Summer Concert Schedule for Concerts on the Green can be found here.

April-May Update!

The Bluffsview Beat: What’s Happening in the Music Room?

♫     Remaining Concert Dates for 2015:

o   Music Makers, May 11th at 1:30pm and 7:00pm

♫     Congratulations to the Fifth Grade on a wonderful performance of “The Sound that Jazz Makes.” You worked very hard to prepare for this concert and I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as the audience enjoyed listening to and watching you! Thank you to Mrs. Schumer for helping you to create the beautiful musical instrument art projects to tie into our program.

♫     Capriccio Youth Choir will be conducting placement auditions for the 2015-16 concert season on Wednesdays, May 6th and May 13th, by appointment at Smoky Row Brethren Church. All singers entering grades 4-12 in the fall of 2015 are invited to join. To schedule a fun, low-pressure placement audition, contact Director Alyson Bates at capriccioyouthchoir@yahoo.com. Several current Bluffsview students as well as alumni participate in this vocal group. It is a wonderful opportunity if your child is looking for another outlet for singing! More information is available on their website: http://capricciocolumbus.org/youth-choir

♫     Summer is not a time to stop making music! There are many opportunities to continue loving music all summer long. Why not attend a free concert on the Worthington Green? Or attend a music camp? Why not dig your recorder out of your backpack (or rescue it from under your bed!), take it outside, and make up your own song inspired by your surroundings? If the weather is bad and you’re stuck inside, check out some of the cool websites linked on www.bluffsviewmusic.blogspot.com or find a neat new music making app on your tablet or smart phone. The possibilities are endless! Make some musical memories this summer and share them with me in August!

Musically Yours,

Mrs. Daubney

“If you can Walk, you can Dance.  If you can Talk, you can Sing.” ~African Proverb

Fourth Grade MYOI Project

Fourth Grade students are learning about sound and so we have come to our annual tradition of "MYOI" or "Make Your Own Instrument." Students have the assignment of constructing an instrument of their own, must be able to identify their instrument's scientific classification, and must complete written directions for the construction of their instrument.

Instruments and Written Directions are due:

Rankin – Monday, April 13^th

Wright – Wednesday, April 15^th

Wharton – Thursday, April 16th

Students will be given time in music class to browse information on instrument construction as well as make notes for their ideas. In addition, the following websites have wonderful ideas to assist in this project:
How to make an African Drum
Artists Helping Children
E-How videos on instrument construction
How Stuff Works
Busy Bee Kids Crafts
Making Musical Instruments on essortment.com
Mudcat Kids
Family Crafts from About.com
Nancymusic.com
Rhythmweb.com Homemade instruments

I hope this list is helpful! AND I can't wait to see what instruments make their way into my room in the next weeks! Good Luck!


P.S.
Here are some pictures of instruments made in the past to help you get started:

Congratulations 5th Grade!

Congratulations Fifth Graders! Your performances of "The Sound that Jazz Makes" were sensational. You should be very proud of yourselves and all you have accomplished. I know that I am VERY proud of you!

Fifth Grade Concert

“The Sound That Jazz Makes”
 

Thursday, March 26^th, 2015

1:30 and 7:00 PM

Bluffsview Gymnasium

REMEMBER:

• Students should wear nice dress clothes: please do not wear athletic clothes or brightly colored tennis shoes.
• Parents and other guests are allowed to attend the 1:30 performance; please be sure to sign in at the office when you arrive.
• Student call time for the evening performance will be 6:45 PM. Students should report to the music room upon arrival. Coats and all personal belongings should be left with parents.

• Questions? Contact Mrs. Daubney: cdaubney@wscloud.org

The Bluffsview Beat: What’s Happening in the Music Room?

 

• I’m Back! I missed my Bluffsview family while on maternity leave, but was so thankful to have the time with our new family. Baby Benjamin is doing well and we are thrilled that he is so happy and healthy. Mr. Tipton was a wonderful substitute and I am pleased that our Bluffsview students made him feel so welcome. He spoke very highly of our students and staff every time I talked to him. Thank you for doing your best with Mr. Tipton as your guest music teacher.

 

• Concert Dates for 2015:
• Third Grade, January 29th at 1:30pm and 7:00pm
• Fifth Grade, March 26th at 1:30pm and 7:00pm
• Music Makers, May 11th at 1:30pm and 7:00pm

 

• Congratulations to the Fourth Grade on a wonderful performance as part of the Veterans Day Assembly.  I heard that you did a marvelous job!

 

• Cub Clubs will start in January 2015: If you are in 4th, 5th, or 6th grade and wondering about Music Makers, we will start once we return from Winter Break.  Listen to the morning announcements for the date of our first meeting.  I will also be starting a Ukulele Club this year as well.  More details on that in January!

 

Musically Yours,

 

Mrs. Daubney

“If you can Walk, you can Dance.  If you can Talk, you can Sing.” ~African Proverb

Welcome Baby Benjamin!

I have been on maternity leave this fall and am finally back at Bluffsview!  It was a blessing to be able to spend time with baby Benjamin, who arrived four weeks early and on MY birthday! He has visited school a couple of times already and has loved it!  Thank you to all the Bluffsview Bears who were so great for my substitute, Mr. Tipton, while I was gone.  It's wonderful to be back!

Feeling "Happy"

I've shared videos from the group, "Penatonix" before, but this one is relatively new.  This is their take on the popular song, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams from the soundtrack to the movie Despicable Me 2.

Speaking of Pharrell Williams, did you catch his interview on the CBS Sunday Morning show?  In his interview, he made a point of thanking all of the music teachers he had growing up, saying he would not be where he is today without their help.  To read more about his interview, click here.

As the school year comes to a close, I hope that you are "feeling happy" and can turn your thoughts and feelings into positive behaviors and actions.  Have a great last two weeks of school.

Music Makers present "At The Bandstand!"

Final Reminder for Music Makers!                               

 What:    Performances for “At The Bandstand!”

 
Date:     Monday, May 5^th, 2014
 
Time:     1:30 and 7:00 PM

Parents are welcome at both performances.  Call time for the evening performance is 6:45 PM.  Students should report to the music room and leave personal items with parents.

 Where:                Bluffsview Gymnasium

 Dress:

Music Makers T-Shirt, Jeans (rolled up or capris), Sneakers

            Boys: Sunglasses and hair gel (if allowed)
            Girls: High ponytail if possible or half-ponytail if not

4th Grade Instrument Project 2014

Fourth Graders recently discussed the science of sound and how it relates to instruments. All instruments can be classified scientifically one of four ways, based on how their sound is produced: Chordophones (vibration of strings), Aerophones (vibration of air), Membranophones (vibration of skin), or Idiophones (vibration of self).


Students have the assignment of constructing an instrument of their own, must be able to identify their instrument's scientific classification, and must complete written directions for the construction of their instrument.

Instruments and Written Directions are due:

Rankin – Monday, April 28^th

Wharton – Tuesday, April 29^th

Wright – Wednesday, April 30th

Students will be given time in music class to browse information on instrument construction as well as make notes for their ideas. In addition, the following websites have wonderful ideas to assist in this project:
How to make an African Drum
Artists Helping Children
E-How videos on instrument construction
How Stuff Works
Busy Bee Kids Crafts
Making Musical Instruments on essortment.com
Mudcat Kids
Family Crafts from About.com
Family Fun instrument crafts from Spoonful.com
Nancymusic.com
Rhythmweb.com Homemade instruments

I hope this list is helpful! AND I can't wait to see what instruments make their way into my room in the next weeks! Good Luck!

Vivaldi's Winter with Disney's Frozen - by The Piano Guys

Wow, I know that the Disney movie, "Frozen" is wildly popular because of it's story line and the excellent music.  Check out this video I found by one of my favorite groups, The Piano Guys: 

 



We frequently study the music of Baroque composer, Antonio Vivaldi, particularly his Four Seasons concerto.  The "Winter" section is used in Kindergarten and often in 6th grade.  What a creative way to mix up music that is from the early 1700's with the music of today!

For those interested, here is a full performance of the Winter section of Vivaldi's Four Seasons Violin Concerto:

3rd Grade Music Program Coming Soon!

It’s Almost Showtime!

 “Stone Soup!” 

Who: 3^rd grade students and families

 When: Tuesday, March 25^th at 1:30 and 6:30 PM

·      Call time for the evening performance is 6:15 PM. Students should report to the music room and leave coats and personal items with parents.

 Where: Bluffsview Gymnasium

 Dress: Students should wear jeans and a solid colored top.  Any color will work.  Shoes should be comfortable for dancing in.

Possible Calamity Day? Blizzard Bag Information!

Well, winter just keeps on coming!  In the event that there is a Calamity Day on Monday, March 3rd 2014, Bluffsview students will be responsible for completing make-up assignments.  In that case, students from the following classes will be affected:

Grade 3 - Monroe
Grade 1 - Sciulli
Grade 6 - Hale
Grade 4 - Wright
Grade 2 - Grabosky

Assignments will be uploaded to the Bluffsview webpage by noon.  But I have provided an additional link to the assignments saved in my Dropbox account.  To access the assignments, click on the link below.

Music Blizzard Bag Assignments

Students have TWO WEEKS to complete the assignments in turn them into me.

New Time for 3rd Grade Music Program

The previously listed performance time for the 3rd grade show was 7:00 PM.  Due to a conflict with a band concert that was scheduled on the same night, we have elected to move our concert time to 6:30 PM so that families with students in both performances can make it to the 7:30 PM band concert.

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.

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?