Objectives for the week of October 28, 2013

In celebration of Halloween, we'll be having a special school-wide focus on being tuneful, beatful, and artful (my current favorite words). So what does that look like, exactly?

1. Tuneful – to have tunes in their heads and learn to coordinate their voices to sing those tunes.
2. Beatful – to feel the pulse of music and how that pulse is grouped in either 2s or 3s.
3. Artful – to be moved by music in the many ways music can elicit a feelingful response.

(http://www.feierabendmusic.org/first-steps-in-music-for-preschool-and-beyond/)

In grades K-3, the primary objectives of this week will be:

• I can explore the range of my voice.
• I can move expressively to music.
• I can experience the beat in music.

In grades 4-5, we will continue testing for Recorder Karate belts.

• I can play with a steady beat.
• I can play with appropriate phrasing.

Objectives for the week of October 21, 2013

Kindergarten

• I can explore using my head voice.
• I can move expressively to music.

First Grade

• I can explore highs and lows in my voice.
• I can move expressively to music.

Second Grade and Primary Montessori

• I can sing using my head voice.
• I can move expressively to music.

Third Grade

• I can echo rhythmic patterns (eighth notes and quarter notes).
• I can decode rhythmic patterns (eighth notes and quarter notes).

Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, and Intermediate Montessori

• I can play B, A, and G on the recorder.
• I can count quarter notes and half notes.

Looking forward to a great week! This week I will begin implementing many of the strategies I learned last week at the Montana Music Conference from Dr. John Feierabend. In younger grades we will be focusing on First Steps in Music skills, including pitch and movement exploration. In older grades we will start applying Conversational Solfege concepts, a method that focuses on learning music in the same way we learn to read: 

During the first five years of life we are busy making aural sense out of the complex labyrinth of language.  After achieving a certain level of conversational competence we enter school and begin a structured reading and writing curriculum. A similar process takes place when one studies a foreign language first at a conversational level.  The development of ear comprehension precedes reading, writing or grammatical structure education.  These models of learning can be applied to the development of music literacy.

Back from the Montana Music Conference and feeling pumped!

Eureka! That's how I felt so many times during several training sessions with Dr. John Feierabend in Bozeman this week! He spoke about his research in music education and offered training in two coordinating methods of music education: First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege. First Steps in Music works to establish a solid base from children, making them "tuneful, beatful, and artful."

Tuneful – to have tunes in their heads and learn to coordinate their voices to sing those tunes.
Beatful – to feel the pulse of music and how that pulse is grouped in either 2s or 3s.
Artful – to be moved by music in the many ways music can elicit a feeling-filled response.
(John Feierabend)

Conversational Solfege works to develop music literacy in students, starting at approximately Grade 2, building on the foundations established in First Steps in Music.

When one becomes truly musically literate the playing of an instrument becomes a natural extension of one’s personal musicianship. The development of true music literacy prior to instrumental instruction will enable instrumentalists to express music through their instrument rather than using the instrument to hear the music. (John Feierabend)

I am so inspired! Can't wait to get back to school next week!

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Objectives for the week of October 7, 2013

Kindergarten
I can explore steady beat.
I can demonstrate long and short sounds.

First Grade
I can identify high and low sounds.

Second Grade and Primary Montessori
I can sing a melody using sol, la, and mi. (What is this?)

Third Grade
I can identify verse and refrain.
I can sing by myself.

Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, and Intermediate Montessori
I can hold my recorder correctly.
I can make a nice sound on my recorder.
I can play B, A, and G on my recorder.

Objectives for the week of September 30, 2013

Kindergarten

• I can experience long and short sounds.
• I can explore steady beat.

First Grade

• I can explore high and low notes.
• I can notate ta and ti-ti.

Second Grade and Primary Montessori

• I can identify musical phrases.

Third Grade

• I can identify verse and refrain.

Fourth Grade and Intermediate Montessori

• I can make connections between music and geography.
• I can identify strong and weak beats.

Fifth Grade

• I can make connections between music and geography.
• I can identify syncopation.