Fourth and Fifth Grade

We have started using tubano drums! The students really enjoy playing the drums. Here are a few essentials for keeping the drums in good shape:

• Once the drum is set down on the floor, use your chair to adjust how close you are to the drum.
• When moving toward or away from the drum, hands should be in your lap.
• The drum should be treated like a hot stove, with hands bouncing lightly off. We should NEVER lean our hands, arms, elbows, or other body parts onto the drum.

There are two tones on the drums. The high tone is the outer edge of the drum. Students play a high tone by lightly bouncing their fingers on the edge nearest their stomach. The low tone is in the middle of the drum, played by bouncing the bottom of thier hand in the center of the drum.

These drums will be featured in a performance for 4th and 5th grade later in the year. Stay tuned for details!

5th Grade General Music

TIME CAPSULE! Music from the past is like a time capsule, in a way. Five hundred years ago, Michael Praetorius wrote a song with a message: "LONG LIVE MUSIC!" That music survived over the centuries, and more recently, someone felt the message was worth reviving. They recorded it onto a CD, using voices and instruments similar to what would have been available back then. The music tells us about that time period, like voices calling to us from the past.

My 5th grade students are going to create their own class time capsule. Each student is encouraged to bring an item to be buried for the entire school year. We will dig it up again in May and rediscover what is the same, what is different, and what we forgot, from our just-now 5th grade current selves, to our almost-6th grade future-selves. The item must be able to fit into a standard business-sized envelope.

We will also be making collages to bury in our time capsule. In order to make the collages, we need donations of magazines and newspapers for students to cut and use. Magazines and newspapers will not be returned. During the collage-making, students will be allowed to listen to CDs of their choosing. Please see the yellow and white handouts for more details.

5th Grade Specials

This is a reminder to all 5th graders that you MUST turn in your music class preference by FRIDAY! This is YOUR chance to choose, so please list your top three choices and turn it in to your teacher as soon as possible. Those who do not make a choice will be assigned to General Music.

Remember, your choices are:

Band (Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Percussion, Trombone, Trumpet)
Orchestra (Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass)
General Music (No instrument rental necessary)

Welcome

Welcome, students and parents! I am thrilled to share with you information about my music classes. I will try to update at least once weekly to bring you the latest about what we are learning in class, dates and times of upcoming performances, and more.