This video is beyond amazing.... "Angels We Have Heard On High" by The Piano Guys. Pay close attention to all of the ways they have altered the piano.
Here is a funny rendition of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer":
And finally, one of all time favorites is the music from the Vince Guaraldi Trio and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Here are The Piano Guys making a difference in the lives of some special people playing "Linus and Lucy":
Sixth Graders are just about finished with studying Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Nutcracker. This piece features an instrument that was new and groundbreaking during the composer's lifetime: the celeste. It looks like a tiny piano, with keys that are black and white and played in a similar fashion. Inside the celeste are metal bars almost like a metallophone that are struck when the keys are pressed. Here is an orchestra version of the song:
Below is the clip we watched in class of a ballerina dancing to the song. We discussed that often times the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy goes to the most talented female ballerina in a dance company.
And here is an amazing clip of a couple playing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the Water Harp. What a science connection - how much water does a glass need to be filled with in order to make a particular musical pitch?
LeRoy Anderson's song "Sleigh Ride" was written during a heat wave in the summer of 1949. It is also the most liscensed and copied holiday song of all time, which means that there are MANY different verisons of this song out there to enjoy. 4th graders study this song each December. Here is the link to the entry I shared last year. This link includes a video of the original song being played by The Boston Pops Orchestra.
This year, I'd like to share a video of one of the four different versions that students compare and contrast in class. Students listen to a bluegrass version and recordings by The Ronettes, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Here is Brian Setzer's band playing with country musician Brad Paisley:
You can hear classical music everywhere. A few years ago, a commercial for a cell phone made it's way around the web that was beyond amazing. It utilized a well known piece by J.S. Bach (who our Bluffsview Sixth graders have recently studied) called "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Here is a version transcribed for string quartet:
And here is the unconventional version... just think about all that it took to pull this off!
Where have you heard classical music in your everyday life? How do you think Bach would feel about his music being used in this way?
THANK YOU to the Williams family for donating three sets of Boomwhackers to the Bluffsview Music room! We promise to put them to good use!
Boomwhackers are plastic tubes that are pitched to the C Major diatonic scale. They are helpful in learning to read music notation on the treble clef staff, and they are just plain FUN to play around with. Tap them on your hands, your feet, your legs, the floor, with another boomwhacker - you name it! (Just not your face or anyone else's body!!)
By now, I'm sure you've seen or at least heard about the amazing things that The Ohio State Marching Band has been doing this season. Every week they put together a complicated halftime show that is full of brand new music, new marching drills, and fresh and exciting new movements. I have had the pleasure of seeing several halftime shows live in The 'Shoe, but last week's show was simply beyond words. If you haven't seen it yet, here is one version I found on YouTube:
Have you also heard how the band has saved thousands of dollars in printing costs by "going digital" and putting all their drills on iPads instead of paper? Click here to read an article about how this green initiatve came about. Hats off to these outstanding musicians, and to their directors. Just think, sixth graders, who knows, one day YOU might be a member of this amazing marching band!
It's likely that within the first few bars of listening to J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor that you will recognize this famous piece of music. It's a classic example of "spooky" music. But I bet you did not know that this song is a superb example of contrapuntal music, where two or more voices or instruments share portions of the melody and weave in and out of one another.
Check out this video, visually representing the song, and see if the visual connection allows your ears to better understand the concept of contrapuntal music.
How does this music make you feel and think?
Bach spent the majority of his lifetime working in churches in Germany, which is why so many of his pieces of music are written for the organ. Imagine that your job is to write all the music for the church services every single week - the number of songs that he wrote in his lifetime was massive, with many of the songs not "saved" for more than those single church services.
Another example of contrapuntal music by Bach is demonstrated in his "Little" Fugue in G minor. As you watch this video, see if you can answer the following questions:
What colors do you see?
What do you think the colors represent?
What happened when the colors went up/down?
Why are some lines longer than others?
Now watch a musician play the same piece on an organ in a church that Bach actually worked in. Pay attention to the organist's feet!
Fourth grade students have begun a short unit on instruments of the orchestra and started their study by listening to "Peter and The Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev. It is a lively and exciting piece of program music, that tells a definite story and has each character of the story represented by a different instrument of the orchestra. Part of my lesson plan is to share this video with students once we have finished listening to the original version, partly for entertainment, but also to point out that music is used all around us. For some reason, the video I have saved on my computer would not play with the sound. So here is the commercial we were trying to watch.... enjoy!
Fourth graders will begin learning how to play the recorder this year! Fifth and Sixth graders will continue to have the recorder weaved into their music learning. If your child does not have a recorder or his or her own, it's time to order one! At just a $5.00 investment, your child is getting at least three years of use out of what may be their first musical instrument. Playing the recorder will teach them to read music, to improvise, and to develop the disciplined skills needed to master a musical instrument.
Yellow letters are in the folder on the outside of the music room door, and include all the details needed to placed a recorder order for this school year. I will be taking orders until September 27th, 2013. Thanks!
Welcome back to Bluffsview for the 2013-2014 school year! It is so exciting to be starting a new school year. I hope that your summer was fun and relaxing.
One of the major things that I did this summer was complete my Orff Schulwerk Level 2 certification at Baldwin-Wallace University. It was a challenging two week course but very rewarding to complete. I can't wait to implement some of what I learned into my teaching this year.
How was YOUR summer? I can't wait to hear all about it as students return to my music room this week!
Parents: are YOU a singer or former singer? Do you have older children (ages 18-24) who enjoy singing? Auditions for new members of Capriccio Columbus and Capriccio Chorale are coming soon. Check this out if you're interested:
Hey Bluffsview Bears - I hope you're enjoying your second week of summer. On a gray day like today, I often find myself browsing Pinterest and the various music blogs I follow for interesting things to share with you. I found this one today and had to post it! Five part, a capella singing (meaning without instruments) and a mash up of over a thousand years of music history. Enjoy!
What's better than a night out with family, enjoying a FREE concert on the Worthington Village Green? You can't beat that value anywhere! So grab a blanket or some lawn chairs, throw the family in the car, and head on down to the Northwest quadrant of the Worthington Green to check out one or many of these awesome free concerts scheduled for the summer:
Saturday, June 1st:Endless Recess, a children's concert featuring one of our very own Bluffsview parents playing bass guitar! Click here for their website.
Sunday, June 2nd:The Apple Bottom Gang (country, rock, Americana)
Sunday, June 9th: The Olde Souls and Makeshift Band (folk rock)
Sunday, June 23rd: Arnett Howard and Friends (Creole, funk, Mowtown, reggae, jazz)
Sunday, June 30th: Two Many (celtic)
Tuesday, July 2nd: RMT (Americana)
Sunday, July 14th:Agent 99 ('70s and '80s)
Sunday, July 21st: Worthington Civic Band (orchestra)
Sunday, July 28th: In Full Swing (big band, swing)
Sunday, August 4th: Kavan (Elvis) with Columbus Horns ('60s and '70s Elvis tribute)
Saturday, August 10th: Reaganomics ('80s flashback dance party from 7:30-9:30 pm)
Sunday, August 11th: OSU Alumni Band (marching band)
Saturday, August 17th: 122nd Ohio Army National Guard Band
All concerts begin at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted. To view the monthly schedule of events on the Village Green, including concerts, click here.
An interesting summer music opportunity just came across my desk...
Girlz Rhythm N Rock Camp is an overnight music camp for girls ages 8 to 18. Workshops on songwriting, drumming, vocal techniques, performance and more. Campers will write songs, learn to perform them as a band, concluding with a show & pot luck at noon July 27th & Aug. 3rd. Besides the above workshops, campers also develop a band name & logo, make publicity flyers, etc. No experience necessary if you have a desire to learn & participate! Available for use are trap drums, congas, bongos, & various hand drums & rhythm instruments; electric, bass, & acoustic guitars and keyboards.
Camps will be held July 22nd-27th & July 29th-Aug. 3rd at Hoover Y Park 1570 Rohr Rd Lockbourne Ohio, just east of Columbus. Tuition is $350 for the week with some full & partial scholarships available. Tuition includes lodging for the week, workshops & classes, private mentoring, and all meals & snacks.
To view the website for more information,click here.
The Music Makers spring concert is only a few days away! Join us on Monday, May 6th for a fun-filled show featuring music from some of our favorite kid's movies. Here are the details:
-Performances are at 1:45 and 7:00 PM.
-Students should arrive for the evening performance by 6:45 PM and should report to the music room.
-Students should wear their Music Makers t-shirt and black pants/skirts with dark shoes.
The show is approximately 25 minutes long, so those students who are being honored at the Board of Education Meeting for being on the Bluffsview Archery Team will still have time to make it across town to be honored.
Capriccio Youth Choir is holding auditions for the 2013-2014 season! Auditions dates are May 8th and May 15th. There is more information posted outside the music room but here are a few details:
Auditions for Capriccio! Youth Choir
We would like to invite your child to sing with us! Capriccio! Youth Choir is directed by music educators Alyson Bates, Melanie Smith, and Susan Gooch and is open to students currently entering grades 4-12. Your child can have weekly professional instruction for a fraction of the cost for voice lessons and have a performance platform with a reputable performing arts choir. Capriccio! Youth Choir will perform in December and April with Capriccio! Vocal Ensemble in addition to a few community performances as they arise. Auditions: please contact Alyson Bates (alyson_s_bates@yahoo.com) to schedule your evening placement audition on May 8 or 15 Season: August 2013– April 2014 Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 7-8p Worthington Kilbourne High School
Wow - what an amazing performance, Third Grade! I am still getting compliments on how well you sang, danced, played, and spoke throughout your program. Our audiences loved the songs, loved the speaking parts, and loved the message of "Possibilities!" What an accomplishment! You should feel very proud of yourselves!
The 3rd grade music program is fast approaching! Please join us next week, on Wednesday, for the show, "Possibilities!"
Here are the details for performers and their families:
Date: Wednesday, March 20th, 2013 Time: 1:30 PM and 7:00 PM Location: Bluffsview Gymnasium Details: Students should arrive at school no later than 6:45 PM and should report to the music room. Students should wear nice dress clothes (preferably no jeans or athletic shoes). Questions: Contact Mrs. Daubney at cdaubney@worthington.k12.oh.us or leave a message at 450-7288
This information should have come home in a letter either late last week or early this week.
Check out this video of The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys...
The band is made up of 10-year-old banjo sensation Jonny Mizzone and his brothers Robbie, 13, on fiddle, and Tommy, 14, on guitar. Can you say talented?
They first gained popularity two years ago when videos of them playing together went viral on YouTube. To see more of their videos, visit their website: www.sleepymanbanjoboys.com .
Happiest of Valentine's Day to everyone. What a sweet day to be in an elementary school. So many darling students brought me flowers, Valentines, candy, cookies, doughnuts... it was endless! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays as an elementary school music teacher. There are so many fun and cute songs, games, and activities that we get to do in the music room during the month of February.
By far one of my favorite is a 5th grade lesson where we use the song, "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles to talk breifly about the band, how they were received in the United States when they first came to visit (February 7th, 1964), how this song was really written to protest the Vietnam War, etc. Musically, by studying "All You Need Is Love," students get their first chance to discover and experience music that is in a mixed meter.
What is mixed meter? Well, normally in songs the beats are grouped in sets of 2, 3, or 4. So you might feel a piece of music as "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4" or "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3" and so on. In mixed meter, the groupings of beats changes. Changing the meter makes the music much more complicated. In "All You Need Is Love," the verse of the song goes "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3." Just try to say that out loud, making the "one" have more emphasis than another beat. It's tricky, right?
Fifth graders learned a partner activity that they performed with rhythm sticks that goes along with the entire song. It's challenging, but a ton of fun. Plus the song is just so perfect for Valentine's Day. Love is all you need!
What an amazing performance, Fifth Grade! Thank you for working so hard on our music program. You sounded amazing. Countless parents and teachers have given me compliments on your performance. You sang in two part and three part music - something that isn't done until middle school in some situations. You learned new notes on the recorder, some of which the 6th graders haven't even learned yet. You tied your performance together with beautiful artwork and your knowledge of history. You should be incredibly proud of yourselves! Thank you, thank you!
The big show is tomorrow at 1:30 and 7:00 PM. Parents are welcome to attend the afternoon performance if they would like.
Students should report for the evening performance at 6:45 PM. We will line up in the music room while the audience is being seating in the Gym. Please leave coats with parents so that personal items do not get lost.
Please dress in nice clothes and shoes. Remember what we talked about with giving the respect deserved to the performance. Show respect for yourself and your classmates by looking nice and acting your best. Show respect for all the hard work that you have put into this performance. Believe it or not, this will make the audience more interested in listening to you. Most of all, enjoy yourself. Take pride in your accomplishments. We have learned some difficult music and are performing it well. Sing with pride in your heart and it will show on your face.
♫ 5th Grade Music Program: Don’t miss the performance of “The Quilt Speaks! A Journey along the Underground Railroad” presented by the 5th graders on Wednesday, February 6th at 1:30 and 7:00 PM. The students are excited to share this program with you, which has been a musical, historical, and artistic collaboration. Thank you to Mrs. Schumer for creating an art project for 5th grade students that ties into the performance and thank you to Mrs. Smucker for making connections in social studies. Thanks also 4th grade teachers, Mrs. Wharton and Miss Rankin, for laying the foundational knowledge in social studies last year that has allowed these students to make wonderful cross-curricular connections through this performance!
♫ February by the Fire: Great music is coming to your public library! Spend the end of a weary winter week in the Old Worthington Library’s “living room” for February by the Fire, a series of Friday afternoon concerts sponsored by the Friends Foundation of Worthington Libraries and coordinated in partnership with the Jazz Arts Group. All concerts begin at 4:00pm and the lineup includes:
o February 1: Dan Rowan, piano
o February 8: Tim Cummiskey, guitar
o February 15: Delyn Christian, singer/songwriter
o February 22: Molly Winters, singer/songwriter, with folk trio the Salty Caramels
♫ A New Face in the Music Room: Please help me welcome Otterbein Student Teacher, Bethany Stang, to Bluffsview! Miss Stang actually completed field experience with us last year in January and is excited to be back at Bluffsview to complete her student teaching. Miss Stang will be with us from the end of January to the first part of May.
♫ 3rd Grade Music Program: Save the date for the 3rd grade music program, “Possibilities!” on Wednesday, March 20th, 2013 at 1:30 and 7:00 PM.
♫ Music Makers Spring Concert: Save the date for the Music Makers performance of “Lights! Camera! Action!” on May 6th, 2013, at 1:30 and 7:00 PM.
That’s all for now! Continue to make beautiful music in the world…
If you watched the Presidential Inauguration on Monday, you saw and heard Beyonce sing our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, at the conclusion of the ceremony. I am always curious to hear a performer's version of this song that means so much to our country. It is a challenging song to sing, without question, and there have unfortunately been many more performance "flops" than there have been successes. Singers forget or mess up the words (who can forget Christina Aguliera at the SuperBowl a few years ago), change the melody, or can't remain in tune with the high notes at the end of the song. Too often, in my humble opinion, a singer tries to make the song overly flashy and dramatic instead of simply singing it, and in doing so, makes the performance more about themselves than honoring our country.
Beyonce, accompanied by The Marine Corps Band, added just enough flair to make it her own, while still remaining true to the melody and rhythm of the song. I was very impressed with her performance, and think it was one of the best I have heard in quite some time. Watch and tell me what you think...
The Fifth graders are busy preparing for their music program on February 6th, 2012. They will perform for the school at 1:30pm and then again for parents at 7:00pm. Their theme this year is an interesting one, which ties together many different subject areas.
The title of the program is, "The Quilt Speaks! A Journey Along the Underground Railroad." In preparation for the program, students learned about the codes and symbols used in simple quilt patterns and folk songs that helped individuals to escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. Building upon their learning in 4th and 5th grade social studies, students have made connections in music by learning to sing and play the folk songs and African American spirituals, as well as in art by embarking on a project to create a work encorporating the patterns of the quilt squares. It's been very exciting to plan the program, and the students and I hope our audiences will be entertained and fascinated by this aspect of 19th century American History.
The North Star quilt block, for example, was a symbol used to remind slaves to follow the brightest star in the sky, the North star, which would lead them on their journey towards Canada. The North Star is also part of the Big Dipper constellation, often referred to as the "drinking gourd." This secret code word was used in the folk song, "Follow The Drinkin' Gourd," which gives incredibly explicit directions for making one's way along the Underground Railroad.
The Zig Zag Path quilt block was a reminder to slaves that they may be followed by people who would put them in jail for trying to escape. This square instructed them to dart around, to change their path, or to walk in the rivers or streams so that their scent could be lost. The song, "Wade in the Water" reminded slaves of the same precautionary measures.
The Sailboat quilt block was a reminder that once they reached the Great Lakes, slaves could board ships that would take them into Canada and to freedom. It's possible that these quilt blocks would be visible in some manner so that the "slave friendly" ships could be identified. The song, "Down By The Riverside" references laying down one's burden, meeting up with family and friends, and celebrating freedom by not thinking about one's struggles any more.
These three quilt square and corresponding songs are just a taste of what's to come on Wednesday, February 6th. I hope that you will be able to attend one of these special performances! Many thanks to Mrs. Schumer for incorporating this art project into her curriculum, and to Mrs. Smucker for her contributions in the social studies curriculum.
Sixth graders spent most of December studying Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite. After listening to selections from the original classical version, students also listened to a rock version by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and a jazz version by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Finally, students discussed the similarities and differences of all three versions. Here is the Brian Setzer Orchestra performing their big band jazz version of The Nutcracker Suite.
