New Beginnings

We are off to a terrific start in the music room this year!  Grades 1-4 have been learning instruments the past few weeks.  The excitement for 4th really intensified when they got to take their recorders home last week.  This week, we started using the Quaver interactive recorder music.  We play along with music videos with our recorders.  The pictures and video below are of a class performing the song "Walk Like a Mummy"--we actually got to showcase our very own "mummified" walks in the interlude.  Reminder: the Recorder Resources tab on my blog has all the music and info for these students to play at home! 

We played with some lights off for the added effect :)

Students in 1st-3rd started an instrument program this week called "Mallet Madness."  Each grade does a similar set-up, but has varying levels of difficulty.  This instrument focus is all on the Orff keyboard instruments--xylophones (wooden bars), glockespiels (bell-like quality), and metallophones (metal bars).  We've been going over the 3 Bs of mallets--bicycles, bounce, and bellybuttons.  Ask your child to see if they can tell you what those 3Bs mean! The neat thing with Mallet Madness is that everyone plays all the time AND we rotate instruments!  We have really been learning about what it means to be on a team and have respect for each other.  And, we've been making cool sounds!  Below are pictures of our set-up and a video of a 1st grade class demonstrating the "Hands Together" technique.  

1st Grade Musicians and Their Creations!