Ms. Lea's Music Class

First of all, I am pleased to announce the winner of the handwashing song contest: It’s Aamnaaya, from Division 2!   Runners-up are Kevin, from Division 1, and Son, from Division 3! I will bring the prizes tomorrow for you to choose. (Aamnaaya gets 1st choice). If you don’t come to school tomorrow, I will find a way to get your prizes to you.

Also, here’s a song to sing on Canada Day!

We finally made it to June and we are welcoming students and teachers back to school. It’s been a lot of work to get ready for this  (especially for Mr. Baldin, Ms. Sandberg and Ms. McKay!) and it’s been a little bit nerve-wracking too. And… it’s so great to see people in the school and hear their voices not coming through a computer!

To celebrate, I decided to hold a contest!! The prize will be a musical instrument! – (not a recorder – unless you really want one). You can choose between a baritone ukulele, a guitar or a djembe (drum)!

I think we need a new handwashing song to help kids (and adults) remember the best way to wash their hands.

Criteria – It needs to:

1. rhyme and have rhythm.
2. have repetition (but not TOO much repetition) – you know… catchy!
3. be relatively easy to remember.
4. be fun and easy to sing (some parts can be just spoken but the chorus has to have a melody).
5. last for 20 seconds.
6. list the proper method for washing hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Up for the challenge? Submit your lyrics and melody to me by Thursday, June 18th and Ms. Kwok and I will decide who is the winner! You don’t need to sing it (but you certainly can if you want to!) just make sure that the rhythm of the lyrics matches the rhythm of the melody! You can choose a song that already exists and just change the lyrics to fit the rhythm of the melody.

The prize will be a musical instrument! – (not a recorder – unless you really want one). You can choose between a baritone ukulele, a guitar, or a djembe (drum)!

This is the final assignment/activity due before I submit report card marks and comments to your teachers. Treat it like you would a puzzle or a fun game!

Create a song with a melody and lyrics: If you have already created a melody and rhythm, using SongMaker or another app/program, just add some lyrics. If you’ve already created lyrics, add a melody using the SongMaker program (https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/) or another app. (Garage Band?) You can also use a poem that you know and like. Add a melody. (You CANNOT use a song that already exists!)

Of course, if you’d like to create the song on an instrument that you play, like piano or recorder, that will be absolutely fine!

Make sure that the melody and the syllables of the words for the song match. Song should have two different parts – (verse, chorus) and be at least 8 measures long (i.e. 4 measures – verse, 4 measures – chorus) 

Send the lyrics on a word document and add the link for the melody. Or, even better, sing the song, perform it, record it with your voice record app on your phone (or on Tik Tok )and send me the link or the file. Make sure to put your name and Division # on the docs and links you send! 

Feel free to ask questions on Music Chat or send me an email. (click Contact  on this website) or email me at Judith.Lea@burnabyschools.ca

Due June 5th at the latest! 

This is SUPER Fun! I’d love everyone to check this out. All you need are two sticks, (pencils work just fine) and a ‘drum‘ (a bucket, a Tupperware container, a box, even a tabletop or desktop – with a thick cloth on it so the surface doesn’t get dented), even the end of your bed! Use your creative brain. You’ll find something you can hit without wrecking it! 🙂

Here are the basic beats to start off with:

Click on this link and give this first song a try

Here’s another one, just a little bit more difficult:

If you don’t get it right away, try again. You should get better and better every time. Once you get this one, you can go on to the next one in the series. There are lots of songs to choose from. I will come onto the next class meeting I can to do the drumming with you to make sure you’ve got the right idea.

Have fun!

Thank you to all the students who have been handing in their assignments. Some of your work is really amazing! (If you hand in all assignments and follow instructions well, it’s quite possible that your mark will go UP from last term!) Just remember, Music assignments are as important as your other assignments, and I’ve designed them to be interesting and fun (Of course, your classroom teachers have too!) Please remember to make sure your name and Division # is on the assignment! Thanks. 

If you haven’t handed anything in yet,  just try out ONE activity from the Musical Weekly Five Activities.  (See Creative Composer, Rhythm Race, Note Master, Dance Moves, or Pro Performer tabs above). I think you will find them to be a nice break from the other things you’ve been doing. Assignments are either on your Teams, General page, under Assignments, or in the Assignment tab above.

To entice you further, here’s a new app I found out about today! You can use it to create a cool melody and choose the instruments you’d like to play it. Then you can share it with me:  https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/

Go to the Creative Composer tab to find out a little bit more about it.

Have fun! (and that’s an order!) 😉

Ms. Lea

Hello Douglas Road Music Students!

(If you still haven’t done the assignment due May 1, scroll down past this blog and see the assignments in Week of April 26th to May1st! Remember that music assignments need to be done too, just like your other school assignments! But don’t worry;  they should be fun!:-) )  If you’re finished last month’s assignments, the next ones are after the Music Monday announcement from Ms. Kwok, below, and the Star Wars video.. AND on the Assignment Tab above. 

News Flash! There’s a new, cool music-making app for you to try! Go to Creative Composer (tab above) and check it out! It’s super easy and super fun! This could be what you choose to do for your Music Assignment #4 (Musical Weekly Five Activity). 

Or you can just click on the link here: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/

Monday, May 4th, was Music Monday. On this day, hundreds of thousands of children, youth, teachers, parents and community members across Canada join to celebrate the power of music, and to advocate for equitable access to quality music education for all Canadian students.

Monday May 4th was also Star Wars Day! (“May the Fourth be With You!”) For fun, watch this video by Jimmy Fallon, Roots, and some other very special guests. It’s Great!

Assignment #3: For May 4th- 18th:

First: Take some time to find out about where your parents come from. And their parents ? And THEIR parents (your great grandparents)? Ask someone to tell you a story of your family’s history and how they came to be living here, in Burnaby. (Remember, many  First Nations people living here have parents and grandparents who are from HERE and their ancestors have lived here, for thousands of years!) 

Second:  (you have two choices):

1. Retell the story that your parents told you – in a song! or a poem!

2. Find a song that your family (your grandparents or your great-grandparents) used to sing, or a dance they used to do, and  learn to sing it or play it or dance it. Look it up online if you need to. Maybe learn to play it on the recorder, if you have one at home, (or on another instrument) or just sing it by yourself or sing along to a recording of it! (Maybe your parents can sing it or do the dance with you!)

Third: Find some way to share the song or dance,  either an audio recording or a video recording or by writing it down – i.e. write down the words, or the steps, if it’s a dance. And send it to me (click contact above, or if you submit assignments on Teams, do it there)

Always, if you need help or you’d like some support or some pointers, please contact me. Click the contact button above! (Don’t forget to check for the response! 🙂 )

Assignment #4:  Choose another activity from the Musical Weekly 5 Activities.  Click on the tab and follow the instructions. Try something new. (If you’ve found a game or app or music learning activity that you like that you think will fit into those 5 categories, please let me know)! Tell me which activity you did and what you learned from doing it. If you are like the other students who have tried some of these, you will find out that they’re really fun to do! 

Assignment #3 and #4 are due May 17th at 11:59.p.m. 

Speaking of where we come from and where we are now, here’s a song I wrote about all the people in Canada! Enjoy!

Ms. Lea

Hello Douglas Road Music Students.

I hope you are all still doing well. I can hardly wait to get back to school and see you all again!

Here are your assignments for April: 

1. Choose at least one of the Weekly 5 Music Activities:  Rhythm Race, Note Master, Dance Moves, Creative Composer or Pro Performer. Click on the tab for your choice (see tabs above) and follow the instructions there. Complete the assignment (or work through at least one level in the Rhythm Cat, Ear Cat or Note Works game). Take a picture of the assignment, or create a document, or take a screen print, (or create a video!) and email it to me. (click on the Contact tab on the website) or post it here. If you want to do more than one activity, feel free! 🙂 So many choices!

2. You also need to do Assignment #1 on the previous week’s blog (see below): creating a pattern from sounds you hear outside. 🙂 (There are already six students who have submitted their Weekly 5 Music work,  and three who have done Assignment #1. See if you can be the next one!)

These are now  actual assignments, due by Thursday, April 30th.  I think you will find them enjoyable to do and maybe they will provide a nice break from everything else.

Remember….Have fun!

And… for Earth Week:

Did you know that Wednesday, April 22nd, was the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day? Earth Day is a day where people all around the world celebrate the wonderful gifts that our planet gives us. Without it, none of us would be alive! On this day, people usually show how much they appreciate our planet by going to a celebration or a march/protest and by doing something to help the planet and all the living creatures of Earth. But this year, because of Covid-19, there are lots of virtual Earth Day/Earth Week events. Google Earth Day and check them out!

Music and art are great ways to celebrate the Earth. Draw a beautiful picture of the Earth. (4 students have done this) Or sing the Earth a song. Maybe try writing one! (see Creative Composer) I’ve written a bunch of songs about the earth and the environment. This is one of them. I recorded it several years ago and made a lyric and image video for it this year and put it on my youtube channel. Listen and tell me what you think. Sing along! “Just remember the fish and the frogs and go…Green, Please! Ribbit!”

Or here’s a completely different kind of song: It’s called “If a Tree Falls ” and it’s by one of my musical heroes – Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Ko-burn). He has been a political activist as well as an amazing guitar player and songwriter, for over 40 years!

I just saw this video and loved it instantly. Such beautiful images and the song is great. (What do you think?)

Maybe you have a favourite environmental /Earth Day song. Send it to me; I’d love to hear it!

I hope you have a great Earth Day and a great Earth Week (Monday to Sunday).  Do something to show the Earth you care.                                                What can YOU do to help the Earth?:-)

Ms. Lea

P.S. (Don’t you think that EVERY day should be Earth Day?)

Hello! I’m using  this blog to stay in touch with my music students at Douglas Road.  I’ll be adding new content every week, with assignments, links, videos and other helpful tools to assist you.

Here is the blog post for April 13th-17th, 2020:

First of all, I miss you! I hope you’re all doing well and are managing to stay safe, healthy and happy! Some of you have parents working from home and they are trying to get work done, look after you AND help you with your schoolwork, so we all need to help each other!

Most important: get outside at least once a day, (staying at least 2 meters apart from everyone you don’t live with!!! – that’s like the width of a car, or a VERY tall man!) This is SO important! Even if YOU don’t get sick, you could pass it on to someone who could get very sick! ) Being on the balcony counts too, but going for a walk/hike/run/skip is better if you can. (Remember to get permission, or take your parents with you!!!) 

While you’re outside, try this:
Assignment #1

LISTEN. Listen… listen… to all the different sounds you can hear. Listen for at least 5 minutes. The sound of your breath, the birds, the cars… Try identifying where the sounds are coming from. Write them down when you get back inside (or bring a notebook and a pencil/pen with you). Leave your DEVICE inside your home! See if you can make/recreate the sounds – with your mouth, your body or with materials at home – then make a musical pattern of the sounds. (AABB, AABA, etc.) Write it down, use a kind of code. (For instance: 3 note Bird Call, (3NBC) 5 note Bird Call (5NBC), Wind Chimes, Wind Chimes (WC, WC), Branches in the wind, (Wnd), etc.)

Please take a picture of your pattern and send it to me. Have fun! 

Also, please do a Musical Weekly 5  activity, at least 2 or 3 times a week (or more, if you’re inspired!)  Choose an activity from the list below,  and keep working on it until it’s ‘finished’. (Some activities don’t have an end, just move to the next level when you’ve mastered the one you’re on).  links on the menu above

You can switch back and forth between activities. When you’re finished, send your work to me: Judith.Lea@burnabyschools.ca, Also, let me know if you have questions, comments, concerns or suggestions! Tell me how it’s all going! (you can post comments here too). I’d love to hear from you! (Humour is most welcome but no silly comments or questions, thanks. 😊 ) 

Here are the Musical Weekly 5 Activities: 

• Dance Moves
• Rhythm Race
• Note Master
• Creative Composer 
• Pro Performer!

For this week, we’ll just start with Rhythm Race, Note Master and Dance Moves. (See links, pics, videos and descriptions in the page links above)

Remember, these are not ‘due’ at any specific time, but please do them as part of your flex time this week.

Stay healthy, happy and safe. Over and out (for now)

Ms. Lea