Kindergarten Music Introduction

Music is a blast with Kindergarteners!  This is always true for me.  My plan for the kindergarteners' musical year is to expose them to many styles of music while helping them explore their own voices and to develop their rhythmic skills and recognition of patterns through singing and plying instruments.  We will play bells, drums, and other percussion instruments.  And I will play them recordings of songs, as well as demonstrate the piano and some guitar and ukulele.  I am just a beginner in my own work on the last two, but I plan to integrate these to mix things up for the kids.  I also played the violin and saxophone many years ago, so I will be sure to bring those out later in the year.

Kindergarteners are able to learn and retain some more of the musical language and notation, and so we will also cover basic music notes and rests and how to read those while playing drums.  We will cover the musical alphabet (ABCDEFG;ABCDEFG...) while playing bells and singing.  And, solfege, "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do" is something I will also introduce.

We have sung a handful of songs so far, including some to recall summer picnics...
"The Ants Go Marching"
"Down By the Bay"
"The Peanut Butter and Jelly Song"
"Oh Mister Sun" in English and in Spanish
Our "Hello Song"--- this is an upbeat song I play on the piano, and the kids love to hear their name and sing along each week.  We will change this quarterly.
"Peace is Flowing Like a River"
"This Little Light of Mine"
"Two Little Blackbirds" rhyme

Because they are so excited about playing instruments, we have done many activities with those so far that have not necessarily included specific songs.

Hispanic Heritage Month began September 15^th, and in the coming weeks we will be singing and listening to songs that explore and celebrate this. 

ALSO, I am already integrating some of the things they will be part of during our Christmas Concert this year.  I know talking about Christmas brings thoughts of winter and that can be very depressing. :)  And so I promise not to have them singing about snow too soon.  Because we have limited time together, I just want to make sure they will be very comfortable and proud at the concert.  So far, you may hear them singing, "Hallelujah" now and then.

I look forward to updating you again soon.  And I hope your kids bring some music home and teach you some of the things we've done!