We will continue developing our ability to improvise and perform polyrhythms as an ensemble. We will be adding the element of singing while simultaneously playing through the practice of a song from Liberia.  

Students will play the shekere and the tubano in call and response patterns as well as question and answer.

We will also be learning a hand movement game from Zimbabwe called Sorida. This game helps develop physical and musical coordination. 

In the next few weeks students will be working on preparing a presentation on the music from a country of their choice. Students should decide by Tuesday what country they would like to research and present on.

Homework for Tuesday: Students choose country to present on.

This week we are also rehearsing for our big concert next week! Hope to see everyone there!

I know that many students were disappointed that they could not attend. Ideally, I would have loved to bring everyone but I was limited to a small number of students. Rather than choosing individual students, I chose the class that was the best prepared with their choral pieces. I am happy that so many are interested in performing and I hope to provide more opportunities to all students through choir, electives, and possibly an intercession.

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In Making Music, an elective class, we are building one-string dulcimers (a fretted, plucked instrument) using wood and cigar boxes. We have sanded the wood, marked the frets, and screwed on the tuning peg and are ready to glue on the nut and bridge this week!

Please come see us February 11th and bring your families! A short reception will follow.

Developing the choir will focus on individual accountability and group responsibility. Students will learn breathing and vocal technique, sight reading, and sing a variety of music in two parts. Students will take turns peer evaluating rehearsals to gain an understanding of the dynamics of individual contribution. At the end of the quarter students will compose a written comparison of the rewards and responsibilities of being a member in choir and a member in a community outside of choir. 

We will continue developing our understanding of music notation through composition on the keyboards. Students will learn about the qualities of good melodies and compose their own. They will notate pitch, rhythm, and articulation onto the musical staff and perform their composition at a class recital in the middle of the quarter.

Students will create a book that documents the history of music and culture through the five senses. We will learn about the music and society of the renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, and 20^th century periods. Students will create a page for each period describing the music through the five senses ( this music feels like, tastes like, smells like, etc) and write a paragraph explaining the how the music relates to the culture of this time. At the end of the book students will write an essay explaining how music and society has changed throughout history.

On January 14 we will be taking a musical field trip to Macalester College to attend a performance by the African Music Ensemble in preparation for the study of world music. I am looking forward to the next nine weeks!

-Annie Dau