Welcome Back!

Welcome back after an extended winter break!  It's taken me a bit to get into the swing of things with all those "Wind Chill" days.  But - there's no time to waste because exciting things are happening in the Music Room!

• Fifth Graders are putting the finishing touches on their show, "Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears" to be performed on Thursday, January 30th at 1:30 and 7:00 PM.  Based on the same West African folk tale as the award-winning book, the show is sure to be a hit.  Students are reminded to wear all black for the performance and to continue to work on your memorization in our last few weeks!

• Third Graders have started to work on their show, "Stone Soup!" which will be performed on Tuesday, March 25th at 1:30 and 7:00 PM.  This is also a famous folk tale.  More details to come on this performance.

• Not to be left out, the Music Makers will soon begin work on their spring show, which will feature some favorite hits from the 1950's and 1960's.  Their concerts will be Monday, May 5th at 1:30 and 7:00 PM.

• Coming soon to a Music Room near you.... The Music Olympics!  Be prepared for challenging events and fun!

More of Mrs. Daubney's Holiday Favorites from The Piano Guys

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":

The Nutcracker: Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy

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?

Enjoy!

Some of Mrs. Daubney's Holiday Favorites

It's holiday time, and like me, I bet that you have many favorites when it comes to the festive music of the season.  Here are a few of my favorites:



 

Jimmy Fallon and The Roots with Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas is You"

Brian Setzer Orchestra, "The Nutcracker Suite"

 

The Drifters, "White Christmas"

 

Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, "Mele Kalikimaka"

 



Sleigh Ride

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:

What is your favorite version of "Sleigh Ride?"

A Little More J.S. Bach

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!

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!!)

Thanks again for your generosity!