Costume Info!

COSTUME INFORMATION FOR CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: 

The Elementary Christmas program, “Christmas in Central Park” is only a few weeks away! Performances are Thursday, December 10^th at 1 and 7pm. All students in 1^st – 5^th grade will be involved. Also, check out the FPD Music Room blog at www.fpdmusic.com where all song lyrics are under the “Special Programs and Events” tab.

Costume Information: 

All students 1st-5th grade: Students should wear blue jeans or black pants, a long-sleeve top in red, green, or white (small print is fine, but no logos, please), and a winter scarf (any color is fine.) They are going to be dressed as neighborhood kids at an outdoor Christmas party. Please wear this to school on Thursday, December 10^th.

§      Shoes: Everyday school shoes (tennis shoes) are fine.

Christmas Program Preview

In 3 short weeks, the FPD Elementary students will present their annual Christmas program! This year's theme is "Christmas in Central Park."  The students are children at a neighborhood Christmas party where the snow is falling and the music is rocking!  We will present two shows on Thursday, December 10th at 1pm and 7pm.  

Below are two video previews of some of the songs the students are working on.  The 3rd graders added the Stick Stations to a traditional carol from Sussex, England.  The 4th graders have been working hard to learn "Coventry Carol" on their recorders. Enjoy these "sneak peeks," and be sure to join us on December 10th! 

Preview of our "Christmas in Central Park" backdrop!

3rd Grade performing Sussex Carol

4th Grade recorders on "Coventry Carol"

Five Smart Turkeys

In Kindergarten and PreK this week we are starting to celebrate Thanksgiving through some fun turkey songs.  We learned a song called "Five Smart Turkeys" about five turkeys who evade the cook by hiding in a tree.  We used our imaginations to act out the story of the song.  Then, we added in the instruments!  The five "turkeys" got to play on the soprano xylophones.  This was our first exposure to playing on the barred instruments!  We used the note F on the xylophones.  The students played an F on each of the rhyming words in the song--we, tree, and see.  We talked about mallet rest position (on our shoulders) and bouncing the mallet on the "belly button" of the bar for the best sound.  

Below are some pictures and videos of a Kindergarten class in action!

The practice session before the song!

Final performance

Musical, Minor, Percussive Pumpkins

Since we're in the final days of October, we used a fun pumpkin song to round out this week. We learned the song "Pumpkin Stew," which is another song in a minor key.  (Remember from a previous post, minor music has that "spooky" or "sad" sound to it--perfect for windy, dark nights).  

I tried something different this week and used the same exact song in grades PK-4th, however, we added in more complex musical ideas and components as the grades went higher.  In general, the classes learned the song "Pumpkin Stew" by listening to me perform and sing it on the Bass Xylophone.  Then, after they could sing it without me, we added in percussion instruments and formed the Pumpkin Stew Band.  

We talked about how to play the various instruments in the percussion family and how musicians work like a team.  In 4th grade, we added our recorders to the song, along with a new recorder note.  (Unfortunately, I didn't get a video of 4th grade playing!) We also used our imaginations as we became "Musician Chefs" and added ingredients to the stew pot in the lower grades.  We even used wind chimes as a sound effect for the kitchen timer!  

Below, are videos and pictures from various grade levels performing their version of the song "Pumpkin Stew."  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Stew Instrument Set-Up

Pre K

Kindergarten

Kindergarten

1st Grade 

2nd Grade 

Major vs. Minor Sounds

October is a great month to talk about minor music, with the dark evenings, cooler temperatures, and the falling leaves twirling about.   Major keys, just like the Major Leagues in baseball, are much more important in the musical world, but minor keys have their place! Songs in minor keys have a sound of sad, unsettled, or even a little spooky. A great example of a minor piece is Johann Sebastian Bach's "Toccata in D Minor" for organ. I've put in a video of the Toccata being played on organ.  You are probably familiar with the piece, even if you don't know the name! 

Second grade this week learned a minor song called "Pass the Pumpkin."  Since it's a minor song, the "spooky" sound is from the musical tonalities.  We played a passing game and added lots of instruments.  Below are a video and some pictures of a 2nd grad class playing and singing! It was a lot of fun to talk about how music can convey different emotions or feelings just with sound! 

Apple Tree, Apple Tree

Fall is in the air, and that means songs about apples, pumpkins, and leaves.  It also means a new pitch on Music Street for 2nd graders!  We've been learning about "Do" in 2nd grade the last few weeks.  Do lives at the bottom of the Music Street.  You might think of it as the first note of a musical scale, or "Do, a deer, a female deer" if you are a Sound of Music  fan. We often find Do at the beginning and end of a song.  In "Apple Tree," we go the entire song on Sol, Mi, and La, and Do sneaks in at the very end.  The students decoded the solfege and rhythms in this song, then we added back in the words.  After we had learned the song, we added a bass xylophone ostinato (a repeated pattern) and the game.  See if you can figure out how the game is played from the videos of 2nd graders below! There are also some photos of the game, song, and instruments in action.  

Hot Cross Buns

We have added a new pitch to Music Street in 3rd grade--Re.  We decoded the pitches and rhythms of the folk song "Hot Cross Buns."  The only three pitches used in "Hot Cross Buns" are Mi, Re, and Do.  First, we practiced singing our new pitch with our solfege hand signs.  Then, we decoded the pitches of the song, "Hot Cross Buns."  Next, we figured out the rhythm patterns of the song.  After that, we added back in the words to the song and headed to the instruments.  We set up our instruments in G Pentatonic (means "five tones") and I set the students free to figure out how to play the song on their instruments.  And, they did it!  Using their aural skills, each student tested out their instrument.  We collaborated as a group to fine tune the patterns.  Finally, we added in the solfege and the words.  In the video below, you'll see our final result!  And remember, all this took place in our 40 minutes class period--these 3rd graders are amazing! :) 

JUST FOR FUN: 

The song name "Hot Cross Buns" usually elicits some giggles from students.  Our American brains don't immediately make the connection to the tasty baked good this song is about.  This is a folk song from England about a bun eaten on Good Friday. It is a spiced sweet bun filled with currants or raisins, and there is an icing cross place on top.    In previous years, I've spotted hot cross buns for sale at Panera Bread around Easter time! 

Hot Cross Buns ready to eat!