Music Notes: End of October 2015

The kindergarteners have sung several echo songs and continue to practice showing the steady beat with their bodies. (Ask your kindergartener to sing the welcome song and show the steady beat!) They have also been hearing and showing the differences between fast/ slow and loud/soft (forte/piano). They’ve gotten involved by playing instruments, making vocal sound effects, and adding fingerplays for such books as Puff-Puff, Chugga-Chugga, The Napping House, and Five Little Pumpkins. They’ve also enjoyed seasonal songs such as “Three Little Witches,” and “Skin and Bones.” We’ve discussed different ways to use our imaginations and have practiced using them with our songs and our stories.

The 1^st graders have also been singing seasonal songs and echo songs, but their main focus this month has been rhythm. (Ask your 1^st grader what rhythm is, and see if s/he remembers how to spell it! We’ve been practicing…) They’ve practiced human rhythms, in which we line up four chairs to represent four steady beats and then seat students in the chairs to represent sounds or rhythms. After that, they moved on to food rhythms, in which they lay out four paper plate “steady beats” and use one- or two-syllable plastic foods to create four-beat rhythm patterns. They learned the sounds we say for the two rhythms we’ve been working on (ta and ti-ti), and practiced “writing” them with popsicle sticks. This week, they put this rhythmic knowledge into place with different Halloween-associated words. They’ve also added instrumental sound effects to the book Skeleton for Dinner.

The 2^nd graders have also been singing seasonal songs. They also learned two new rhythms, half note and half rest, and have been practicing reading, writing, clapping, and speaking these rhythms. (Want to learn something fun at home? Ask your 2^nd grader to teach you the song and clapping game for the song “Pumpkin, Pumpkin.”)

The 3^rd graders played melodic ostinatos on xylophones to go along with the song “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” which they learned in the process of learning their new rhythm of four 16^th notes (tiri-tiri). (Ask your 3^rd grader what a melody is, what an ostinato is, and what that means when you put the words together. Hint: It’s a ____ that ____.) They’ve also been practicing a round or a canon (ask your 3^rd grader what that is), and have been taking turns leading class-wide rounds with body percussion. Last week, we learned a Halloween song called “Mwa Ha Ha” that the students get to self-accompany with Boomwhackers (color-coded pitched plastic tubes).

The 4^th and 5^th graders are almost done with their instrument unit. (Ask your 4^th or 5^th grader about the instruments s/he has seen in class!) For more of an idea of the instruments they’ve been learning about, search the class blog for “percussion,” “woodwind,” “brass,” and “strings” to find each of those posts. The 4^th graders will culminate this unit with a field trip to see the Civic Symphony of Green Bay next Friday, and the 5^th graders will take a short break from the unit until 2016, when they will take a field trip to see the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in early February. 

Earning DRUM cards outside of class: If students are able to attend any performances outside of the school day, I ask that they bring in a program with their name on it and tell me (or write on the program) something about it: something new they learned, their favorite part of it, etc.

If your family is interested in attending performances in the Pulaski area, here are some upcoming ones:

            Friday, November 6             7 pm               Red Raider Showcase Concert

                                                                                    PHS Ripley PAC

                                                                                    $5 per ticket

Friday, November 6            7 pm                Civic Symphony of GB Family Concert

Meyer Theatre, downtown Green Bay

                                                                        Student tickets $7, senior tickets $12, adult tickets $17, family package $40

November 27, 28, 29           Varies             Green Bay Nutcracker Ballet

Meyer Theatre, downtown Green Bay

                                                                        Tickets $17.50, $26.50, $40 and can be purchased at meyertheatre.org

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I look forward to seeing you at parent/teacher conferences! I will be at Lannoye on Tuesday, November 10, for conferences.

Ms. Corinne Galligan
(920) 822-0433
cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org
lannoyemusic.blogspot.com  

Music Notes: End of September 2015

So far this year, we’ve played name games, learned music room rule songs, and reviewed and introduced different music concepts. If you haven’t been serenaded with any of the rules songs (or the original tunes they were taken from), ask your child(ren) about the music rules! I’ve heard from other teachers that “Make Good Choices” has made its rounds in their classrooms as well.

This year, K-2 started something new for the beginning of each class: John Feierabend’s Move It! classical music movement explorations. So far we’ve moved to “Aquarium” and “Swans” from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. At the end of the month, students got to engage in free movement while I played different saxophones. We also end most classes with a songtale.

The kindergarteners have been practicing their voice types, particularly their singing voices, and have just begun working on determining fast/slow. We also practice demonstrating steady beat in a variety of ways.

The 1^st graders have been reviewing musical concepts from last year, and are about to begin preparing to learn their first written rhythms.

The 2^nd graders have been reviewing the rhythms and solfege that they learned last year, and they’re preparing to jump into 2^nd grade rhythms and solfege!

“The Star-Spangled Banner” celebrated its 201^st birthday on September 14, so the 3^rd graders kicked off their patriotic music unit with it. We continued with “America the Beautiful,” and will be learning “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” next. Students have also been reviewing the solfege and rhythms that they’ve learned for the last two years. They also just learned a new rhythm, four 16^th notes.

The 4^th and 5^th graders are nearly halfway through their instrument unit! They’ve learned about the percussion family and will be finishing up the woodwind family this week. We’ll learn about the brass family, string family, and the role of the conductor in the coming month. I’m thankful for numerous friends and colleagues from multiple districts who are willing and able to lend me instruments to bring in to demonstrate for the students!

Students also learned about ways to earn DRUM (Demonstrating Respect and Understanding in Music) cards for individual recognition of above-and-beyond behaviors. When students earn three DRUM cards, they may redeem them for a reward (like eating lunch with me or sitting in my chair during one class). Students can choose to earn DRUM cards by being leaders within the music classroom, answering questions very well, posing thought-provoking questions, completing DRUM card opportunities posted on the music blog (and sent to their school email addresses – older students), or attending/performing in music performances of any kind outside of the school day. If you’re interested in attending performances, here are a couple of upcoming ones in the community:

            Wednesday, October 21      7 pm               Pulaski Area Community Band Concert,
                                                                                    with community choir and
                                                                                    high school choir (free!)

                                                                                    New Life Community Church

            Friday, November 6             7 pm               Red Raider Showcase Concert

                                                                                    PHS Ripley PAC

If they are able to attend a performance, in order for me to verify their attendance, I ask that children bring in a program with their name on it and tell me (or write on the program) something about it: something new they learned, their favorite part of it, etc.

While we’re talking about calendar dates, I’d like to let you know that the concert this year will be on Tuesday, May 24.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I look forward to seeing you throughout the school year!

Ms. Corinne Galligan
(920) 822-0433
cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org
lannoyemusic.blogspot.com  

Music Notes: End of April 2015

Music Notes

End of April 2015

Hello, everyone!

The school year is winding down, and it feels like we’re only getting busier as the summer draws near! April is Jazz Appreciation Month, so we’ve been listening to, enjoying, and performing jazz music in addition to our other curricular learning targets.

Earlier this month, we were fortunate to be able to have the jazz combo from Pulaski High School travel to Lannoye and perform as part of our Special Loved Ones Day. For pictures and videos from that performance (along with other music room updates), please check out our blog at:

http://lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

Still looking for donations: If you’ve got any empty small tissue boxes (not the long rectangular ones), I’ll take them from now until the end of the year! I’m planning ahead for a 3^rd grade rhythm activity next winter…

Here’s what we’ve been working on in April:

This month, the kindergarteners, 1^st graders, and 2^nd graders all learned the song “Down Came a Lady,” which we sing while playing a game with two concentric circles. They also learned “Teddy Bear,” which is a jump rope song with actions. The students got to watch and dance to a variety of jazz videos throughout the month, and scatted along with the book Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten.

In addition to the aforementioned activities, the kindergarteners took turns singing the echo song “Down by the Bay.” They played some more “Bee, Bee, Bumblebee” and worked their way up to the beginning stages of Rhythm Band (an activity in which they play rhythm instruments with picture notation).

The 1^st graders practiced reading, writing, singing, and signing their first two solfege pitches, so and mi. They read the book Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido D’Arezzo, which helped introduce them to the music staff. At the end of the month, they added la to their solfege knowledge, using songs like “Doggy, Doggy” and “Lucy Locket.”

The 2^nd graders practiced reading, writing, singing, and signing their solfege pitches (do, mi, so, and la), and added re at the end of the month. At the beginning of the month, they also did a listening exercise with plastic eggs filled with different materials. You can read more about that activity on the blog!

The 3^rd graders started their month by watching the last two March Madness “Star-Spangled Banner” performances and comparing and contrasting them. They also watched some short jazz improvisation clips. Students practiced identifying time signatures visually and aurally, distinguishing between 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time signatures. They did a sorting activity with plastic eggs to practice identifying time signatures by sight. The 3^rd graders also practiced reading, writing, singing, and signing their solfege pitches (do, re, mi, so, la, and high do). They finished out the month by learning low so through the song “Scotland’s Burning,” and preparing for low la with “Down Came a Lady.”

The 4^th and 5^th graders learned more new notes on recorder. The 4^th graders now know G, A, B, C, and D, and the 5^th graders know low C, low D, low (and high) E, F#, G, A, B, high C, and high D. They’ve all been working on supplemental material, including the song “A Minor Melody” by Jim Tinter, and stretching their brains by improvising over different accompaniment tracks. We watched a couple videos of jazz performances in which the soloists traded improvised solos of varying lengths (as long as 32 measures and as short as 2 measures), and the students have been trading 2s, 4s, and 8s with partners ever since. Please make sure your students are practicing their recorders – ask for an in-home performance! J

Reminder to the parents of 5^th graders who will be in band next year: The beginning band parent meeting is Monday, May 11^th, at 6 pm in the PCMS auditorium, and instrument fitting days are May 14^th and 18^th.

Upcoming performances in the area:
Tuesday, May 5             6:30 pm      PCMS Band Concert

                                                          PCMS Gym

Tuesday, May 12           6:30 pm      PCMS Choir Concert

                                                          PCMS Gym (Preceded by the PCMS Art Show at 6 pm)

Sunday, May 17            1:00 pm      Spring PHS Band and Choir Awards Concert

                                                          PHS Ripley PAC

Thursday, May 21         7:00 pm      PCMS Jazz Night

                                                          PCMS Auditorium

Sunday, July 12             7:00 pm      Pulaski Area Community Band Concert

                                                          Shippy Park

July 16 – 19                   Varies         Pulaski Polka Days

                                                          Visit www.pulaskipolkadays.com for more info
Sunday, August 9          7:00 pm      Pulaski Area Community Band Concert

                                                          Shippy Park

Ms. Corinne Galligan

(920) 822-0433

cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org

lannoyemusic.blogspot.com    

Music Notes: End of March 2015

Music Notes

End of March 2015

Hello, everyone!

In honor of 30 years of Music In Our Schools Month, let’s start some conversations at home! Students, here are some questions you can ask your family, friends, and teachers…see what you discover!

·        What did you learn in music class when you were my age?

·        Did you ever play an instrument? Which one? How long? Why’d you choose that one?

·        Were you ever in band? Jazz? Choir? Orchestra? Other ensembles?

·        If you were in any of those groups (or took lessons, etc.), what was your favorite part?

·        If you could play any instrument in the world, what would you choose? Why?

·        What’s your all-time favorite song, and why is it your favorite?

·        What’s your favorite song to belt in the car or the shower?

·        If you were in a rock band, what would your band’s name be?

·        What was the first concert you attended?

·        Have you ever met a famous musician?

·        If you could meet any musician, dead or alive, who would it be?

·        Fill in the blank: “Music makes me ______________.”

Did you learn anything you didn’t know about the people in your life? Share the neat things you learned – I’d love to hear them!

For more March MIOSM fun and information (and a musical Pi Day post that the math lovers out there will enjoy), check out our blog at:

http://lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

Still looking for donations: If you’ve got any empty small tissue boxes (not the long rectangular ones), I’ll take them from now until the end of the year! I’m planning ahead for a 3^rd grade rhythm activity next winter…

Here’s what we’ve been working on in March:

This month, the kindergarteners, 1^st graders, and 2^nd graders all learned the song “Here Comes a Bluebird.” They’ve enjoyed taking turns being the bluebird and coming up with different ways to show the steady beat with their partners and neighbors. In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, they all read the book There’s a Wocket in My Pocket and played egg shakers on all of the rhyming words. They also all learned “Rattlin’ Bog” to celebrate the springtime and St. Patrick’s Day. Kindergarten and 1^st grade also practiced their steady beat movements (with dancing) to Celtic Storm’s song “Beggarman.”

In addition to the abovementioned activities, the kindergarteners have continued practicing their leadership with the echo song and game “Charlie Over the Ocean.” They also kept practicing pointing to beat symbols in a left-to-right pattern. They learned the song “Bee, Bee, Bumblebee,” and showed the steady beat in the game.

The 1^st graders practiced clapping, speaking, reading, and writing the rhythms they know. Our rhythm dictation activities combine all four of those actions! They also got to write their own rhythm compositions. They’re currently in the process of learning their first solfege pitches, so and mi, through the song “Bee, Bee, Bumblebee.”

The 2^nd graders practiced clapping, speaking, reading, and writing their rhythms, using rhythm dictation activities and other games to practice their skills. They also got to write their own rhythm compositions. Now they’re reviewing their 1^st grade solfege pitches (so, mi, and la) and adding a new pitch to their toolbox (do). We’ve been singing and playing “Apple Tree” to help us prepare!

The 3^rd graders practiced clapping, speaking, reading, and writing their rhythms, and put them all together in rhythm compositions. They continued singing 3-part rounds and partner songs as well. They’re currently reviewing their solfege knowledge and adding high do to their pitch vocabulary via “Lil Liza Jane,” a song they used for learning ti-ta-ti and reviewing call and response.

The 4^th and 5^th graders finished their round of speed-reading treble clef tests. Congratulations are in order for the following students who passed the 30 second test on the given dates: Madison (5^th grade, 2/21), Jake (5^th grade, 2/21), Aaron (5^th grade, 3/3), Jack (5^th grade, 3/13), Will (4^th grade, 3/13), Austin (3/13)! Also, an extra congrats goes to Jake for passing the 20 second version on 3/13!! The 4^th and 5^th graders all survived their first recorder playing tests (4^th grade on B/A/G, 5^th grade on B/A/G/C’/D’) and learned a new note (4^th grade: C’; 5^th grade: F#). They’ve all been working on supplemental material, including the song “B-A-G Lady” by Jim Tinter, and stretching their brains by improvising over different accompaniment tracks. Please make sure your students are practicing their recorders – ask for an in-home performance! J

Upcoming performances in the area:

Thursday, April 9                 7:00 pm          PHS Guest Artist Jazz Concert

                                                                     PHS Ripley PAC

Sunday, April 12                   1:00 pm         Pulaski Area Community 
                                                                    Band/Choir Concert

                                                                     St. John’s Lutheran Church 
                                                                     in Morgan

Thursday, April 16               7:00 pm          Pulaski Area Community 
                                                                    Band/Choir Concert

                                                                     PHS Ripley PAC

April 17-19, 24-26               7:00 Fri/Sat,  PCMS Musical: Joseph and the 
                                             2:00 Sun        Amazing Technicolored

                                                                   Dreamcoat

                                                                   PCMS Auditorium

$8 tickets; $10 for 4/18 show, $15 for 4/18 show with spaghetti dinner – get your tickets now!

Thursday, April 23               7:00 pm          UW-Platteville Guest Concert

                                                                     PHS Ripley PAC

Monday, April 27                 6:30 pm          PHS Choir Honors Recital

                                                                     PHS Ripley PAC

Ms. Corinne Galligan                      
(920) 822-0433

cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org

lannoyemusic.blogspot.com                                                                                                      

Music Notes: End of February 2015

Music Notes

End of February 2015

Hello, everyone!

As always, I invite you to check out our music classroom blog, which now includes our How the Penguins Saved Christmas videos, at:

http://lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

Looking for donations: If you’ve got any empty small tissue boxes (not the long rectangular ones), I’ll take them from now until the end of the year! I’m planning ahead for a 3^rd grade rhythm activity next winter…

Here’s what we’ve been working on in February:

This month the kindergarteners learned a new song, “Oliver Twist.” They’ve enjoyed coming up with different ways to show the steady beat with this song. They have continued practicing their leadership with the echo song and game “Charlie Over the Ocean.” The kindergarteners have continued to practice pointing to beat symbols in a left-to-right pattern (preparing for future music reading skills). They added long/short to their opposites listening practice, in addition to their existing knowledge of fast/slow, loud/soft, and high/low using actions and listening skills. They also read the book Frog in Love (Max Velthuijs) and played along on key words with hand drums, tambourines, and guiros.

The 1^st graders have been practicing quarter note, quarter rest, and two 8^th notes. They’ve been clapping, speaking, reading, and writing these three rhythms. Our rhythm dictation activities combine all four of those actions! The 1^st graders got to use their rhythm skills with a Valentine’s Day word sort and composition activity. They learned the song “Oliver Twist” as well, and have been creating different ways to show the steady beat while singing the song. They also read the book Frog in Love (Max Velthuijs) and played along on key words with hand drums, tambourines, and guiros.

The 2^nd graders added whole rest to their rhythm repertoire. They’ve been practicing half note, half rest, whole note, and whole rest, in addition to the three 1^st grade rhythms in their vocabulary. They’ve been clapping, speaking, reading, and writing their rhythms, using rhythm dictation activities and other games to practice their skills. They got to utilize their rhythm knowledge with a Valentine’s Day word sort and composition activity. The 2^nd graders learned the song “Oliver Twist” as well, and have been creating different ways to show the steady beat while singing the song. They also read the book Frog in Love (Max Velthuijs) and played along on key words with hand drums, tambourines, and guiros. We finished out the month by learning the folk song and dance “Alabama Gal.”

The 3^rd graders reviewed their quarter note, two 8^th notes, and four 16^th notes rhythms with a Valentine’s Day word sort and composition activity. They also learned some new rounds (including “Ho! Every Sleeper Waken”) and partner songs (including the combination of “One Bottle of Pop,” “Don’t Throw Your Junk in My Backyard,” and “Fish and Chips”) and have been singing 3-part rounds regularly. The 3^rd graders have also practiced music math while learning the process of how musical dots work (for example, in the dotted half note rhythm they just learned), and they prepared to learn a syncopated rhythm (ti-ta-ti, or 8^th note quarter note 8^th note). We finished out the month by learning the folk song and dance “Alabama Gal.”

The 4^th and 5^th graders continued to review their treble clef literacy skills. We’ve practiced using rhymes and acronyms to remember the lines (EGBDF) and spaces (FACE), always building from the bottom to the top. The students worked together to create their own acronyms. This month, they played SMART Board games, did written practice (including a Valentine Poem that used treble clef reading to fill in missing letters), and continued to take timed tests to improve their accuracy and speed. They all started out labeling 24 pitches in 90 seconds. Once they got 100% in that time limit, they moved to 60 seconds, then 30 seconds. Congratulations are in order for 5^th graders Madison and Jake, who have passed the 30 second test as of February 21^st! For at-home practice links and apps, please check the music blog. The 4^th and 5^th grade students have also begun their recorder unit, in which they began combining their treble clef literacy with recorder fingerings. They also finished February with the folk song and dance “Alabama Gal.”

The 5^th graders took a fantastic field trip to Milwaukee at the beginning of the month! They attended a Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra youth concert and explored Discovery World. This field trip has been in the works since last April. The students were great, with a strong work ethic and drive to learn. They learned about five orchestral pieces, two songs, and four composers in a month! They supplemented this knowledge with fun facts, historical and cultural context, music excerpts, full recordings from Naxos and YouTube, photographs from Europe, and activities like square dancing and singing. Within that month, they also reviewed treble clef reading with short activities and timed tests every class, and they learned about 6^th grade music options before our Google Hangout with the middle school music team.

At the concert, I saw my sweet, hard-working 5^th graders nod and grin with recognition when the conductor gave a brief background of each piece and composer. I talked to chaperones who shared that they enjoyed the concert far more than they had expected. I watched the students fulfill my behavior expectations in the concert hall. I giggled when one of them turned to me incredulously before the last piece and said, “Wait, that’s it?!”

I’m so proud of the 5^th graders, and I’m glad we got to experience this trip to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra together. It was fun watching them explore all sorts of hands-on exhibits at Discovery World during the afternoon too. What a growth-packed day with a variety of knowledge and applications! I’d like to extend thanks to the Lannoye PTO for funding the transportation for our trip, as well as to Mr. Klawiter and my colleagues for supporting our students’ music education and personal growth opportunities.

Earning DRUM cards outside of class: If students are able to attend any performances outside of the school day, I ask that they bring in a program with their name on it and tell me (or write on the program) something about it (something new they learned, their favorite part of it, etc.).

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me! Please feel free to stop in the music room during conferences on March 10^th. J

Ms. Corinne Galligan
(920) 822-0433
cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org
lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

Music Notes: End of January 2015

Music Notes

End of January 2015

Happy New Year, everyone!

As always, I invite you to check out our music classroom blog at:

http://lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

It was great to see so many of our students’ families at our holiday musical performance last month! The Lannoye penguins put on a great couple of shows.

Now that our performance is over, we’re delving back into other curricular materials in the music room.

This month the kindergarteners have been practicing their echo songs, including “Purple Light,” “No More Pie,” and “Charlie Over the Ocean.” The students have been focusing on using their singing voices and echoing pitches accurately. They’ve also begun leading the echoes for the game with “Charlie Over the Ocean.” (Ask your kindergartener to teach you the song.) In addition to singing, the kindergarteners have continued to show the steady beat using body percussion, as well as pointing to beat symbols in a left-to-right pattern (preparing for future music reading skills). Finally, they have reviewed fast/slow, loud/soft, and high/low using actions and listening skills.

The 1^st graders have been reviewing their ta and ti-ti (quarter note and two 8^th notes) rhythm knowledge, and recently added rest (quarter rest). They’ve been clapping, speaking, reading, and writing these three rhythms. They’ve also been singing in large groups and small groups, focusing on using their singing voices and matching pitches.

The 2^nd graders also added to their rhythm knowledge – they continued practicing their 1^st grade rhythms, reviewed half note and half rest, and learned whole note. “The Water is Wide” is the main whole note song they’ve been singing. They’ve been clapping, speaking, reading, and writing their rhythms. Last month, they learned about The Nutcracker and its composer, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, before taking a field trip to the Meyer Theatre to see highlights from the second act of the ballet. Check out the music blog for videos of the Act II dances, as well as Olympic ice dancing videos to which the students drew connections.

The 3^rd graders have continued practicing their body percussion rounds and canons, and they’ve begun to take turns leading their classes. They began taking their knowledge and body percussion experience and applying it to songs. They’ve played rhythm football, practicing tiri-tiri (four 16^th notes) and ti-tiri (one 8^th note followed by two 16^th notes). Most recently, they read Tikki Tikki Tembo and will start to determine how to notate the rhythm of his name.

The 4^th and 5^th graders have been learning/reviewing their treble clef literacy skills. We’ve practiced using rhymes and acronyms to remember the lines (EGBDF) and spaces (FACE), always building from the bottom to the top. The students worked together to create their own acronyms. Currently, they are playing SMART Board games, doing written practice, and taking timed tests to improve their accuracy and speed. This helps the students build their treble clef literacy for recorder playing. When we start our recorder unit, they can focus on learning recorder fingerings while applying previous music reading knowledge. For at-home practice links and apps, please check the music blog.

The 5^th graders have also been learning about the program for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert they will be attending on Tuesday, February 3. They’ve learned about several composers and the pieces they’ll be hearing at the concert, including Aaron Copland (Lincoln Portrait and “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo), Scott Joplin (Treemonisha Overture), George Gershwin (excerpts from An American in Paris), and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Oboe Concerto in C major, movement 1). They’ve also brushed up on singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Yankee Doodle.” It’s been a whirlwind of a month, but they’ve been doing great! After the MSO portion of their field trip, they will eat lunch at Discovery World and then explore the exhibits. We’re all very excited for this trip!

Earning DRUM cards outside of class: If students are able to attend any performances outside of the school day, I ask that they bring in a program with their name on it and tell me (or write on the program) something about it (something new they learned, their favorite part of it, etc.).

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me!

Ms. Corinne Galligan
(920) 822-0433
cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org
lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

Music Notes: End of September 2014

Music Notes

End of September 2014

Hello, everyone!

Welcome to the music room! I invite you to check out our music classroom blog at:

http://lannoyemusic.blogspot.com

So far this year, we’ve played name games, learned music room rule songs, had a birthday learning celebration of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and reviewed different music concepts. If you haven’t been serenaded with any of the rules songs (or the original tunes they were taken from), ask your child(ren) about the music rules! You can find more about the rules on the music blog.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” celebrated its 200^th birthday on September 14, so we celebrated by learning the history behind it (grades 3-5), reviewing the official etiquette during its performance (K-5), and practicing that etiquette while singing the song (K-5). You can learn more about what we learned in class by checking out the music blog.

Students also learned about ways to earn DRUM (Demonstrating Respect and Understanding in Music) cards for individual recognition of above-and-beyond behaviors. When students earn three DRUM cards, they may redeem them for a reward (like eating lunch with me or sitting in my chair during one class). Students can choose to earn DRUM cards by being leaders within the music classroom, answering questions very well, posing thought-provoking questions, completing DRUM card opportunities posted on the music blog (and sent to their school email addresses), or attending/performing in music performances of any kind outside of the school day. If you’re interested in attending performances, here are a couple of (free! optional!) upcoming ones in the community:

            Wednesday, October 22      7 pm               Pulaski Area Community Band Concert

                                                                                      PHS Ripley PAC

            Saturday, November 1         7 pm               Red Raider Showcase Concert

                                                                                      PHS Ripley PAC

If they are able to attend a performance, in order for me to verify their attendance, I ask that children bring in a program with their name on it and tell me (or write on the program) something about it: something new they learned, their favorite part of it, etc.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I look forward to meeting you throughout the school year!

Ms. Corinne Galligan
(920) 822-0433
cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org
lannoyemusic.blogspot.com  

Music Notes: End of May 2014

Music Notes

May 2014

Greetings from the Lannoye music room!

I can’t believe the end of the year is here already! I’d like to thank everybody who was able to attend our spring informance. The students enjoyed sharing their learning with you, and The Big Bang was a big hit!

As far as new blog posts go, the International Jazz Day post has a bunch of jazz classics (including a few of the videos we watched in class to explore the genre) and the Jazz in Disney post has a variety of jazzy tunes from Disney movies (including The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and Toy Story). A new post on contemporary composer Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choirs contains information about how the Virtual Choir idea began, the first four Virtual Choir videos (check them out if you’re not familiar with them!), and information on how to participate in Whitacre’s new Virtual Youth Choir. It’s not auditioned, it’s free, it’s for people 18 and under, and video submissions are due by June 8. Please share this information with any interested kids in your life! J

If you’re interested in checking out summer performances in the area, please refer to the list of events below. All events are free unless otherwise noted. As always, these will also be posted on the blog (you can click on the “Music Notes” label on the right side of the screen to find it if it gets buried behind subsequent posts) with live links for more information.

      Sunday, June 22                7 pm                Pulaski Area Community Band Concert in the Park

                                                                        Shippy Park (Pulaski)

           

      Thursday, June 26             7 pm                PHS Concert on the Concourse

                                                                        PHS Concourse

      Sunday, June 29                7 pm                Red Raider Jazz Concert in the Park

                                                                        Shippy Park (Pulaski)

      July 17 - 20                       Varies              Pulaski Polka Days

                                                                        Fee varies: Thurs. $2, Fri. and Sat. $10, Sun. free

Sunday, July 20                11 am              Pulaski Polka Days Parade

                                                                        PCMS to polka grounds

           

      Sunday, July 27                7 pm                Pulaski Area Community Band Concert in the Park

                                                                        Shippy Park (Pulaski)

Saturday, August 9           11 am              Badger Band, Pulaski Band, and Seymour Band

                                                                  World’s Largest Hamburger Parade

                                                                  (Part of Seymour’s Hamburger Festival)

                                                                  Bands will also play after parade until 3 pm

                                                                  On Main Street in Seymour

Sunday, August 17           7 pm                Pulaski Area Community Band Concert in the Park

                                                                        Shippy Park (Pulaski)

As for what we’ve been doing in the Lannoye music room, here’s your monthly glance by grade:

The kindergarteners are impressive in their Rhythm Band chart playing! We’ve moved to the point where I just stand back and watch them instead of helping them track on the SMART Board. They’re going to finish out the year with Camille Saint-Saёns’ Carnival of the Animals and a Music Share Day (Monday, June 2 for Mrs. Babiarz’s class, and Wednesday, June 4 for Mrs. Hoverson’s class).

The 1^st graders are playing singing games and practicing playing keyboard percussion instruments (with so, mi, and la) while reading music to finish out the year. Their Music Share Days will be on Monday, June 2 (last name A-G), and Wednesday, June 4 (last name H-W).

The 2^nd graders learned and reviewed AB and ABA form, and they also tied in their prior knowledge of verse/refrain from earlier this year. Their Music Share Day will be on Wednesday, June 4.

The 3^rd graders are composing and reviewing their note reading skills to close out their year. Their Music Share Day will be on Monday, June 2.

The 4^th graders are composing rhythm patterns and will be watching Mr. Bach Comes to Call to build their knowledge of composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Their music share day will be on Thursday, June 5.

The 5^th graders are leaving us! I’m excited for all of them and their future in music, whether they’re going to be in band, choir, or general music next year. A really neat opportunity came about for me this month, since I’m also certified to teach instrumental music and I’m teaching part time this year. I was able to help with 5^th grade instrument fittings at PCMS in mid-May on one of my non-Lannoye days. I thought it was really awesome to be able to see some of my students in a different musical light! I’m very excited for all of their futures, and I’m looking forward to attending their performances next year. As for the present, the 5^th graders are composing rhythm patterns and will be watching Beethoven Lives Upstairs to build their knowledge of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Their Music Share Day will be on Thursday, June 5.

Information will be coming home later this week about each grade’s Music Share Day.

At this point in time, I’m planning on updating the blog a bit this summer. Feel free to explore the current posts and I’ll try to surprise you with a few more!

If your child is looking for songs to sing, rhythms to explore, or music activities to do online, please feel free to email me for suggestions!

Finally, I’d like to thank you all for welcoming me into the Lannoye family. It’s been a great first year, and I’m looking forward to the future. J

Happy summer!

Ms. Corinne Galligan
(920) 822-0433
cmgalligan@pulaskischools.org
lannoyemusic.blogspot.com