The music program at St. Aidan's school strives to enrich the whole child, mind, body and spirit. It does this through discovering music in the liturgy, singing games, song, dance, drama, theory, playing classroom instruments and incorporating music with other subjects in the curriculum.

                 Music gives wings to the mind,
                                  flight to the imagination
                                               and life to everything. - Plato

Hi Everyone,
     I am so glad that you are enjoying your lessons. That's the point. I realized, recently, that I made a very BIG omission! (I left something very important out of my last message.) You need to let me know that you are able to do the work. (I want to thank the boys and girls who have already let me know.) - - can you read the rhythm exercises? - - do you understand the do,re,mi,sol challenge? - - did you recognize any instruments in the orchestra from the clues? - - did you tell me what you did or did not like? - - did you tell me what you would like to see more of? I need to know that you did the work so that I can enter that in my role book.
     Something else that is JUST as important: I think that I did suggest in the first message that you watch the videos more than once. You need to practic to get better, right? (batting, pitching, cooking, dancing, learning to play an instrument, etc.)Well, the same is true of reading rhythms, keeping the beat, reading music, recognizing instruments. You need to work at something in order to get better at it.
      So, until I add on to what you have, I want you to promise to read those rhythms, and really try to learn about what each video is telling you. Read the directions again, if you forget.
'Til next time.
Love, Mrs. M.




Classroom Code:  auh32cr 



 

Pre-K and Kindergarten: Videos - 1. The Music Man #1  5:03  All videos are on youtube .com
In your first video, meet Luigi Baton, Mic and Cadence, the drum, in The Music Show.
(Baton likes to say, "FUNdamentals".) They talk about beat with the help of Cadence. Don't forget to tap your heart with your fist on the beat - (gently).

Video      #2 - Sweet Beets Pilot        4:22
In the second video, Beet and Cherry help keep the beat. See if you can help too. The song  that the man  will sing is  "Sweet Beats".  When he  sings the verses, he will slap his legs. You copy him. When he sings the refrain,  the part that repeats, he is following the rhythm or the way the notes and words go. Don't let him trick you off the beat. Do the actions that the does. That is the differece between the beat and the rhythm. Beat is steady, like your heart. Rhythm is the way the notes or the words go.

Video#3 - Introduction to Music Reading: Stage one       2:07  
There will be an introduction before you try each rhythm. It will be four beats long. There are 7 exercises or examples. Each example is seperated by one measure of 4 beats.Remember that the beat is even and steady.  (ta - ta - ta -ta  The rhythm is the way the notes go
 ( ti-ti  ta  ti-ti  ta)    Your job is to try and read each rhythm, using ta and ti so that you can read them as they light up.......just the way we did it in class.....(but with flash cards instead of a video.)
HAVE FUN! 

 All videos are on youtube.com
Video 1:  Exercise, Rhyme and Freeze  with Jack Hartmann           2:07
 When you hear rhyming words, exercise. When the words don't rhyme, FREEZE! Copy Jack.

Video 2: Introduction to rhythm reading: Stage One  2:07
 This one is also #3 in Pre-K, in case you have a brother or sister in the class. (Look there for the directions.)

Video #3:  Solfege Handsign Review      4:08
You all knowe that the scale is do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti,do.  Each note of the scale also has a hand sign. We have learned do, mi, and so. This video has ALL of them. See if you can copy the sound and the hand sign that goes with it. (Don't worry if you can't sing as low as he can......but I'll bet you can sing higher---try.

All videos are on youtube.com
Video #1 -  Introduction to Rhythm Reading: Stage Two       2:08

 In this video, you will hear seven exercises. Each one has a one measure introduction. This will give you a chance to look over the notes and decide which sound to make for each note that you see. (A reminder of the sounds is in red down below) You will hear three kinds of notes.

Quarter note  - one beat - Ta
Paired eighth notes  - together, one beat - each one = a half beat; Ti-ti
Half note  - two beats;   Ta-ah
Remember that the beat has a steady sound - Ta Ta Ta Ta
The rhythm is the way the notes (or the words) go. 
The beat for 4 quarter notes would be Ta Ta Ta Ta.
The beat for 1 quarter note, paired eighth notes, and a half note, would be 
Ta   Ti-ti   Ta-ah

See if you can clap and speak each rhythm, just the way we did in class. Don’t forget to keep looking at the notes as you speak their sound.

Video #2 - Introduction to Rhythm Reading: Stage Three    2:38
This exercise is the same as the first, but we are adding a quarter rest.
The rest is a sign for silence, as you know. When you come to it, say shh or rest.

Video #3:  The do, re, mi so Challenge       2:29

This exercise is challenging, just as the name says. Try your best. As you know the scale is do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. Try to sing the syllables after the teacher in the video, looking at where the notes are on the staff. If the notes are right next to one another, they are on the staff - line, space, line space line space, etc. If they are going from line to line or space to space (or more), the notes are skipping. 

Have Fun! 

All videos are on youtube.com
Video 1: Introduction to the Instruments of the Orchestra 15:37 Portland Youth Orchestra - a review of the orchestra. 

Piano (the conductor here makes it appear as though the piano is also a string, but it is in the percussion section.

Strings:  
harp     
 Double bass, (bass, string bass, contrabass, - goes by all these names)
 Cello - (violoncello) - location - center and right - player is seated.
Viola - slightly smaller than the violin. Both violin and viola are held under the 
                            chin
Violin - highest / smallest

Video:    #2 Britten: The Young Person’s Guide To the Orchestra  Kohler Philharmonic 16: 49

In this video, look for the clues from above to identify the instruments that you see. Write down the instruments you get right. See how many you can find.

Video #3: The do, re, mi so Challenge     2:29

In this exercise, you will have a two measure introduction, then someone will sing the first exercise using do, re, or mi. She will sing each exercise three times and you will repeat each one after her.

There are six exercises. They will be easy or difficult, depending on how much you are trying to read the notes. Make it easier for yourself by looking for the clues.

If the notes are going line, space, line space, they are moving by step. Look for direction . If the note looks higher than the one before it, then sing up; if it looks lower, then sing down.

If the note is moving from line to line or space to space, skip. Don’t forget to read the direction. As you work on this, you will gradually find yourself actually reading do, re, mi. and so.