Spring has sprung!

Welcome back. I hope you all had a fun and relaxing spring break. I took a trip to Amsterdam with my mom to see the sights and visit friends. I had a blast learning how kaas (cheese) is made and how klompen (clogs) are carved. My favorite part of the trip was our evening at Het Concertgebouw. We heard a concerto by Beethoven and Mozart's Symphony no. 40. It was a magical evening.

In the Studio

Second and fourth grader spent the month to February writing and recording songs in class.

The second graders sang and danced to the English folk songs The Noble Duke of York and A-Hunting We Will Go. Each student then wrote his or her own rhyming verse for A-Hunting We Will Go. One-by-one students recorded their song in Garage Band as their classmates illustrated pictures to compliment their own verse.

The fourth graders loved learning about the 12-bar blues. After a theory lesson, students played the 12-bar blues on the orff instruments. They had a blast creating their own rhythms to fit into the blues pattern.

12-Bar Blues
I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I I

Once they were comfortable with the feel of the 12-bar blues, students wrote their own blues verse. The fourth graders chose to write both serious and funny blues verses. Students had to work quietly as they illustrated their songs so that classmates could record their song in Garage Band. What was the most difficult part of this project? Ask student and they'll tell you that it was listening to and analyzing their performances. Most students commented on how "funny" they sounded. They all sounded fabulous!