Music Journals 3/4-4/8

Here are the songs that we have listened to and written about in our journals, starting with the week of March 4th:

1. "The Fire" - The Roots, feat. John Legend (Rap/R&B/Hip Hop)

2. "Se La Face Ay Pale" - Guillaume Dufay (Renaissance)

3. "More Than A Feeling" - Boston (Classic Rock)

4. "Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Opera/Aria)

5. "Helplessness Blues" - Fleet Foxes (Indie Folk)


1. This piece by The Roots allowed the students to be exposed to a rap song that involved a collaboration between different artists. The Roots are a rap/hip-hop group that incorporate the use of instruments in order to create their beats, as opposed to using a computer. This is done mainly through the use of the drum kit. John Legend is an R&B/soul singer. We were able to discuss the differences between rap and R&B, as well as to discuss the term "hip-hop" as being used to encompass the culture that this music comes out of.

2. This piece by Guillaume Dufay comes to us out of the Renaissance period of music, which is a term used to define the period from approximately 1350 to around 1600. The term, "Renaissance" is French for "rebirth." We were able to discuss the main instrument in this piece, the Lute, and talked about the evolution of the instrument and how it is related to our modern day guitar.

3. More than a Feeling is a piece that involves multiple electric guitars, as well as acoustic guitar, drums, voice, electric bass, and people clapping to provide more percussion. The students were able to compare and contrast this type of rock song to the songs that are popular to us today.

4. This piece is an extremely famous Aria from Mozart's opera, "Die Zauberflote" (The Magic Flute). We talked about the plot of the opera, as well as the definition of an "Aria" as a solo melodic piece accompanied by an orchestra. We also watched a clip of this Aria being sung. I have provided the link to that clip below. The aria itself begins around the 2:11 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzFi-7H9TKs

5. Helplessness Blues is a folk song by The Fleet Foxes that is a newer piece of folk music. The term "Indie" is being used to describe popular music that is "less main-stream," as the term indie is an abbreviated form of "Independent." Independent music originally meant music that was made by artists and was marketed/produced without help from an agent or record label. The term indie has come to describe the type of music that sounds like independent music, but may not necessarily be independent. The song has two sections: the first being more folk-like, while the second section has a more rock feel to it.

Music Class Update 4/12

It's been awhile since I've posted about what we're doing in music class. Our instrument units in 7th and 8th grade are winding down. 8th grade will be testing on their guitar unit this next Tuesday, 4/16. The 7th graders have been watching my all time favorite musical, "Newsies," which won best choreography at the Tony Awards this past year. The kids really seem to like the movie. We will be starting our new units in Jr. High in the next couple of weeks. 

7th grade will be introduced to their end of the year project, which will be a research paper on a composer. I will be assigning each student a composer from either the Baroque, Classical, or Romantic Period. The students will then have time in class (and outside of class) to research their composer, write a short paper, and then present on their composer. More details to come in the next couple of weeks.

8th grade will be starting a project that will tie Music, Art, and English all together. With the help of Ms. McKnight, I will be assigning each student a piece of art work. With the art work as a starting point, the students will be composing a fictional short story based off the art work, which they will read to the class. While they are reading the story, they will have 3 parts throughout where they will incorporate music in order to change the mood/meaning of the art work and of the story. More details to come in the next couple of weeks.

Kindergarten and First Grade were able to try out one of our Music iPad games, called "Blob Chorus." In the game, there are three blobs and a King Blob. The first three blobs take turns singing a certain pitch, all of which are different. The King Blob then sings one of the pitches that was sung, and the student has to select the blob that sang the same pitch as the King Blob. If they get it right, they get more points. If they answer wrong, the blob explodes! Some students were able to add more blobs as the game went on. This activity focuses on helping the students differentiate between different pitches.

4th and 5th grade are finishing their unit on Harmony, in which we have talked about counter-melodies, descants, partner songs, rounds, and canons. In this unit the students have practiced singing harmony over a melodic line. Students have also had the chance to play different percussion instruments in order to accompany the class in song. It has been a lot of fun!

6th grade finished their unit on Harmony and have begun work on a Guitar unit. The school has acoustic guitars for the students to use, but if you own an acoustic guitar, then they are more than welcome to bring that in on Monday's to use for music class.

Our ensembles are continuing to work hard as we prepare all of our music for Fine Arts Night! The event will be on Thursday, May 16th at 6:30. It will start with a short PALS meeting, followed by our musical groups. Then after the concert, there will be beautiful art work, done by the students, hanging all over the school for you to walk around and see. Refreshments will also be provided. Come out and enjoy a night of great music and art!

Hymn of the Month - April

The Hymn of the Month for the month of April is "Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia." The hymn is relatively new to our Lutheran hymnal, with the text being written in 1938. The music comes to us from Tanzania, which is a country in eastern Africa. This hymn is used during the season of Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The hymn has five verses, as well as a refrain which comes after each stanza.

Refrain: Let us sing praise to Him with endless joy
Death's fearful sting He has come to destroy
Our sin forgiving, alleluia!
Jesus is living, alleluia!

1. Christ has arisen alleluia.
Rejoice and praise Him, alleluia.
For our Redeemer burst from the tomb,
Even from death, dispelling its gloom.

2. For three long days the grave did its worst
Until its strength by God was dispersed.
He who gives life did death undergo;
And its conquest His might did show

3. The angel said to them, "Do not fear!
You look for Jesus who is not here.
See for yourselves the tomb is all bare;
Only the grave cloths are lying there."

4. "Go spread the news: He's not in the grave;
he has arisen this world to save.
Jesus' redeeming labors are done;
Even the battle with sin is won."

5. Christ has arisen; He sets us free;
Alleluia, to Him praises be.
Jesus is living! Let us all sing;
He reigns triumphant, heavenly King.