Music News
October 2023
Hello DES Families!
We have been having a great time in the music room so far - it's hard to believe that a month of school has flown by so quickly! Our theme this year in the music room is "Music is Out of This World!" Each grade level will be participating in a year-long study of Gustav Holst's famous orchestral piece, "The Planets". In September, we listened to the first movement, called "Mars, the Bringer of War". Students learned that an ostinato is a pattern that repeats over and over, and we explored both four and five-beat rhythmic patterns in conjunction with this movement. Check out the links below to see two different videos - the first is an interactive movement activity for primary grades, and the second is a video of a professional conductor and orchestra performing this piece!
What Else Have We Been Up To?
Kindergarten
Our kindergartners have had a lot of fun this month exploring and performing steady beat in many different ways! Music at this age involves a lot of movement and gross motor skills - ask your child to share our "Magic Shoes" song with you at home! We've also started to explore some basic classroom instruments, including rhythm sticks and maracas. In October, we will be participating in a lot of different vocal exploration activities, and we will be stretching our singing voices from high to low with many fun fall and Halloween songs!
1st Grade
Our first graders have been working hard to understand, perform, read, and write patterns that have long and short sounds. We learned that beats can have one or two sounds - in music, we call these notes "ta" and "ta-di". We also learned that beats can be silent! The video linked below has many different rhythm examples using the words "Leaf" and "Acorn" to represent one and two sounds. First graders will be focusing on using our four different voices (singing, speaking, whispering, and calling) as well as melodic direction in October.
2nd Grade
Our second graders have also been focusing on rhythms this month. We reviewed our "ta" and "ta-di" rhythms (quarter notes and eighth notes), and we added many notes and rests that are worth more than one beat, such as half notes, dotted half-notes, and whole notes! Some of our new favorite songs use these longer rhythms, such as "My Father's House" and "Are You Sleeping?" We even participated in rhythm stations, where we completed a Color-by-Note worksheet, practiced composing and reading rhythms, and played a Musical Race Track game with special music dice. Ask your student to share what they have learned about these longer notes and rhythms with you!
3rd Grade
Our third graders have been singing, dancing, and exploring songs with even and uneven rhythms - ask your student to sing "Jambo" or "Jubilee" for you at home! We've learned that beats can be split into two or three sounds, creating an even "trotting" feel or an uneven "galloping" feel. We have also been experimenting with two-part singing, including call-and-response and rounds. During October, we will be focusing on reading and performing melodies that use the first three notes of the scale - do, re, and mi!
4th Grade
Our fourth graders are expanding their rhythmic vocabulary by adding 16th notes, or "ta-ka-di-mi", to their repertoire. We have been reading, composing, and performing songs with ostinatos and different rhythmic patterns - ask your student to sing "Old Joe Clark" or "Trail to Mexico" for you! We will be studying different anthems and patriotic songs this month, including "The Star-Spangled Banner", "O Canada", and "On Wisconsin".
5th Grade
Our fifth graders spent most of September learning about the different instruments in band and orchestra - ask your child to share which instruments belong in the string, woodwind, brass and percussion families! We learned how to create vibrations in each family, and we also learned about the relationship between the size of the instrument and the pitches that it can play. All 5th graders will be able to see the instrument families live in action on November 7th as we will be going on a field trip to the Overture Center to hear the Madison Symphony Orchestra perform!
5th Grade Band News
This week, all 5th grade students will have the opportunity to try out the different band instruments we offer and choose an instrument that is a good fit for them. If your student is interested in joining band, I will be emailing you directly with specific directions about how to obtain an instrument.
Please let me know ASAP if you have not received an email from me by October 6th OR if you have any questions about getting an instrument for your child. We have many options for families who are unable to rent an instrument due to financial hardship - please contact me directly if you are interested in pursuing any of these options!
I have linked the beginning band video and 5th grade Band Handbook below for your reference. I am hopeful that we can begin lessons during the week of October 16th or 23rd. Thank you so much for your support as your student explores making music in a different way through band this year!
2023-24 Concert Dates - Mark Your Calendars!
Thursday, December 9th
1st Grade - 6:00 PM
4th Grade - 7:00 PM
Thursday, March 14th
2nd Grade - 6:00 PM
3rd Grade - 7:00 PM
Thursday, May 9th
Kindergarten - 6:00 PM
5th Grade - 7:00 PM
Contact Me!
K-5 Music Teacher
Email: meyera@deerfield.k12.wi.us
Website: http://www.deerfield.k12.wi.us/faculty/meyera
Phone: 608-764-5442