Bands Learns a New Warm-up

This video is from about a month ago when the 5th grade band members learned a 5-note scale warm-up that includes half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes.

Grade 4/5 Chorus starts again Tuesday, February 10th.

Chorus will be starting back up again this coming Tuesday, February 10^th,. Anyone in 4^th or 5^th grade may join and is certainly welcome (even if they have never been in chorus before!). Chorus will meet every Tuesday/Thursday during recess. Our Spring Concert will be on May 21^st, at 6:30 PM. The theme is: Movies and the Imagination!

If your child was in chorus for the winter concert, you DO NOT have to fill out the chorus contract again. If your child is joining chorus for the first time this school year, I will be sending a chorus contract home to be signed by the parent/guardian and student.

Please email me with any questions or concerns at moons@hartfordschools.net .

Photo by: OpenClips

Ancient Hunters band play-along

Once 5th grade band students are comfortable playing "Ancient Hunters" by Sean O'Loughlin quickly, they can try playing along to the recording found at this link. (It might not seem that fast to them anymore either!)

Photo Credit: TPSDave

Magic Flute Instrument Game Grade 3

3rd graders have been learning about composers in music the past 2 weeks. One game they played that they might enjoy playing at home is a Magic Flute (by Mozart) instrument listening game.
Here's the link to the game:
http://www.interactiveclassics.com/demo/orchestra

Photo Source: Wikipedia

Find more more online music games here.

Recorder buying options for grades 3/4

4th graders will be playing recorders for a few weeks. 3rd graders will likely be playing recorders in a couple of months. They will be using the school recorders, but if they would like to purchase their own to practice at home or to bring into/keep at school, here is a great option.

Photo Credit

This recorder is currently $4.99, with free shipping on orders over $35 on Amazon, and is the #1 selling recorder on Amazon. This is a higher quality recorder than you may find in dollar stores, but those are still decent options for at-home practice. At-home practice is not required for students but could be enjoyable for them. Local music stores such as Blue Mountain Guitar in West Lebanon should have recorders in stock as well, but this will be a higher price than Amazon.
Feel free to email me with any questions about this at Moons@hartfordschools.net.

SHINE 2014 Winter Concert

Thank you to everyone who attended our 2014 winter concert SHINE!. It was so much fun to share the music our students have been learning the past few months.
Here are some pictures from the concert that Mrs. Wheeler kindly took. More can be found here on the DBS facebook page. Have a wonderful winter break and a happy New Year!! Our next concert is on May 21st, 2015 at 6:30 PM featuring the 4/5 chorus, 5 band, and 4th grade ukuleles.

"Let it Go" Soloist

"I Have a Little Dreidel" on the boomwhackers by 2nd graders

"Santa's Getting Fit for Christmas"

"Baby Bumblebee" by 4th graders on the ukuleles

"Let's Make it Shine"

"Hip Hop Reindeer" by grades K/1

"Let's Make it Shine"

4th graders on ukuleles

"Let's Make it Shine"

"The Sounds of Santa's Workshop" by grades K/1

"Santa's Getting Fit for Christmas"

The 3rd graders playing "Carol of the Bells" on the bells and xylophones

"Hip Hop Reindeer" by grades K/1

"Let's Make it Shine"

"Hot Cup of Cocoa" by grades 2/3

"A Nice, Nice Christmas"

"Let it Go" by the 4/5 chorus

"Hot Cup of Cocoa" by grades 2/3

"Here Comes the Snow" by 4/5 chorus

"Let's Make it Shine"

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by 4th graders on the ukuleles

"A Nice, Nice Christmas"

"Hot Cup of Cocoa" by grades 2/3

"I Have a Little Dreidel" by grade 2 on the boomwhackers

"Hip Hop Reindeer" by grades K/1

5th grade band

"Santa's Getting Fit for Christmas"

"Hip Hop Reindeer" by grades K/1

3S gets their jingle on

Mrs. Shattie's 3rd grade class got their "jingle on" today with Jingle Bells themed activities and some silly dances! What a fun class the week before winter break.

We started the class with this jingle bells circle dance (I can't remember where I got the dance idea from...)

Next we reviewed how to clap and count rhythms in stick notation. Then we applied this practice to a "Jingle Bells Flashcards" video. 

Students divided into two teams and we had a little friendly competition to see which color could play their rhythms more accurately. When the rhythm was outlined in red the rhythm sticks played, and when it was outlined in green the jingle bells played. Here's a video of their playing! 

We ended the class by filling in some mystery Christmas carols and doing two silly dance videos.

Source

Dance 1: The Santa Dance

Dance 2: Crazy Christmas: Just Dance

Happy Holidays! See you in the New Year.