Our choirs will be singing at St. Sylvester's Family Mass this coming Sunday, the 21st, at 11:30 a.m. Choir members should pick up a hymnal on the main floor and then join me up in in the choir loft. We will be singing the hymns listed below. There are links to YouTube versions of each hymn students can listen to at home to refresh their memories. See you there!
The King of Love my Shepherd is http://youtu.be/tz4Kuhj7vJ0
How Can I Keep from Singing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uc1smOOs7A
Taste and See http://youtu.be/hj62-0_uiAM
Baptized in Water http://youtu.be/6sTyTdokxWM
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Kindergarten and 2nd Grade Yodel
One of my favorite songs to do with my students is "An Austrian Went Yodeling." This is an add-on song, otherwise known as a "cumulative" song. Each time we repeat the main part, we add on to make it a little bit longer. In this particular song, we sing about an Austrian who went yodeling on a mountain so high. He runs into various things, such as an avalanche, a person skiing, a milk-maid, a dog... and all these things interrupt his "cry" (his yodeling).
For Kindergarteners, this particular song is a more complicated melody, and it's a challenge to memorize all the add-ons. We also add an action each time, you see. And so singing and moving AND doing it all while keeping the beat we've set requires a lot of focus. With the 2nd graders, they've worked on that same focus, but they also independently realized the endless amount of ways we could be creative about what to add that could interrupt our yodeling Austrian.
Each class has done more than this song in class, of course, but this has been one they really have so much fun with. Kindergarteners are going to begin working a lot with reading different kinds of rhythms and playing them on various percussion instruments. 2nd Graders are going to be playing percussion, hand bells, and do some keyboarding while learning rhythm and then getting into note-reading. Because they are quickly developing their reading skills as well, the 2nd graders have begun using our class-set of hymnals to learn songs we can sing at Mass and for fun. The Kindergarteners do not use the hymnals yet, but they do learn about the elements they will need to recognize in order to use them. I have also been putting lyrics up on the board and talking about their meaning so that we can work on language while learning music.
On a final note, if you are looking for some real entertainment, go ahead and ask your kids to do some yodeling!
For Kindergarteners, this particular song is a more complicated melody, and it's a challenge to memorize all the add-ons. We also add an action each time, you see. And so singing and moving AND doing it all while keeping the beat we've set requires a lot of focus. With the 2nd graders, they've worked on that same focus, but they also independently realized the endless amount of ways we could be creative about what to add that could interrupt our yodeling Austrian.
Each class has done more than this song in class, of course, but this has been one they really have so much fun with. Kindergarteners are going to begin working a lot with reading different kinds of rhythms and playing them on various percussion instruments. 2nd Graders are going to be playing percussion, hand bells, and do some keyboarding while learning rhythm and then getting into note-reading. Because they are quickly developing their reading skills as well, the 2nd graders have begun using our class-set of hymnals to learn songs we can sing at Mass and for fun. The Kindergarteners do not use the hymnals yet, but they do learn about the elements they will need to recognize in order to use them. I have also been putting lyrics up on the board and talking about their meaning so that we can work on language while learning music.
On a final note, if you are looking for some real entertainment, go ahead and ask your kids to do some yodeling!
Pre-Kindergarten has been doing great!
In our Pre-K classes we have already learned a number of songs and students have played with shakers, bells, and rhythm sticks. Now that fall is here, we have been singing songs about falling leaves and raking them into a pile to jump in. And we've used things happening that morning, such as the recent rain, in relation to songs already planned for class.
We try to work on learning songs and matching musical tones through a lot of repetition, but also through incorporating movement so that the children can connect melodies with certain actions. For example, we all know they love jumping, so that one is always a hit. They seem to listen extra hard for their turn to jump. Adding instruments like hand-held bells, drums, shakers, etc. is also a great way to teach them about rhythm, listening skills, and patience.
The students have actually surprised me with how quickly they are picking songs up and learning to listen and participate in class-- even the youngest children are able to recall what we do when singing "pitter patter raindrops" and are able to recall what comes up in the next verse of "This Little Light of Mine." I am looking forward to the weeks to come and will post happenings here again very soon.
Here is are some songs you can ask your children about:
"I Hear Thunder"
"All the Leaves are Falling Down"
"Row Row Row Your Boat" (with additional verses)
"Three Green and Speckled Frogs"
"The Fruit of the Spirit" (this is a more challenging song we have just started)
"Walkin' Down the Street" or "Allayah, layah, layah"
"Hello Children"
"We're St. Sylvester Children Marching Along"
"A Tisket, a Tasket"
We try to work on learning songs and matching musical tones through a lot of repetition, but also through incorporating movement so that the children can connect melodies with certain actions. For example, we all know they love jumping, so that one is always a hit. They seem to listen extra hard for their turn to jump. Adding instruments like hand-held bells, drums, shakers, etc. is also a great way to teach them about rhythm, listening skills, and patience.
The students have actually surprised me with how quickly they are picking songs up and learning to listen and participate in class-- even the youngest children are able to recall what we do when singing "pitter patter raindrops" and are able to recall what comes up in the next verse of "This Little Light of Mine." I am looking forward to the weeks to come and will post happenings here again very soon.
Here is are some songs you can ask your children about:
"I Hear Thunder"
"All the Leaves are Falling Down"
"Row Row Row Your Boat" (with additional verses)
"Three Green and Speckled Frogs"
"The Fruit of the Spirit" (this is a more challenging song we have just started)
"Walkin' Down the Street" or "Allayah, layah, layah"
"Hello Children"
"We're St. Sylvester Children Marching Along"
"A Tisket, a Tasket"
Listen and Learn!
Here are recordings of songs we have worked on recently. Click on a link, or copy and paste a link in your browser to get to each recording.
The Summons: http://youtu.be/P8lOfMjtxdE
OR
http://youtu.be/V0aAkOe87mo
Sing of the Lord's Goodness: http://youtu.be/G9fsAKZHq-w (GREAT JAZZ VERSION!)
OR
http://youtu.be/q5R9PmGf3aE
Joyful, Joyful We Adore You: http://youtu.be/3fkvyYNsjPc
OR
*:) When we get the traditional version down, we'll try:
http://youtu.be/UnBZ4DNkjSg AND (solo version:) http://youtu.be/Ugdmta84jsw
Like a Shepherd: http://youtu.be/GSJXi_wXLi4
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say: http://youtu.be/6rr_4M5LQLo
OR
http://youtu.be/96Yc8aDHNDQ
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus!: http://youtu.be/X2H_za9b_XU
The Summons: http://youtu.be/P8lOfMjtxdE
OR
http://youtu.be/V0aAkOe87mo
Sing of the Lord's Goodness: http://youtu.be/G9fsAKZHq-w (GREAT JAZZ VERSION!)
OR
http://youtu.be/q5R9PmGf3aE
Joyful, Joyful We Adore You: http://youtu.be/3fkvyYNsjPc
OR
*:) When we get the traditional version down, we'll try:
http://youtu.be/UnBZ4DNkjSg AND (solo version:) http://youtu.be/Ugdmta84jsw
Like a Shepherd: http://youtu.be/GSJXi_wXLi4
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say: http://youtu.be/6rr_4M5LQLo
OR
http://youtu.be/96Yc8aDHNDQ
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus!: http://youtu.be/X2H_za9b_XU
It's a New Year
St. Sylvester students and families, we have begun a new year! And you have now visited our school's music blog. My plan is to update this blog with information about what is going on in music classes, our choirs, and Glee during this 2012-13 school year. Students will be able to find web links to recordings of songs we are working on, as well. I realize it is valuable to have both written and audio tools in order to best learn the music we will cover.
Please leave comments on this blog or email me at efoxmusic@gmail.com if you ever have questions or thoughts about what is going on in our St. Sylvester music program. I aim to check this and my email regularly so that I can respond as soon as possible.
Thanks for visiting our blog, and please come again!
Please leave comments on this blog or email me at efoxmusic@gmail.com if you ever have questions or thoughts about what is going on in our St. Sylvester music program. I aim to check this and my email regularly so that I can respond as soon as possible.
Thanks for visiting our blog, and please come again!
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