Ms. Zarin - Music

Chorus, Of Course

Dear Chorus Parents,

Here is a copy of the letter that was distributed to chorus members on Thursday, November 13th, 2007.  Please note that the location of the Kroger performance is Johnson Ferry and Shallowford (not Sandy Plains!)

Dear Parents,

Due to last week’s fifth grade field trip and next week’s Thanksgiving break, we are missing several of our Thursday rehearsals.  Since our December 6th PTA performance is fast approaching, I have scheduled some make-up practices for the children.  Please note that there are changes in our regular dismissal times, as well as a few practices on days other than Thursdays.  Here is the schedule for the next few weeks.

Garrison Mill Chorus Rehearsals/Changes

·        Thursday, November 15th….......Rehearsal (2:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m.)

·        Monday, November 19th.……...Make-Up Rehearsal (2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.)

·        Tuesday, November 20^th……....Morning Rehearsal (7:20 a.m. -7:50 a.m.)

·        Thursday, November 22nd…......NO REHEARSAL (Thanksgiving break)

·        Monday, November 26th............Make-Up Rehearsal (2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.)

·        Tuesday, November 27^th……....Morning Rehearsal (7:20 a.m.-7:50 a.m.)

·        Thursday, November 29th….......Long Rehearsal (2:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.)

·        Thursday, December 6th….….....Rehearsal (2:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m.)

      *Please feel free to provide your child with a snack for any of the

       afternoon rehearsals.  As always, a bottle of water is a good idea.

All of our remaining rehearsals are extremely important, so please make every effort possible to have your child at each of them, for the entire allotted time.  This will ensure that he/she will feel secure with the music, and it will also influence the overall success of our chorus!

December Chorus Performances

·        Thursday, December 6th: Garrison Mill cafeteria, at 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 7:00 p.m. (after the PTA meeting)

·        Thursday, December 13th: Kroger (Johnson Ferry and Shallowford), at 3:00 p.m.

·        TBA:  If any additional performance is scheduled, details will be provided ASAP.

I will let you know more about these performances within the next few weeks. Please remember that you will need to arrange transportation for your child to and from all December performances that occur after regular school hours or off campus.

                           

I am so glad that your child is in chorus, and appreciate your continuing support! 

Sincerely,

Laurie Zarin

Music Specialist

   

September Salutations

September has gone by so quickly that it seems like a blur!  Let's slow things down a bit so you can see what we've been doing in music.

In kindergarten, the children have enjoyed vocal exploration through a delicious story about an ice cream sundae, and have experienced the steady beat through movement and instruments.  In addition to moving expressively to various styles of music, they are beginning to describe qualities of the music they have moved to.

1st graders have been learning about musical contrasts (up/down and high/low) through movement, their voices, and instruments. They have also learned how to notate the pulse, and how to use their voices expressively to musically enhance poems. In addition, they have had numerous moving experiences as they explored levels, pathways, tempi, direction and modes of movement. (including free, creative, structured, dramatic, and with the beat).

2nd graders have had fun with a koosch blob as they followed its path with their voices when it was tossed in the air. Their coordination was challenged in a silly song with cumulative steady beat motions, and they've also had opportunities to vocally improvise, to match pitches during several action songs, and to experience mood in music. 

In 3rd grade, the emphasis has been on rhythmic activities that are helping the children internalize the relationship between sounds, motions, and notes that either match the beat, are twice as fast, or twice as slow as the beat. The children also played a listening game where they heard instrumental rhythm patterns and then immediately translated them into patterns that they performed with the corresponding rhythm syllables. They did a great job on this!

4th graders are in the process of preparing for their November 8th PTA performance. Please help your child by encouraging him/her to practice what is being learned in music class. 

You should have received an information letter on green paper.  If you haven't done so yet, please sign this permission slip, and have your child return it to me by this Wednesday (October 3rd). 

Many thanks to all of you who are planning to help out with this program!  As stated in the letter, there will be an organizational meeting on Monday, October 8th, for those of you who would like to assist with scenery, props, or costumes/accessories.  The meeting will begin at 3:00, and will be held in the Music Room.  I hope to see you there!

In 5th grade, the children became comfortable with the speech and hand drum piece that was begun in August, and played the accompanying movement game.  They then evaluated their performance, offered suggestions for improvement, tried out their suggestions, and discussed what they learned as a result of this game.  They have also been working on part-singing skills.  Why not ask your child to teach you "One Bottle of Pop", and then you can sing in harmony together!  

August Announcements

Is it really possible that nearly three weeks of school are already behind us?  Make that three wonderfully musical weeks down in room 503!  What have we been up to, you ask?  Well......

In kindergarten, we've been having lots of fun with vocal and movement exploration, steady beat activities, and a dramatized poem that has been engaging our imaginations. Has your child mentioned anything about the magical musical microphone?

In 1st grade, high-low/up-down have been experienced through expressive use of the speaking voice while acting out several rhyming chants. The children have also been working with steady beat skills through the use of unpitched percussion instruments and imitative, creative, and exploratory movement. In addition, they have enjoyed the challenge of sometimes thinking the words of a poem (inner hearing) and sometimes saying them outloud. This musical inner hearing activity also reinforces skills necessary for silent reading.

2nd Graders used higher order thinking skills as they analyzed the form and melodic direction of a song that was later used in a partner-changing game.  They have also had great fun with a delightfully silly steady beat action song, and a vocal exploration activity that involved a multi-colored, light-up-in- the-dark yo-yo.  (Ooh...Aaah!)  Unpitched percussion instruments have been enjoyed, and experiences with expressive movement are helping the children feel the connection between music and movement.

3rd Grade has been developing listening and ensemble skills while playing several games.  One of these games made use of the children's musical memory as they echoed rhythm patterns and then identified and performed their matching notated versions.  These games have also provided opportunities for discrimination between steady beat and rhythm, along with recognition of repetition and contrast (AB form).

4th Graders played a name game using koosh blobs and a gertie ball, and then moved on to 'Having Fun!' with hand drums.  The children have used focus, coordination, and control as they accompanied the song and chant with their drums. They identified repetition and contrast, determined how the sections were different, and labeled the song's form. They are presently creating and incorporating new ways to use the hand drum within this song.

The children are about to begin preparation for their upcoming music performance, which will be held on Thursday, November 8th!  Be on the lookout for an informational letter that will soon be coming home with your child!

In 5th Grade, the children started off the year with several name and greeting games.  They have spent some time on drumming technique while learning a speech and hand drum piece, and are now  ready to play the movement game that goes along with it.  Key elements for success in this game will be concentration and cooperation. 

And now for Chorus, Of Course!   This year, we will once again be meeting after school on Thursdays.  We have many wonderful singers in the 5th grade, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to develop their potential through their participation in the Garrison Mill Chorus!  I will begin listening to voices during the school day, on the very last Friday in August, and the beginning of September.  Unless otherwise notified, our first rehearsal will be on Thursday, September 20th.

       

Chorus, Of Course!

Doesn't this Thursday, May 17th, sound like a great day for a special bowling activity?  Here is a summary of the information that you should be receiving from your child very soon.

• Who:  GM Chorus
• What: Bowling
• When: 3:00-4:30 PM on Thursday, May 17th, 2007
• Where: AMF Village Lanes on Sandy Plains Rd. (just before the Piedmont/Sandy Plains intersection)
• Cost: $6.00 for two games and shoe rental
• Transportation to and from the bowling alley to be arranged by each child's parent
• Participating students will be picked up as car riders at the regular dismissal time
• Meet Ms. Zarin by the bowling alley entrance from 2:45-3:00 PM
• Chaperones needed
• Participation is optional.  (This is NOT a school-related activity)
• Return the completed form to Ms. Zarin by Thursday, May 17th, to let her know if your child will be attending

I hope to see you there!

Laurie Zarin

Thanks for the Memories!

Hats off to our 2nd grade students for a great performance on May 3rd!  Their hard work and effort led to the joy and satisfaction that comes from a job well done, as well as a wonderful audience experience.

Many thanks to all of the parents who helped out with props, scenery, photos, video, and behind-the-scene preparation and assistance.  Special appreciation goes to Meg Williams, who was the Volunteer Coordinator, and made sure that everything that needed to be done was taken care of.

Muchas gracias are also in order for the 2nd grade teachers, whose flexibility and support made a huge difference, to Becka Lopez, who took many mornings of my bus duty so I could work with the children before school, and to Jean Haas, who not only provided our sound and lighting, but also graciously lent her storytelling skills to our rendition of The Napping House.

May Minutes

It seems like this school year has flown by!  Is it really possible that summer vacation is just around the corner?  Where does the time go?

1st graders and kindergarteners have been working on pitch matching through some fun games with the slide whistle, magical musical microphone, and finger puppets.  They are also gaining experience with melodic direction through listening, structured and creative movement, and visual activities. In addition, steady beat and singing games will also be experienced before the year is through.

2nd grade quite successfully presented their music program for the school and PTA!  They evaluated the performance and how they felt about it, and enjoyed watching themselves in a video that was taped during their evening presentation.  Now they will review rhythmic notation and participate in singing games and folk dances from several countries.

3rd grade students have learned about the various formats in which call and response singing can occur, and have learned some Caribbean and African songs which utilize the call and response style.  They have also played a recognition game to help them become more familiar with orchestral instruments and their corresponding families, and have been reviewing verse/refrain form.

4th and 5th graders have been playing the recorder.  As they learn each new song, their tone quality improves, they gain facility with various fingering combinations, and they become more familiar with interpreting music notataion.  In the process of their recorder study, they are also learning about the advantages of understanding the form and organization of a song.

It seems like this school year has flown by!  Is it really possible that summer vacation is just around the corner?  Where does the time go?

1st graders and kindergarteners have been working on pitch matching through some fun games with the slide whistle, magical musical microphone, and finger puppets.  They are also gaining experience with melodic direction through listening, structured and creative movement, and visual activities. In addition, steady beat and singing games will also be experienced before the year is through.

2nd grade quite successfully presented their music program for the school and PTA!  They evaluated the performance and how they felt about it, and enjoyed watching themselves in a video that was taped during their evening presentation.  Now they will review rhythmic notation and participate in singing games and folk dances from several countries.

3rd grade students have learned about the various formats in which call and response singing can occur, and have learned some Caribbean and African songs which utilize the call and response style.  They have also played a recognition game to help them become more familiar with orchestral instruments and their corresponding families, and have been reviewing verse/refrain form.

4th and 5th graders have been playing the recorder.  As they learn each new song, their tone quality improves, they gain facility with various fingering combinations, and they become more familiar with interpreting music notataion.  In the process of their recorder study, they are also learning about the advantages of understanding the form and organization of a song.

March Memos

HAPPY SPRING!

Kindergarten and 1st grade students are learning to identify the sounds of instruments.  Kindergarteners are working with the timbre of classroom instruments, and 1st graders are becoming familiar with orchestral sounds.  The children have accompanied a song on the autoharp, and through this and other instruments, have learned about the relationship between an instrument's size and its register (highness or lowness).  They have also created text and motions for a known song.

2nd graders have been doing movement and speech rounds.  They have also begun to prepare for their grade level performance, which will be presented at 7:00 PM on Thursday evening, May 3rd (after the PTA meeting).  Last week, a letter about this was sent home with your child.  Please sign the included permission slip and return it to me, so your child can take part in this special event and have the opportunity to shine!

3rd graders have been learning about steps, skips, and repeated notes, upward and downward melodic direction, and line and space notes in the treble staff.

4th and 5th grade students have been playing their recorders.  Please support your child's progress by encouraging at least 10 minutes of daily practice.  With consistent practice, your child (and you) will notice an improvement in his/her playing skills, and this will further motivate the desire for continued development.  Ask your child about 'Practice Bugs'! 

Chorus, Of Course!

  It's Time for Talent Show Performance Details!

Who................Garrison Mill Chorus

What...............Talent Show performance

When...............Friday, March 2, 2007

                                 6:30 PM

               Where..............Garrison Mill cafeteria

               Arrival Time.......5:45 PM 

               Meeting Place......Music Room

               What to Wear......Blue jeans, GM class T-shirt

 

Please remember that you will need to arrange transportation for your child to and from the talent show.  We are excited about this performance opportunity and are looking forward to sharing what we have learned with you!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Songfully,

Laurie Zarin

February Footnotes

        February is certainly flying by! Here is a fleeting view of what we have been up to in music.

Kindergarten and 1st grade students are investigating musical contrasts through the use of movement, instruments, graphic notation, voices, recorded music, and a story.  Contrasts such as fast/slow, loud/quiet, high/low, heavy/light are being explored.  Steady beat and pitch-matching skills are also receiving attention, as well as mood in music, mirroring, creative and expressive movement.

2nd grade students have been enjoying a variety of fun and challenging rhythm games and are becoming very adept at performing rhythmically notated patterns.  The children have also been learning about repetition, contrast, and ABA form.  These concepts have been experienced and then labeled through the use of manipulatives, a song, chant, and a partner dance.  Steady beat and inner hearing skills are being reinforced through a poem and a partner game, and melodic notation using 'mi', 're', and 'do' is being introduced. 

3rd grade has learned about sea shanties. After experiencing the sea shanty 'John Kanaka' through a variety of activities, its text provided an opportunity to make a social studies connection.  The children have also been learning about rhythmic notation, the percussion family, verse/refrain, and AB form.  They are now creating their own symbolic represention of AB form, and are using what they have created to demonstrate their understanding of this concept.

4th and 5th grade have been creating and then performing instrumental and vocal arrangements that were based on a poem. After learning about ostinati (repeated patterns), the children got into small groups and created their own repeated speech patterns to go along with a poem, and then performed their compositions for each other. After each performance, the class had the opportunity to provide positive and constructive commentary, offer suggestions, and make requests. The children are now learning about the recorder family and melodic notation.

4th and 5th graders will be starting the recorder the last week in February! At that time, they will need to bring their recorder and a pocket folder with some notebook paper to each music class. More recorder-related info will be coming your way in future blogs.

Chorus, Of Course!

At last week's rehearsal, we enjoyed plenty of refreshments as well as the pleasure of each other's company, and a good time was had by all! Upcoming rehearsals will now focus on learning new music for the Talent Show and hopefully another performance out in the community. Weekly practices will continue to be on Thursdays, with dismissal at 4:00 PM, unless you are otherwise notified. I look forward to the chorus' continued progress and vocal development!

Songfully,

Laurie Zarin