Laura Jeffrey Academy Music

Last week we finished final assessments for polyrhythms and the students made a small portfolio with all of the worksheets they completed this quarter, a self-assessment of learning targets and habits of scholarship, and a paragraph describing some ways that music are culture are related.

This week students will have music on Tuesday and they will be finishing Fiddler on the Roof. I have told students that they may bring a snack as long as the room stays clean! They all did great work this quarter! 

This week students will be performing and teaching the class the polyrhythm that their group composed and notated. I am looking for development in the skill of playing independently within an ensemble as well as the ability to listen to one another in order to notate each part.

We will also be learning and playing the game Gumban Taryeong  from Korea, which will be our most difficult to date due to the 6/8 meter, language, and complex moves ending in a tug-of-war!

Due to MCA testing students will only have music on Thursday this week. Students will however, come to music class on either Monday or Tuesday instead of PE to accommodate our needs to complete testing. I am planning on showing a movie during this time because the PE classes are not the same classes that I teach music. I am looking for an appropriate movie that is somewhat musical. Let me know of any suggestions you may have.

Last week students worked in groups to symbolically notate the polyrhythm their group composed. Thursday will be the last day for students to practice, notate, and discuss how they will be teaching the rest of the class their polyrhythm.  

Last week students began improvising polyrhythms in groups of 4 to 5. Having students create and sustain their own rhythm demands good listening and focus while playing. This week students will continue to work ingroups to create a polyrhythm they would like to use for their project.

This week we will also be learning about and performing Latin perucussion music. I will introduce bongos, claves, maracas, and the guiro!  

This week in music we will be learning another game from Thailand and discussing Thai music rituals, instruments, and types of music.

I will be introducing our next big project in class on Thursday! Students will be working in groups of 4-5 students to compose and notate their own polyrhythm that they will teach to the class. Students will begin by having one student keep a steady beat and another make up a rhythm that has windows (musical space) in it for others to add to. Students will then improvise complementary rhythms until they create rhythms they like together and would like to use. Once a group has finalized their polyrhythm they will work together to create a symbolized notation of the piece (not exact musical notation). Finally they will teach the class!

The helpful hints for playing rhythm complements we have discussed are:

* Leave space for others (windows in your music)

* Play different patterns than other players

* Play in the holes

* Play above or below

* Play different tone colors 

Last week students went on a musical journey through the world! I was pleased with the presentations and enjoyed dancing from Ireland and Puerto Rico, instruments brought in from Ghana, a performance on the cello, and traditional clothing worn from Thailand and Oramia.

This week students are working on a new and challenging polyrhythm as well as improvising rhythmic completments. Students will also learn about Thailand through a chanting game! 

This week in music students are presenting their research on world music! Students will present to the class: The name and location about their country, three interesting facts about their country, one interesting thing about the music from their country, instruments that are commonly used, the context in which music is performed (religious, entertainment, games, ceremonies, etc), and three ways the music relates to the culture.

We have been keeping a running list of things that music can tells us about a culture. Some of our ideas are: language, history, values, beliefs, religions, what the country has been through, festivals, ceremonies, instruments, materials and resources (metal flute/bamboo flute)

Students have been very excited about the presentations and have prepared PowerPoint presentations, posters, dances, as well as bringing in instruments and clothing from their countries! I will have video clips for most of the countries as well. It will be a fun and educational week!

Students will have music Tuesday and Thursday this week. Tuesday will be the last day for students to use laptops in class for research or preparing PowerPoint presentations. We will spend Thursday preparing anything else – note cards, posters, etc. Students will be presenting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week. I will have a presentation schedule on Thursday so students know which day they are presenting.

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.  

This week students will begin researching for their presentations. I have discussed the following internet and computer expectations with the girls and will be reviewing them everyday. Students who do not follow the expectations will lose their internet privileges for this project.

1) Only look up information relevant to your country and its music

2) Visitng youtube is not permitted

3) Be careful and respectful with the laptops

4) No printing

5) Close down and promtly put laptop away when asked

If students wish to find a video on youtube I am asking they do this at home under the supervision of an adult. Youtube has wonderful videos but I cannot ensure the content will always be school appropriate. Students may write down and give me the web address for the video they would like to use prior to their presentation. I will be downloading videos and showing students in class that they may use for their presentations.

We have successfully performed as a percussion ensemble in class! We are playing djembes, tubanos, shekeres, and an agogo bell in our ensemble. We will continue to develop our listening and playing skills as an ensemble. We will also begin playing question and answer patterns as a gateway to improvisation.

Students should come to class Tuesday with a first and second choice for the country they would like to present on. I will be discussing the expectations for the presentations and use of Internet in class on Thursday.

Students will be working on developing open tones on Tubanos and Djembes and learning bass tones. Students will be introduced to and play the Agogo bell. We will practice call and response as well as question and answer patterns (improvisation). We will also begin working on a polyrhythmic piece as an ensemble. 

We will continue playing the hand game that we learned last week from Zimbabwe and begin a new rock passing game from Ghana.