I even taught a lesson to Ms Kourtni, Ms Debbie, and Ms Andrea, and I must say they look like they had a blast! Please check out the photos below.

The Casa students have been learning some new singing games, and are getting more familiar with so-mi-la and will soon be adding ‘do’. They have also been finding their singing voice in a different way – with Kazoos!

The Kindergartners have been drawing notes and notating the songs we’ve learned.

In Lower Elementary we have begun using some fantastic items I acquired from the ‘Florida Music Educator’s Conference’ in Tampa – we’re using ribbons, boomwackers, and there’s still a few other surprises in store!

Upper Elementary have also used some of the materials from the FMEA conference – we’ve gotten some new recorder literature as well as 2 new recorders, the ‘soprinino’ (higher than the ‘soprano’ and smaller in size) and the Garlklein (a really tiny, high pitched recorder). I look forward to the new tunes we will be playing with 5 different sizes of recorders.

Ms Ali

“Learn the principle, abide by the principle, and dissolve the principle. In short, enter a mold without being caged in it. Obey the principle without being bound by it. Learn, master, and achieve!”  -Bruce Lee

Thank you to the students who participated at the BDAL Christmas Parade, it was a beautiful show and always kicks off the holiday season!

And congratulations to the MBTS Drumming Club, who gave a fun-filled performance on the playground.

I would also like to thank all of the students and teachers for their hard work on the Holiday Show. It was fantastic, and everyone should be really proud of the hard work that went into it. Have a great break, and a happy new year!

Ms Ali

“Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought” – Y. Harburg

The Toddlers have been working hard on their Holiday piece, as well as learning about the drums! Please see photos below of the students playing drums!

The Casa students have been learning about the different voices that they have (singing, whisper, high, low). Please see the photos below of the Half-Day Music students singing ‘Old MacDonald Had a Band’.

In Lower Elementary, in addition to our Holiday songs, we’ve also been learning more rhythmic dictation (continuing what we learned at Halloween) as well as notes on the musical staff. We have also been practicing composing rhythms on hand drums, please see the photos below of the Grade 2′s with their drums.

In the Upper Elementary classroom, some students have been learning about the solar system. This was a great oppourtinuty to introduce them to ‘The Planets’ suite written by Gustav Holst in 1912-1914. We listened to all 7 movements and now have a different perspective on the solar system (Mars is the Bringer of War, Jupiter is Jollity, etc). The students have also had great progress on their recorder piece. Please see the photos below of the students working with each other in small groups.

The MYP students are working on their ‘Silent Videos’ which are due December 15. I look forward to seeing them completed, as they have been a blast to film!

Ms Ali

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue” – Plato

The Casa students have been practicing their locomotor movement by pretending to be bats, robots, and cats! Please see the photo below of the Year 2 students in their best cat, bat, or robot statue.

The Lower Elementary students have been learning about short and long sounds to the tune of ‘In The Hall of The Mountain King’ from Peer Gynt Suite. Please see the photo below of the Grade 2’s showing this movement through scarves.

The Upper Elementary students have all been hard at work practicing their recorder for the Holiday concert. We’ve also been learning how to sing in 2-part harmony.

The Middle Years students have begun their ‘Silent Movie’ project. As we’ve studied the Romantic, Classical, Baroque, and Medieval eras we learned that there was some amazing pieces written, which would easily be turned into a movie! They will be filming, acting, and putting it all together (in Windows Movie Maker) to create one neat video! (Please see the photo of the Middle Years Students learning about the ‘waltz’ from the Baroque era).

I look forward to November where we will all be hard at work practicing for the Holiday concert, and learning the concepts from each piece.

Ms Ali

“Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing.”  - John Erskine

Casa – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2J6i6nUsRc

Kindergarten – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnIqLlBwzrc

Lower Elementary – http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChoral2006/23992/player.html

Lower Elementary – http://www.jwpepper.com/3701622.item#

Upper Elementary – http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/decembers-keep/325629/

Upper Elementary – http://www.jwpepper.com/10047048.item

Middle Years – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB4V4bF533w

Casa  – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2J6i6nUsRc

Kindergarten – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnIqLlBwzrc

Lower Elementary – http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChoral2006/23992/player.html

Lower Elementary – http://www.jwpepper.com/3701622.item#

Upper Elementary – http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/decembers-keep/325629/

Upper Elementary – http://www.jwpepper.com/10047048.item

Middle Years – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB4V4bF533w

In Casa we’ve learned singing games using Solfege. We’ve also been practicing with instruments and beanbags! In Kindergarten we’ve begun to use music notes to notate the songs we’ve already learned.

In Lower Elementary we’ve been busy learning about the different instrument families of the orchestra (string, brass, woodwind, and percussion). We’ve even had a chance to listen and see what they look like via youtube.

The grade 4’s have been busy practicing to earn their ‘white belt’ in Recorder Karate. All Upper Elementary students have begun to practice a new piece for the recorder choir at the Holiday Concert.

And the Middle Years students have been learning about the Romantic, Classical, and the Renaissance eras as well as the amazing life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Next month I am looking forward to a musical Halloween with the students!

If you need to contact me at any time, my email is ms.ali@mbts.ky.

Ms Ali

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music”. Aldous Huxley

In Toddler, Casa, Kindergarten, and Elementary you can expect to hear and see more about all of the movement activities we will be doing in class.

Also the Grade 4’s will begin to learn the recorder and start to earn ‘karate belts’!

The MYP students can expect to learn about the way music has shaped our history and its influence in the world.

Just a reminder that our Holiday Concert is on Saturday, December 10^th at 10am at Mary Miller Hall, so please save the date!

If you need to contact me at any time, my email is ms.ali@mbts.ky.

Ms Ali

“Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.” – Charlie “YardBird” Parker