Laura Jeffrey Academy Music

This week we will start discussing and preparing for our summative assessments. We will practice composing sight reading exercises and begin our first draft of the actual composition on Thursday and Friday. Students will also be asked to begin thinking of a question about the music industry that they would like to research and present on. Students need to have a question by Thursday or Friday (whatever day they have music) that they can discuss with me.

Violinists have started bowing and will continue to bow on the D and A strings, as well as tune their own instrument.

The choirs will begin two new pieces, El Vito, a song in Spanish and Soon I will be done, a spiritual.

This week in music we will be learning about what marketing is and how music is marketed. Students will create and act out commercials for a given product. We will also be learning more about record companies and the disputes that arise between artists and record labels.

The choir has been hard at work reading 2 and 3 part music using solfege (do, re, mi). Although it has been tough work, it is paying off as students develop music literacy and improved intonation. Not to mention reading music has been proven to increase math and reading comprehension!

Violinists are working on reading notes on the staff. Up until this point the letter names have been given in their music. This week I expect students to move away from reading the letter names to reading the notes on the staff. I expect that each student be able to play one piece on the staff before they progress to bowing. 

Students must be practicing violin at home in order to progress and be successful in the classroom. If your student is struggling or not enjoying playing please let me know so that I can arrange a time to meet with her outside of class.

Students have been hard at work learning how to read music and use their instruments! The choir this week will be starting a new piece and using solfege to figure out the pitches instead of me teaching themthrough rote. We have been doing exercises and writing the solfege in our music to practice and develop this skill.

Violinists will continue to develop thier ears by tuning their own A and D strings. We will be learning three notes on the D string - B, C#, and D. We will also be learning how to read notes on the treble clef. Students should be learning to use the bow next week!

Last week all students explored and discussed the many careers within the music industry. This week we will be focusing on record companies; what they do, how they function, and the departments within record companies (legal, sales, publicity, business affairs, new media, promotion, marketing, artists and repertoire).

This week in choir we will continue working on understanding how to read our music. Students are marking solfege (do, re, mi etc) in their music, doing daily sight reading excersies, and  learning game songs using solfege.

Violinists will learn three new notes on the A string, how to tune the A and D strings, and start practicing how to hold the bow.  They are progressing quickly!

Every class will be searching to find careers that exists in the music industry. We will be looking closely as to what each job entails and what skills are needed.

After a busy week back we are ready to dive into music making! This week in choir we will be working on posture, breath support, and how to read our music. We will be learning and playing a game song that will help us visually and aurally recognize so and mi.

Last week violinists learned the parts and strings of their instrument, how to hold it, and the notes D and A. This week they will be learning to read and play G, F#, and E, totaling 5 notes already! Students in violin class will always have violin on Mondays and Thursdays and every other Wednesday. This Wednesday they will not have violin. Please help your student to remember the days that they need to bring their violin.

Students learning violin during recess and PCN will meet this Tuesday and Thursday, although our regular meeting time will be Tuesdays and Fridays.

I am trying to put together a group for students who already play string instruments to play together, although finding a convenient time for everyone is a bit of a challenge. As of now, the best time may be before school, more information to follow.

As part of our music industry unit, this week students will be exploring what kinds of jobs and roles exist within the music industry and what types of skills are needed for each.

Welcome new families and welcome back old ones! I am extremely excited to begin the second year of our music program and the beginning of our string program.

This quarter we will focus more on the development and skills of being part of a musis ensemble. The choir will be working on sight reading music through daily excersises, games, playing the keyboard, and marking their choral literature. Hopefully by the end of the year students will be able to read their choral music and lead sectionals themselves! 

Violinists will begin with fundamentals while they develop the ability to listen and adapt as an ensemble. We will begin with  how to care for the violin, naming the parts, holding the instrument, and posture. Students will be playing this week so please make sure your student brings their instrument to school Tuesday!

This quarter everyone will also be learning about the music industry; what types of jobs are in the industry and what skills are needed, the dynamic between artists and record labels, how marketing affects consumerism etc. We will be using a variety of texts (articles, music lyrics, interviews) to have shared inquiry discussions around questions such as:  How are female musicians marketed? How are male musicians marketed? Are different genres of music marketed differently? Who produces and chooses winners for music awards such as the Grammys? Top Ten worldwide – Who reigns and why? Is popular music the result of democratic or undemocratic decisions?

I am looking forward to a busy and fun-filled quarter of music. If at anytime you have questions/concerns/ways to help your student be successful in the classroom please contact me! annied@laurajeffreyacademy.org

Welcome back!

Students will have music Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week.

I will be sending home a registration form Monday asking if your student will be in General Music/Choir or General Music/Violin for 2009-2010 music. It is important that this is returned to me by Friday, July 17 so that I can start organizing scheduling logistics.

Student scholarships are available and will provide students with a violin, book, and lock. Scholarship information is also being sent home Monday. Scholarship essays are due Friday, July 17. Late applications will not be accepted.  

This week in music we will be learning a new piece for our concert which is a medley consisting of four popular tunes from the sixties. As always, we will be working on sight-reading, posture, and breath support for singing. We will also be listening to Imagine by John Lennon and discussing the lyrics and how they relate to the social culture of the sixties. 

Each music class is in charge of a different aspect of the concert. I have asked girls to start bringing in props and cardboard to paint decorations. Please do not let them bring in anything valuable or sentimental to your family because I cannot assure the security of all items. We will be researching, planning, and creating things that support our music this week!

This week students will have music Tuesday and Thursday. We will be learning a new song for the concert and working on the three we have already learned. We need to refocus on posture and breath support and will spend some time this week on those two elements.

Students have been making great progress reading and sight-singing music in tune! We will continue to work on developing this through exercises. 

We will also be learning and singing Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan and having a shared inquiry discussion about the lyrics.

Blowin’ In The Wind

This week students have music Tuesday and Thursday.

Tuesday we will keep working on the two songs we started last week and we will discuss the things we discovered about the 60’s. We will begin talking about social and political events of the time.

Thursday we will learn a new piece and discuss all the details for the showcase and decide how we can divide duties. The girls are hard at work learning and being creative!  

Welcome to 4th Quarter! It is going to be a busy few months. As much as I want to surprise you all with a fantastic show, I know students will need your help and support this quarter so here it is: we are preparing for an end of the year showcase featuring music from the 1960’s! Students will not only learn and perform 2-part music from this decade but will also plan and implement the event including costumes, artwork, and ambiance.

We will also be studying non-violent protest music from this time influenced by Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement. This will include lyric analysis and shared inquiry discussions.

This week we will get the choir back up and singing! We are starting two songs (I will at least try to keep which ones secret!) and students will be doing some independent research on the culture of the 1960’s to prepare themselves for our big adventure.