In March, our kindergarten students will be busy growing as musicians! We will explore high and low voices through vocal warm-ups using solfege (do, re, mi). Students will practice listening carefully to music to recognize same and different sections by moving with scarves and using creative body movements to show what they hear. We will also work on identifying and performing singing and non-singing sections in music, keeping a steady beat and playing repeating rhythms on a variety of percussion instruments.
In the coming weeks, our first-grade music students will begin an exciting new unit on piano! Students will learn the basics of keyboard playing and how to read the notes C, D, E, F, and G in the treble clef. We will continue strengthening note-reading skills by reviewing important music symbols such as the quarter note, half note, whole note, quarter rest, and half rest.
All of East Side students have been exploring famous composers through active listening and creative activities. We have enjoyed learning about “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg, “The Cat Duet” by Gioachino Rossini, and the “Surprise Symphony” by Joseph Haydn. Through the use of manipulatives, movement, cartoons, and listening maps, students have been building their understanding of musical storytelling, dynamics, and expression in fun and engaging ways.
