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!

Heartwarming Performances

The third graders gave two moving performances of The American Dream by Roger Emerson and John Jacobson. Audiences learned about the many of the victories and struggles involved in the birth of the United States of America. Congratulations!

"We haz it folks!"

The fourth graders wowed audiences with their performances of "We Haz Jazz."

Not only did they light up the stage with their singing and dancing,

but they created the set as well!
When Thelonius Monk took the stage there was not a dry eye in the house!

The second graders are learning Fanga Alafia, a song from West Africa. During the instrumental break they practiced creating polyrhythms, the simultaneous sounding of two or more rhythms. Students broke into groups to create these rhythms and then performed them for each other in class.
The second graders will be singing Fanga Alafia for Grandparents and Special Friends Day.

And, here is a sneak peek at We Haz Jazz. The fourth graders can't wait until Friday!

Untitled from Valerie Díaz Leroy on Vimeo.

Breaking News for Rick Riordan Fans

If you love Rick Riordan and don't follow his blog you should. I just found out that book two in the Kane Chronicles will be released on May 3rd of this year. Yeah! If you head on over to Rick's blog, Myth & Mystery, you can follow a link to read the first chapter of The Throne of Fire for the next 24 hours only!

A Great New Year

Often, when returning from a long vacation, we have some catching up to do when classes start up again. My music student have not missed a beat since they've been back to school! The fourth graders are eager to perform We Haz Jazz at the end of the month. Students have seen singing, dancing, and acting up a storm in preparation. Below are pictures from our first "actors meeting." I was so impressed to hear the emotion in the fourth grade voices. They have truly taken on their characters!