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April Updates

Even though our fantastic K, 2, and 3 concerts are over, we have still been very busy in music class in April! Here is what the Centerville students have been doing in the music room: Kindergarteners have been learning how to read simple rhythms. We are also beginning to learn about music from around the world! This week, we learned the songs Zimbole and Che Che Koolay from Africa. We will learn about another part of the world next week! First graders have been working on their Hat Parade songs! This is a huge project. We spend most of our time on these songs! Second graders have been learning how to read notes on a treble staff using EGBDF and FACE. This week, we learned the song Follow the Drinking Gourd and how it helped slaves escape to freedom before the Civil War. We will be learning more about African American music and its effect on popular music in the next few weeks.  Third graders have been reviewing EGBDF and FACE. We also sang and danced to Alabama Gal- one of my fa
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March Wrapup

CONGRATULATIONS to all kindergarten, second grade, and third grade students on excellent performances last week! I am so proud of all of you! Performing takes an incredible amount of bravery, and I'm happy that we were all able to perform together. 😀 Here's what's coming up in April- Kindergarten will start to learn how to read rhythms. We will also be learning new music vocabulary, playing new games, and using instruments! First Grade will be working on music for their Hat Parade! Hat Parade will be in June. It's a big show and takes a LOT of work! Looking forward to teaching the music to this crew of first graders. Second Grade will be learning how to read notes on a treble staff and learning new folk songs and dances. Third Grade will be reviewing notes on a treble staff and learning all about instruments! We still have a lot of work to do, but I look forward to all the fun we will have in the music room! Happy spring!
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February and March Updates

Wow! What a busy few months it has been in the Centerville music room! I can't believe how time has flown! Here are some of the things we've been up to in class: Kindergarteners are continuing to learn how to use their singing voice. Ask your kindergartener how to sing Shoo Fly, Slippery Fish, or Try Everything from Zootopia! We can't wait to present some of these songs at our March concert! First Graders are working on some of their Hat Parade songs already! We don't perform until June, but Hat Parade takes a lot of hard work and patience. We have also used instruments to go with books and learned how to read more rhythms Second Graders have been playing ukuleles! We have learned the C and C7 chords and we are working hard on our F and A minor chords! We are also working on the song Catch The Rhythm for our March concert.  Third Graders are learning recorder. They are doing such a great job with their new instruments! Our March concert will be filled with recor
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January Updates

Wow! What a busy month it has been at Centerville! Students have been doing a lot of singing, dancing, and playing in music class! We are already starting to get prepared for our March concert performances and our Hat Parade in June. Dates for the March concerts are coming very soon! In Kindergarten, we have spent a lot of time singing this month. We learned the song "Shoo Fly" and learned a dance to go with it, too. We played the special music version of Freeze Dance, where we all freeze in a special pose. And, we are learning about sailor and pirate songs. It has been a lot of fun!   In First Grade, we have already learned a couple of our Hat Parade songs! In addition, we have been working with a lot of instruments. First, we added instruments to Jan Brett's book The Hat.   This week, we are learning how to improvise and play the song "Mallets in the Air" on xylophone. We have so much more singing to do to get ready for our Hat Parade.  Second graders ha
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December Updates

December is a very busy month here at Centerville! We are getting ready for our winter break and the holiday season. In music class, that means we are learning plenty of Christmas music! We have learned both traditional songs like "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and brand new songs like "The Santa Claus Rock." We have also learned about Hanukkah. Hanukkah is very different from Christmas and has its own holiday songs. This year, we learned the song "Hanukkah Hanukkah" to recognize the holiday. We can't wait to sing these and other songs at our annual holiday singalong!  In December, I like to teach students about the most famous ballet in the world--The Nutcracker. Did you know that Mr. Tchaikovsky, the composer of The Nutcracker, actually didn't like the music he wrote for the ballet? He thought his other ballets, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, had much better music than The Nutcracker. But, I think Mr. Tchaikovsky was too hard on himself--The N
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November Updates

In November, all grades will learn about Veteran's Day and will learn songs for Thanksgiving and for autumn. Here are some of the songs we have been learning! Kindergarten and First Grade will be learning about Veterans and singing songs like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "You're a Grand Ol' Flag." For first graders, these songs will start our work on music for our Hat Parade! Then, they will learn how to play the game Five Fat Turkeys and learn the storysong "A Turkey Named Burt." At the end of the month, we will start working on holiday music for our annual Centerville singalong!  Second and Third Grade are also learning about Veterans! They will learn the new vocabulary word "Patriotic" and what patriotic music sounds like. They will learn the history of "The Star Spangled Banner" and add drums and cymbals to a recording of that song. Then, third graders will listen to a modern patriotic song and find similarities and d
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October Updates

Here are some things we are learning about in music this month: Kindergarten- Beatkeeping through dancing, instruments, and passing a beanbag New words "Presto" (fast) and "Largo" (slow) Songs and games "Apple Tree," "Pumpkin Stew," "Presto Largo" Music to tell a story ("Witch Doctor") Using the app TuneTrain First Grade- Beatkeeping through dancing, instruments, and passing a beanbag Reading and writing simple rhythms "Ta" "Ti-ti" "Shh" "Ta-a" (quarter note, pair of eighth notes, quarter rest, half notes) Songs and games "Apple Tree," "Pumpkin Stew" Music to tell a story ("Witch Doctor") Using the apps TuneTrain and Rhythm Cat Second and Third Grade- Beatkeeping through dancing, instruments, and passing a beanbag Reading and writing rhythms "Ta" "Ti-ti" "Shh" "Ta-a" and "Ti-ri-ti-ri"
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