as they learn about the music and culture of West Africa. The Pierce PTO funds this fabulous program!
Third graders can now play a C-Major scale on recorder and are working on mastering many new songs with more than one part. Students are encouraged to play alone and with others for the class. To help build confidence and reinforce the need for practice at home, ask your child and a friend to perform a duet for you. Challenge them to play the Rabbit or Cheetah tempo of the C-scale for you at home!
Fourth graders have been comparing different versions of the folk song and story of “John Henry.” Each class has listened to a range of recordings and honed their critical listening skills as they identified differences in instrumentation, lyrics, timbre, form, and more! Students will be square-dancing and playing several traditional folksong games called “play parties” from the South.
Fifth graders have been learning about the music of Gioachino Rossini and the William Tell Overture. Using a listening map, students explored the form and main theme of the piece. In the next few weeks, students will be learning about theme and variation through a variety of pieces and activities. This unit will culminate with each student composing his or her own theme and variation on xylophone and performing it for the class!
Kindergarten students are working on telling stories through instruments and song. We are also learning new signing games and movement activities. We have lots of fun ending each class with our Austrian song that includes an avalanche, a bear, a dog, a cow, a train, and a pretty girl, the last of which is acted out with a super-silly kiss that the kids LOVE doing!
First graders have been working on moving to music in creative ways as well as following a steady beat with their bodies. We have learned a folk dance called “The Sweets of May” in preparation for spring! Each class will be learning many new songs and games that tie in to the welcome change in season as well.
Second graders have been singing songs and playing games from West Africa. They are also playing instruments and acting out the well known fable “The Sun and the North Wind” using pantomime, xylophones, percussion instruments, and voices. On April 11th, each second-grade class will have an in-school workshop with a drumming group called Rhythm Kids. This enrichment program will have students singing, moving, dancing, and drumming as they learn about the music and culture of West Africa. The Pierce PTO funds this fabulous program!
Third graders can now play a C-Major scale on recorder and are working on mastering many new songs with more than one part. Students are encouraged to play alone and with others for the class. To help build confidence and reinforce the need for practice at home, ask your child and a friend to perform a duet for you. Challenge them to play the Rabbit or Cheetah tempo of the C-scale for you at home!
Fourth graders have been comparing different versions of the folk song and story of “John Henry.” Each class has listened to a range of recordings and honed their critical listening skills as they identified differences in instrumentation, lyrics, timbre, form, and more! Students will be square-dancing and playing several traditional folksong games called “play parties” from the South.
Fifth graders have been learning about the music of Gioachino Rossini and the William Tell Overture. Using a listening map, students explored the form and main theme of the piece. In the next few weeks, students will be learning about theme and variation through a variety of pieces and activities. This unit will culminate with each student composing his or her own theme and variation on xylophone and performing it for the class!
Music Update - February 2014
Second graders have been mastering rhythmic patterns in many different ways: composing, playing instruments, reading and writing using stick notation, creating body percussion pieces, and audiating patterns in class. They will continue using games, songs and percussion instruments to build these skills.
Third graders have learned to play the Olympic theme! They can now play a C Major scale on recorder and are working on mastering many new songs with more than one part. Students are encouraged to play alone and with others for the class. To help build confidence and reinforce the need for practice at home, ask your child and a friend to perform a duet for you!
Fourth graders have been learning about the 12-Bar Blues. Through listening to different examples, they have begun to hear the chord progression and can play it on xylophone. Students will be writing their own lyrics and performing their original Blues songs in class. They will practice improvising a solo using the blues scale as well!
Fifth graders are headed to Symphony Hall for a Youth Concert performed by the Boston Symphony orchestra on February 27! The students are very excited to see a real orchestra and conductor in action. In preparation, we’ve been learning about many of the pieces that will be performed. Please ask your child about the performance, and listen to songs from the concert at home! See below for the program.
2014 Youth Concerts: "There's Nothing Better Than a Good Story"- a musical look at the components of storytelling led by Germeshausen Family and Youth Concerts Conductor, Thomas Wilkins
TCHAIKOVSKY Coronation March
COPLAND Buckaroo Holiday, from the ballet Rodeo
ANDERSON The Waltzing Cat
STRAVINSKY Circus Polka
WILLIAMS Flight to Neverland, from Hook
RAVEL The Enchanted Garden, from Mother Goose
STRAVINSKY Berceuse & Finale, from the ballet The Firebird
Second graders have been mastering rhythmic patterns in many different ways: composing, playing instruments, reading and writing using stick notation, creating body percussion pieces, and audiating patterns in class. They will continue using games, songs and percussion instruments to build these skills.
Third graders have learned to play the Olympic theme! They can now play a C Major scale on recorder and are working on mastering many new songs with more than one part. Students are encouraged to play alone and with others for the class. To help build confidence and reinforce the need for practice at home, ask your child and a friend to perform a duet for you!
Fourth graders have been learning about the 12-Bar Blues. Through listening to different examples, they have begun to hear the chord progression and can play it on xylophone. Students will be writing their own lyrics and performing their original Blues songs in class. They will practice improvising a solo using the blues scale as well!
Fifth graders are headed to Symphony Hall for a Youth Concert performed by the Boston Symphony orchestra on February 27! The students are very excited to see a real orchestra and conductor in action. In preparation, we’ve been learning about many of the pieces that will be performed. Please ask your child about the performance, and listen to songs from the concert at home! See below for the program.
2014 Youth Concerts: "There's Nothing Better Than a Good Story"- a musical look at the components of storytelling led by Germeshausen Family and Youth Concerts Conductor, Thomas Wilkins
TCHAIKOVSKY Coronation March
COPLAND Buckaroo Holiday, from the ballet Rodeo
ANDERSON The Waltzing Cat
STRAVINSKY Circus Polka
WILLIAMS Flight to Neverland, from Hook
RAVEL The Enchanted Garden, from Mother Goose
STRAVINSKY Berceuse & Finale, from the ballet The Firebird
Music Update - January 2014
Kindergarten students sang the echo part of the song “Sing About Martin” at our January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. school assembly. This month, we have focused on singing songs about peace, love, and friendship. Students have been studying ways of moving on their feet to the steady beat of music from the book and CD My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, and have been discovering patterns and shapes in sound and connecting those to physical movements, colors, and emotions. While working with a partner, students move or dance with scarves to show the mood they feel while listening to a certain piece of music. Ask your child to teach you the “Star Song” or play “Willowbee” with you!
First graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly, and are learning about the sounds of jazz. Students have been exploring different ways of moving to a beat, and have been singing songs, playing games, and listening to music to build on this skill. Students are creating patterns with note values using wooden manipulatives as a form of notating whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes on lap-boards. We will further explore pitch, steps, and skips, combining these with simple rhythmic patterning to create melodies each child can read and notate.
Second graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. Students have been exploring how music can be used to tell a story. They accompanied the poem “The Land of Nod” by Robert Louis Stevenson with percussion instruments, voices, creative movement, and xylophones. We will begin creating music to help portray Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak this week.
Third graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. Students have been learning to play low D on the recorder and have worked on several new songs using this note. Ask your child to show you each note s/he has learned to play so far. “Up and Down in 5-Note Town” is a new song that uses all of these notes. Students have also been thinking about the concept of form in music, using “Penny Lane” by the Beatles as a springboard for identifying the individual parts that make a whole song.
Fourth graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. Students read “Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni and made connections with the song “Back of the Bus.” Students are learning about African-American spirituals and have been singing “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” “Rock-A-My Soul,” and “Wade in the Water.” Students have been folk-dancing and exploring the 12-Bar Blues, and will be composing a Blues song and using xylophone to perform it.
Fifth graders have been exploring the concept of style in music using Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. After becoming familiar with the original version, classes listened to many different arrangements of the piece ranging from the Bee Gees disco classic to a piece performed entirely by tools in a garage! Students analyzed what they heard through group discussion, and had many fascinating conversations about style and genre. Currently, students are composing original themes on xylophone to be used as part of a rondo inspired by Zoltan Kodaly’s “Viennese Musical Clock.” Ask your child what a rondo is!
Kindergarten students sang the echo part of the song “Sing About Martin” at our January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. school assembly. This month, we have focused on singing songs about peace, love, and friendship. Students have been studying ways of moving on their feet to the steady beat of music from the book and CD My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, and have been discovering patterns and shapes in sound and connecting those to physical movements, colors, and emotions. While working with a partner, students move or dance with scarves to show the mood they feel while listening to a certain piece of music. Ask your child to teach you the “Star Song” or play “Willowbee” with you!
First graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly, and are learning about the sounds of jazz. Students have been exploring different ways of moving to a beat, and have been singing songs, playing games, and listening to music to build on this skill. Students are creating patterns with note values using wooden manipulatives as a form of notating whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes on lap-boards. We will further explore pitch, steps, and skips, combining these with simple rhythmic patterning to create melodies each child can read and notate.
Second graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. Students have been exploring how music can be used to tell a story. They accompanied the poem “The Land of Nod” by Robert Louis Stevenson with percussion instruments, voices, creative movement, and xylophones. We will begin creating music to help portray Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak this week.
Third graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. Students have been learning to play low D on the recorder and have worked on several new songs using this note. Ask your child to show you each note s/he has learned to play so far. “Up and Down in 5-Note Town” is a new song that uses all of these notes. Students have also been thinking about the concept of form in music, using “Penny Lane” by the Beatles as a springboard for identifying the individual parts that make a whole song.
Fourth graders prepared songs from the Civil Rights movement for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. Students read “Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni and made connections with the song “Back of the Bus.” Students are learning about African-American spirituals and have been singing “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” “Rock-A-My Soul,” and “Wade in the Water.” Students have been folk-dancing and exploring the 12-Bar Blues, and will be composing a Blues song and using xylophone to perform it.
Fifth graders have been exploring the concept of style in music using Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. After becoming familiar with the original version, classes listened to many different arrangements of the piece ranging from the Bee Gees disco classic to a piece performed entirely by tools in a garage! Students analyzed what they heard through group discussion, and had many fascinating conversations about style and genre. Currently, students are composing original themes on xylophone to be used as part of a rondo inspired by Zoltan Kodaly’s “Viennese Musical Clock.” Ask your child what a rondo is!
Music Update - November 2013
Kindergarten students study music with Ms. Manion twice/week. Students are singing songs, playing instruments, and moving to the beat, all while developing tonal center and gross and small motor skills. Learning songs is a key building block to developing language, and stories without visual aids encourage children's listening skills. Music literacy is integrated through play during music lessons. As caregiver, you can enhance your child's learning by encouraging sound and voice exploration. Ask your child: what is musical sign language? What is sol? Mi? Ask you child to sing and teach you "Naughty Kitty Cat," "Stone Soup," and "I've A Car." Play singing games, echo me and mirror me...Mark your calendar for K Sings on December 6 at 8:15 am in the Auditorium. All are welcome!
Grade 1 students will continue to learn about orchestra instruments and the story of "Peter and the Wolf." They are learning to identify the sounds of orchestra instruments and exploring how music can be used to tell a story. Students are also developing a greater understanding of the difference between steady beat and rhythmic patterning and internalizing the beat in their bodies and minds, using their “thinking voice.” Mark your calendar for our 1st grade Winter Sing on December 13th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 2 students, with Ms. Sheridan, are singing songs and playing games that help us identify micro and macro beats. Students have been decoding melodic patterns and working on moving to and playing a steady beat. Students will be moving to and playing ostinati on xylophone. Ask your student to show you some hand signs from class and explain how we play Simon Sings. Mark your calendar for our 2nd grade Winter Sing on December 12th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 3 music classes are practicing the notes B, A, G and E on recorder and beginning to read music. Students are learning to find these notes on the treble clef and read musical symbols in music such as a repeat sign and a coda. Students will be improvising and composing melodies on recorder. Mark your calendar for our 3rd and 4th grade Winter Concert on December 20th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 4 music classes have been singing traditional songs from New England, learning several ballads, dances and games. Ask your child to sing part of a ballad learned in music class! Students will be exploring instruments commonly used to play American folk music, and identifying them as they analyze different recordings. Mark your calendar for our 3rd and 4th grade Winter Concert on December 20th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 5 music classes have been exploring the musical form of Symphonic Poems using the pieces Danse Macabre and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice to illustrate how composers tell stories with music. Students will be learning about the musical form of Theme and Variations through Haydn’s Surprise Symphony. Each student will compose an original variation on Haydn’s theme, using classroom instruments, and perform it for the class. Ask your child to explain what a theme is, and how a composer can vary it.
Grade 5-8 Chorus & Band Concert
Monday, 12/16, 6:30 pm @ Brookline High Auditorium
Grade 4-8 Strings Concert
Monday, 2/3/14, 7pm @ Lawrence School
Grade 1 students will continue to learn about orchestra instruments and the story of "Peter and the Wolf." They are learning to identify the sounds of orchestra instruments and exploring how music can be used to tell a story. Students are also developing a greater understanding of the difference between steady beat and rhythmic patterning and internalizing the beat in their bodies and minds, using their “thinking voice.” Mark your calendar for our 1st grade Winter Sing on December 13th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 2 students, with Ms. Sheridan, are singing songs and playing games that help us identify micro and macro beats. Students have been decoding melodic patterns and working on moving to and playing a steady beat. Students will be moving to and playing ostinati on xylophone. Ask your student to show you some hand signs from class and explain how we play Simon Sings. Mark your calendar for our 2nd grade Winter Sing on December 12th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 3 music classes are practicing the notes B, A, G and E on recorder and beginning to read music. Students are learning to find these notes on the treble clef and read musical symbols in music such as a repeat sign and a coda. Students will be improvising and composing melodies on recorder. Mark your calendar for our 3rd and 4th grade Winter Concert on December 20th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 4 music classes have been singing traditional songs from New England, learning several ballads, dances and games. Ask your child to sing part of a ballad learned in music class! Students will be exploring instruments commonly used to play American folk music, and identifying them as they analyze different recordings. Mark your calendar for our 3rd and 4th grade Winter Concert on December 20th at 8:15 am. All are welcome!
Grade 5 music classes have been exploring the musical form of Symphonic Poems using the pieces Danse Macabre and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice to illustrate how composers tell stories with music. Students will be learning about the musical form of Theme and Variations through Haydn’s Surprise Symphony. Each student will compose an original variation on Haydn’s theme, using classroom instruments, and perform it for the class. Ask your child to explain what a theme is, and how a composer can vary it.
Grade 5-8 Chorus & Band Concert
Monday, 12/16, 6:30 pm @ Brookline High Auditorium
Grade 4-8 Strings Concert
Monday, 2/3/14, 7pm @ Lawrence School
Music Update - October 2013
A quick update on music happenings in grades K-5 with Ms. Manion and Ms. Sheridan
K students are singing, listening, dancing, and playing classroom instruments twice per week. October focuses on some Halloween favorites along with continued musical vocabulary expansion. Ask your son or daughter about the aural concepts of high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, and echo/silence. Parents can plan to see a letter home from Ms. Manion at the end of each month. This letter will have a list of songs and games that K students sang and played in the music classroom, along with an extension piece for at home.
Grade 1 students are enjoying rhyming songs and song tales. The children have focused on identifying steady beats versus rhythm patterns. We will continue to learn about orchestra instruments and the story of " Peter and the Wolf". We will learn about "Peer Gynt" and dance out the story. Ask your child to sing "Apples Juicy" and "Jambo" for you. You can be the echo part! We will be exploring “Alphabet Actions” and practicing different ways of moving to a beat.
Grade 2 students are singing songs and playing games that help us identify micro and macro beats. We will continue this work with several dances and activities. We will also continue to practice solfege patterns. Ask your student to show you some hand signs that they remember from class and explain how we play Simon Sings.
Grade 3 students are learning how to produce a soft, musical tone as they play recorder. We will be learning music that uses the notes B, A and G. Ask your child to play these three notes for you. Please remind your student to bring their recorder and binder to music class each day. Practicing 5 minutes a day will help your child feel successful in music class!
Grade 4 students are singing songs from New England and becoming experienced arrangers. We have combined parts on xylophone, recorder, glockenspiel, drum, maracas, rain stick and our voices, to create a performance of “Canoe Song”. We will arrange and record these parts for group critique. Ask your child about it!
Grade 5 students are completing their class composition. We have been exploring the musical form of symphonic poems, an instrumental song that tells a story, and have created our own! Ask your child to share the poem we used for inspiration, and what theme they are playing in class for the project. We will learn about themes and symphonic poems as we study the composer Saint-Saens and his famous piece “Dance Macabre”.
A quick update on music happenings in grades K-5 with Ms. Manion and Ms. Sheridan
K students are singing, listening, dancing, and playing classroom instruments twice per week. October focuses on some Halloween favorites along with continued musical vocabulary expansion. Ask your son or daughter about the aural concepts of high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, and echo/silence. Parents can plan to see a letter home from Ms. Manion at the end of each month. This letter will have a list of songs and games that K students sang and played in the music classroom, along with an extension piece for at home.
Grade 1 students are enjoying rhyming songs and song tales. The children have focused on identifying steady beats versus rhythm patterns. We will continue to learn about orchestra instruments and the story of " Peter and the Wolf". We will learn about "Peer Gynt" and dance out the story. Ask your child to sing "Apples Juicy" and "Jambo" for you. You can be the echo part! We will be exploring “Alphabet Actions” and practicing different ways of moving to a beat.
Grade 2 students are singing songs and playing games that help us identify micro and macro beats. We will continue this work with several dances and activities. We will also continue to practice solfege patterns. Ask your student to show you some hand signs that they remember from class and explain how we play Simon Sings.
Grade 3 students are learning how to produce a soft, musical tone as they play recorder. We will be learning music that uses the notes B, A and G. Ask your child to play these three notes for you. Please remind your student to bring their recorder and binder to music class each day. Practicing 5 minutes a day will help your child feel successful in music class!
Grade 4 students are singing songs from New England and becoming experienced arrangers. We have combined parts on xylophone, recorder, glockenspiel, drum, maracas, rain stick and our voices, to create a performance of “Canoe Song”. We will arrange and record these parts for group critique. Ask your child about it!
Grade 5 students are completing their class composition. We have been exploring the musical form of symphonic poems, an instrumental song that tells a story, and have created our own! Ask your child to share the poem we used for inspiration, and what theme they are playing in class for the project. We will learn about themes and symphonic poems as we study the composer Saint-Saens and his famous piece “Dance Macabre”.
Music Updates - September 2013
K, 1, & 2 students have been working together singing songs focused on learning about pitch (high and low) and exploring vocal range. Students have been playing rhythm games, reading, and chanting patterns. They're developing greater understanding of the difference between steady beat and rhythmic patterning, and internalizing the beat in their minds and bodies.
Questions to ask your K, 1, and 2 students at home:
- What does it mean to use your thinking voice while singing a song?
- What are the different ways of using your voice?
- What is the difference between a steady beat and a rhythmic pattern?
Grade 3 are singing songs together that focus on story-telling, steady beat, and singing rounds. We are reading rhythmic patterns with Takadimi solfege, and preparing to start the recorder in October. (Students should bring a music binder and pencil to each music class.)
Questions to ask your Grade 3 students at home:
- What is a musical phrase?
- What is a round?
Grade 4 are singing songs from New England and learning several ballads. We will play rhythm games, learn folk dances, and practice playing instruments as a group.
Questions to ask your Grade 4 students at home:
- What is a ballad?
- What is a reel?
Grade 5 will explore what it means to compose. Students will create a piece of music as a class that tells a story or sets a mood. Students will create original themes that depict characters or events and practice conducting the finished piece.
Questions to ask your Grade 5 students at home:
- How are composing and conducting different?
- What are some famous themes you know?
- Why do composers use themes?
Questions to ask your K, 1, and 2 students at home:
- What does it mean to use your thinking voice while singing a song?
- What are the different ways of using your voice?
- What is the difference between a steady beat and a rhythmic pattern?
Grade 3 are singing songs together that focus on story-telling, steady beat, and singing rounds. We are reading rhythmic patterns with Takadimi solfege, and preparing to start the recorder in October. (Students should bring a music binder and pencil to each music class.)
Questions to ask your Grade 3 students at home:
- What is a musical phrase?
- What is a round?
Grade 4 are singing songs from New England and learning several ballads. We will play rhythm games, learn folk dances, and practice playing instruments as a group.
Questions to ask your Grade 4 students at home:
- What is a ballad?
- What is a reel?
Grade 5 will explore what it means to compose. Students will create a piece of music as a class that tells a story or sets a mood. Students will create original themes that depict characters or events and practice conducting the finished piece.
Questions to ask your Grade 5 students at home:
- How are composing and conducting different?
- What are some famous themes you know?
- Why do composers use themes?
Music Updates - May 2013
Kindergarten - Spring Sing will be held Tuesday, 6/11, 8:30-9:00am in the Pierce Auditorium. Music students are learning expressive movement to Western European classical music.
1st grade - Spring Sing will be held on Thursday, 5/16 at 8:15-8:45am in the Pierce Auditorium. First grade music students continue to sing, move, play games, and listen to a variety of music examples each class.
2nd grade - Spring Sing will be held on Friday, 5/17 at 8:15-8:45am in the Pierce Auditorium. Music classes have been focusing on multicultural music and folk dances.
3rd grade - Spring Concert will be held on Thursday, 6/6 at 8:15-9:00am in the Pierce Auditorium. Students in class learned about ¾ time through listening to a Jimi Hendrix song, doing body percussion patterns, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and even dancing some basic waltz steps! 4th grade - Students are finishing up their exploration of American folk music from the South.
5th grade - Students are studying the Baroque-period composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
7th grade - Students have been learning about American roots music from the early 20th
century, including Country, Blues, and Gospel music.
8th grade - Students have been working on writing their own original blues songs.
CHORUS
5th grade chorus - Students continue to develop sight-singing skills and work on their songs
for the Spring Concert. They have begun a new section of Chumbara, and continue to refine the legato singing in Firefly, the crisp diction in Crocodile, and the melodic phrases in Haru Ga Kita.
6th grade chorus - Students continue to work on vocal techniques like breath control and diction, their sight-singing skills, and on rehearsing their pieces for the Spring Concert in June.
7th and 8th grade chorus - Students are continuing to develop their skills for sight-singing in
multiple parts, and on preparing their music for the Spring Concert.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. SHERIDAN!
The whole Pierce community congratulates Ms. Sheridan on the newest addition to her family! Erin Murphy is delighted to be filling in for the remainder of the school year.
1st grade - Spring Sing will be held on Thursday, 5/16 at 8:15-8:45am in the Pierce Auditorium. First grade music students continue to sing, move, play games, and listen to a variety of music examples each class.
2nd grade - Spring Sing will be held on Friday, 5/17 at 8:15-8:45am in the Pierce Auditorium. Music classes have been focusing on multicultural music and folk dances.
3rd grade - Spring Concert will be held on Thursday, 6/6 at 8:15-9:00am in the Pierce Auditorium. Students in class learned about ¾ time through listening to a Jimi Hendrix song, doing body percussion patterns, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and even dancing some basic waltz steps! 4th grade - Students are finishing up their exploration of American folk music from the South.
5th grade - Students are studying the Baroque-period composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
7th grade - Students have been learning about American roots music from the early 20th
century, including Country, Blues, and Gospel music.
8th grade - Students have been working on writing their own original blues songs.
CHORUS
5th grade chorus - Students continue to develop sight-singing skills and work on their songs
for the Spring Concert. They have begun a new section of Chumbara, and continue to refine the legato singing in Firefly, the crisp diction in Crocodile, and the melodic phrases in Haru Ga Kita.
6th grade chorus - Students continue to work on vocal techniques like breath control and diction, their sight-singing skills, and on rehearsing their pieces for the Spring Concert in June.
7th and 8th grade chorus - Students are continuing to develop their skills for sight-singing in
multiple parts, and on preparing their music for the Spring Concert.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. SHERIDAN!
The whole Pierce community congratulates Ms. Sheridan on the newest addition to her family! Erin Murphy is delighted to be filling in for the remainder of the school year.
