Upper Campus is ROCKING!

The GLOBE Upper Campus

Music Classes

Students at the Upper Campus have accomplished quite a bit in music this year. Through last year's implementation grant, we were able to purchase five iPads to use in our music class. As the students will begin composing their own "theme songs" for the GLOBE SUPERHERO TEAMS during Enrichment Fridays, we used our first few weeks exploring the music composition app, Garage Band.

In our first lesson, students used "smart instruments" to create an 8-bar composition. They recorded a drum beat and then had an opportunity to explore the bass, keyboard, guitar, voice, sound effects, and learned to name and save their work. Many students downloaded the program when they got home ($5.00 on the App Store for iPad/iPhone) and continued to create their own compositions. There are also free online composition programs and apps for those who use Windows.

The next project is to explore the basics of melody, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, texture, dynamics, and form. We used the Garage Band keyboard to play a C Major scale and build the I, IV, and V triads. They were getting it! We moved into the 12-bar blues form and discussed that as long as the rhythms fit and the harmony matched throughout all the instruments, the possibilities were endless. We played the form as a class on the smart keyboard and then students set off to create their own 12-bar instrumental blues using a variety of instruments. We will spend this week finishing those compositions and sharing with our classmates. I CAN NOT WAIT to hear them!

My hope is that we will be able to apply our basic understanding of chords when we start learning guitar at the Briarcliff location.

What a fun start to our best year ever!

MUSIC

 AT GLOBE! 

Hello GLOBE Family!  

WELCOME BACK!!

Second and Third Grade Parents: This school year is already off to a musical start. Our 2nd and 3rd grade musicians spent their first week reviewing the expectations in the music room and jumped right into some beat and movement activities. We learned a little about form and folk songs by singing "Shoo Fly" and performing a circle dance that helped us discover the two distinct and repeating sections of the song. The class closed with a steady beat name game (I must admit that was probably more for me than it was the kids, with all of those names to remember!). We are also practicing our first round, which will be our first "real" song on ukelele - "Row, Row, Row Your Boat". Over the next several lessons, we will continue our exploration of folk songs from several countries through singing, games, playing instruments, movement, listening maps, and on our new favorite instrument....THE UKULELE! Many folk songs I had hoped to teach are simple to play on the ukulele, helping us tie it all together. 

First Day - They were SO excited!

Third graders will order recorders soon.  I will take care of the order for everyone - you and I will    both be happier if we order quality instruments that have a nice tone. I am looking forward to creating class ensembles using all of the instruments we use in class voice, African drums, xylophones, ukulele, recorder, hand-held percussion. By the end of the year, third graders will be able to read and perform simple melodies, have a basic understanding of how harmony, rhythm, melody interact to create music, and will develop greater musical independence in preparation for band, orchestra, or chorus at the upper campus next year. I am so excited about what the future holds!

If you would like to purchase an inexpensive ukulele for your child ($30, includes book, instrument, soft case, extra strings, play-along and instructional CD and DVD), check out this deal on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Yourself-Ukulele-Complete-Starter/dp/B004ZKY10Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440304614&sr=8-1&keywords=alfred+ukulele