Spring in the Moxley Music Room!
Those May flowers are on the way....
Hello! Thank you for tuning in to see what's happening in the pop and rock music program at Watertown High School. As the end of the year approaches, more and more concerts are popping up. Students are making fantastic progress and the weather is turning nice enough to share that progress in beautiful outdoor spaces. I love this time of year because as much as one's music taste is tied to their own identity, so too is it tied to the context in which it's being heard; there are songs for hunkering through the winter, and there are songs to be shared out of the open windows of cars, or across picnic blankets in the spring sun. We are lucky enough to be playing some of those songs in the coming months - check out the information below!
Advanced Modern Music Ensemble, "Raid at Dawn" Battles with Cunniff
In a long-term collaboration with the 5th grade musicians of Cunniff elementary, Raid at Dawn led several sectional rehearsals and finally performed a killer concert in front of the entire population of Cunniff elementary. They performed for and with the 5th graders and everyone brought the house down! You can see a video of the performance and a picture of Raid at Dawn at Cunniff below.
Music Technology Learns Keyboard
Using iconic notation and a series of "chord formulas" (for example Major = root +4 half steps/+7 half steps), students composed a chord progression, and pentatonic melody and recorded both into Soundtrap using MIDI keyboards. With the addition of beats and loops, these projects start to sound like full fledged songs pretty quickly. Check out this student's work below!
Guitar Class songwrites to the music of Spring
With the first warm day in what felt like forever and a songwriting unit just getting started, there was almost no choice but to go outside, sit in the grass and write some lyrics. Students wrote about homework, the IRS, and warm weather. Our songwriting unit is continuing with a look into parodies and some very serious study of the work of Weird Al Yankovic.
The Good Morning Band takes on the Boston University Play-On Festival
Both Raid at Dawn and the Good Morning Band (an extra-curricular club that meets Wednesday mornings) are heading to Boston University to participate in the Play-On Festival, a series of performances and workshops that highlight non-traditional music education around the state of Massachusetts. Students will be participating in workshops for DJing, line dancing, body percussion and improvisation. Here's the Good Morning Band rehearsing the Paramore Song "Hard Times" to prepare!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WHS Concert Band Spring Concert
The WHS Concert Band, fresh off their second place finish in New York will be performing in the Middle School Auditorium on May 8th at 7:00pm. This concert will feature student led chamber ensembles for the first time as well as the All-City concert band!
Raid at Dawn Concert Hour
In the Middle School Auditorium on May 21st, at 6:00pm, Raid at Dawn will be hosting a concert featuring mostly original music with a few covers. These students can really shred, this is NOT to be missed!
Live Music Night
Once again, in the Middle School Auditorium on May 23rd, at 6:00pm, Guitar I, Guitar II, the Good Morning Band, Raid at Dawn, The Life Long Learners (teacher band) will all be playing a concert to celebrate graduating seniors and a successful semester!
Music Technology I's Album Release
Keep your eyes peeled for the latest class album on Spotify/Apple Music/etc. Students will be putting out an album under the artist name "Watertown High School Pop Music" in early June!
Klein's Spring Playlist
Check out what I'm listening to in the sun!