Grade Six/Seven

December

Students are playing their Stomp pieces the first week of December for the class.

Then they will do a self-evaluation to analyze their own and their group’s effort and accomplishments for this project.

We will spend the rest of December exploring the djembe drums as the grade 4s and 5s are by creating short, 8 beat question and answer phrases.

The “answer” phrase should have a rhythm that is the same as the initial “question” phrase, but also contain something that is different. It should also sound “finished”.

The children are improvising “answer” phrases to rhythms the teacher creates.

Then the children will pair up and one will create the “question” phrase and the partner will create the “answer” phrase.

October/November

Now, why did we learn this dance from the Philippines this September? What were the musical concepts that the children were learning?

Beat = equal measurement of time OR the pulse of the song

Meter = groups of beats – beats can be grouped into groups of 2s, 3s or 4s. This gives the songs different “feelings”. ie: 2 meter is for marches, 3 meter is for waltzes, 4 meter is pop, rock, country and hip hop music.

Rhythm = the number of sounds or silences on each beat

These concepts are integral in music and interrelated, yet they are all different concepts related to the use of TIME in music.

Ultimately, Music is Sound over Time.

MUSIC = Sound/Time as a mathematical formula

Next we will create a rhythm piece for the class to play together. This rhythm piece will be created by Ms. Karlson in conjunction with the students to show them how to create a rhythm piece.

We will start by having each student find an object that makes a sound – we will not be using traditional instruments. Alternately we are using “found sound” objects.

Then we will group ourselves according to how our objects sound. For example, rattling objects will be grouped together; large banging sounded objects will be grouped together; clicking objects will be grouped together; etc.

Ms. Karlson will conduct the piece in 4 meter (this is our most common meter in Western pop music). She will demonstrate how to create rhythms that allow us to hear each unique sound, give space and create interest. We don’t want too thick of layers of sound, but we don’t want too many silences as well. When one group is playing quick notes, we want the other groups to play longer notes or have silences. Hopefully the types of layers of rhythms will become apparent the children.

It will also be clear that we need to count the meter together in order to stay together. If a group is only playing on beat 2, they need to count all 4 beats to know when beat 2 comes up each time.

After we have created our rhythm piece, Ms. Karlson will teach the children how to improvise. We will play the piece again and allow each child an opportunity to do a short (8 beat) improvised solo on their found sound instrument.

Once we have learned all of these concepts, created our class piece and learned how to improvise, students will be asked form a group and start creating their own pieces in this manner.

This project is inspired by the percussion/drama/movement group STOMP.

Here is a video by STOMP so you can see the type of idea of found sound percussion pieces.

Here are the instructions for the grade 6/7 groups to create their Stomp pieces. They will be due the first week of December. After the instructions you will find the rubric on which the students will be marked.

 

 

September

We are beginning the school year with the theme of Identity this year.

I have students thinking about the song that are important to them. Which songs do they turn to in when they need to alter their moods?

Students in grades six and seven are completing 4 playlists. One is songs they turn on when they are or want to feel HAPPY, one is for when they are or want to feel SAD, one is for when they are or want to feel EXCITED and one is for when they are or want to feel CALM.

Next they will compare those songs. What are the different messages, moods, tempi, dynamics, articulations, voices, instruments and sounds they hear? Why are they drawn to those particular songs?

They will complete a sheet about how music and mood are related and cover art for one of their chosen songs.

Here is a link to the grade seven band information sheet to fill in online.

The First Lesson night is at Byrne Creek Secondary on Tuesday, September 24th from 4pm to 7pm. There you can rent an instrument and receive a lesson on how to put together, clean, maintain and make a sound on your instrument for grade seven band.

If you need a free instrument, you could receive on through the City of Burnaby’s Harmony For All program. Visit this website for more details.

Tinikling

Then we will be doing a dance from the Philippines called “Tinikling”.

Here is a video to help you learn the steps:

Here are some videos to watch how people dance the “Tinikling” dance.

 

And some people have modified this dance to go with more modern music. Here is a version to watch!

 

January

And here is a video that can help students learn about chord theory:

Here are some songs you can play along with in music class:

 

November

Here is a video of the choreography for the dance for the Winter Concert for Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Mme. Jeffery’s, Ms. Pagnotta’s, Mr. Neilson/Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs. Marks’ classes) to practice along with.

Here is the choreography to practice along with for Divisions 5-7 (Ms. Melton’s, Mr. Kroeker and Mme. Guguin’s classes).

October

Students are finishing up their drama skits this October. Then we are preparing for our Winter Concert. The students in grade six and seven will be practicing for our Winter Concert. I will post the choreography below here when it is ready.

Grade 6s in Division 5 and 6 will be performing “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield for the Remembrance Day assembly. Here is a recording that they practice along with:

September

Welcome (back) to Armstrong Grade 6s and 7s!

Grade sevens have the opportunity to sign up for Band this year. It will be taught by Janelle Claudio and it will be at 2:15 on Mondays and Wednesdays.

If you haven’t done so already, all grade sevens need to fill out this form to indicate if they are going to take band or not, and what instrument the prefer to receive.

BAND FORM

Grade sixes will participate in music classes this year where we will do drama, dance, learn guitars and do a composition activity.