Spring is finally here and to celebrate the 5th Grade music classes are working on a class composition entitled Springtime! After listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and singing The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”  we discussed how each song related to the feeling of Spring. Each student was then asked to offer two words that relate to Springtime and all that the season represents. A few volunteers were asked to then try and ‘perform’ one of the words on a class room instrument of their choice. After several volunteers took turns trying to play various words we engaged in a discussion of how the elements of music (rhythm, timbre, pitch, dynamics) can be used in to create programmatic compositions. Working with a partner, students have now set out to musically portray two words of their choice. After sufficient experimentation and rehearsal time a class composition will be realized through a planned improvisation to be recorded.

7th Grade music classes are beginning a new project in which they will create song lists, artwork, and liner notes for an original soundtrack reflecting their experiences, opinions, and perceptions of the world around them. Students will examine how music defines their lives; consider how hardcore music represents the early 80’s by reading and discussing the article, “How Hard Was Their Core? Looking Back at Anger.” and they will research particular songs for original music CDs that reflect their own lives, experiences, AND opinions on current events. After writing liner notes using this research students will create artwork for the covers of these CDs using original artwork. To help create their liner notes students will respond to the following questions for each selection:What is the song about?How does this song connect to your life or opinions on current events? Copy out lyrics that illustrate this point.What do you like most about this song?How does this song make you feel? Once cover art is completed, students will compile liner notes onto one or two CD-sized pages, along with blurbs of gratitude, a way of thanking people who have been supportive or influential in some way. Students will burn their music selections onto CDs to share with the class.

Follow this link to visit the completed project.6th grade music classes are starting a new project  in which they will listen to Brazilian folk music and discuss its various sounds and connections to today’s music. They then will record sounds that define and represent the culture of LREI.  Students began the project by reading this article from the NY Times, listening to the attached music samples and answered a series of questions. Working in small groups, students will be acting as ethnomusicologists to preserve the culture of LREI through audio. The collection of sounds will be compiled into a catalogue that can be preserved for use by future generations. Each group will be responsible for recording a series of sound bytes that represent a different part of our community. As a class, we will brainstorm places in the school where students could experience everyday sounds that represent the school’s culture. Students will compose questions to answer while gathering these sound bytes.  Such as:-What is this sound?-How is it made?-What is the volume?-What is the pitch or tone?-What mood does this sound convey? Why?-What aspect of school culture does this sound capture?-Why might this sound be important to the future of this location?-How might this sound change over time? Each group will pick a recording secretary to jot down notes while in the field gathering audio research.  Students will work together to organize their sound bytes by categories. They will then create an organized catalogue of sounds with accompanying commentaries explaining what each sound is and why it is representative of LREI. This catalogue will be shared at a MS meeting.

Follow this link to hear our new song, “Moanin'”

8th graders will be given a listening test on Thursday, Dec. 18th.  Students should review their listening logs and study the Composer/Artist, Track Name, and Year for each song.  Four extra credit questions will be taken from all of the other categories: genre, historical significance, form and instrumentation. Follow this link to hear all of the songs. See Matt if you have trouble accessing the listening on line and he can make you a CD.  

The 6th,7th and 8th grade music classes have been examining Program Music. This style is characterized by music that attempts to depict some extra musical quality. For example, Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” or Steve Reich’s “Different Trains.”Through several guided listening sessions we have explored how composers use rhythm, dynamics, melody and timbres to depict a variety of non musical elements.Each music class has begun composing a piece of program music that depicts some aspect of New York City.Sixth grade class are making a composition entitled “NYC Subway”Seventh grade classes are composing “NYC Winter”Eighth grade classes are composing “NYC Walk” Each class will perform their pieces through a process called “planned improvisations”  during the last week before winter break. Compositions will be posted for all to hear.Stay tuned!  

The homework assignment was passed out during class and is due by Friday, October 31st.  Click here to see the slide presentation from class. Got to this website for additional information that will help you with the assignment. Post any questions here that you might have.   

One of the aims for middle school music is to be able to read and write traditional music notation. We will use these skills in class to sing songs as well as compose our own music.

Garageband is a terrific tool that helps with understanding traditional notation. Every music class will be doing some preliminary exercises to familarize everyone with Garageband’s notation editor. Click here to see a brief overview.

If you are having difficulty, open the Garageband file called “notationEx1” from the Garageband folder on the Classes Shared server. It is in the Music folder.

Once you have the file open, try executing these 8 tasks as we did in class:

I will issue a homework assignment soon to ensure that we are all up to speed with using the notation function in Garageband so be sure to ask me questions if you are having difficulty!

Middle school music has begun its exploration of music by answering the question: “What is music?” We’ve adopted the composer John Cage’s definition -“Music is organized sound”- as a starting point.

For everything we do in music class -singing songs, playing instruments, composing, improvising- we will explore 5 important elements that musicians must consider when ‘organizing’ sound.

5th graders have been working on Pitch and Rhythm through creating their original one measure melodies. 6th, 7th and 8th graders have explored many uses of timbre through their found sound compositions.

This week will see the first installment of the “This Week in Music Podacast.” This is a weekly round up of the historical music events brought to you by the 7th grade. Each week two students will record a short podcast detailing the important births, deaths, concerts, inventions and any other happenings from the music world including any upcoming LREI music events. Follow this link to listen to the podcasts.