St. Benedict Academy Music Newsletter

Saint Benedict Academy Music Notes,  January 28, 2009

    Well, here it is, another snowy day.  The good news is we’re half-way through winter.  We’re also half-way throthe school year.  It always amazes me how quickly the school year flies. 

            I believe most of you were able to attend our Christmas concert in December.  Our students did a wonderful job as usual and I have a nice photograph of the occasion which was taken by a professional photographer to help me remember it.

            We have been busy since our return from Christmas vacation and have a lot ahead of us.  I would like to list the activities for each grade which we have been working on this month and what we will focus on in the next couple of months.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at school or via school email. 

Kindergarten and First Grade:

Prepare for Catholic School week mass

Sing on proper pitch

Keep a steady beat

Clap or play a rhythm

Dynamics – differentiate between loud, soft and moderate

Tempo – differentiate between slow, fast and moderate

Move to a rhythm

Listen to timbre of various instruments

Grade Two:

Prepare for Catholic School Week mass

Note recognition exercises

Note value exercises

Learn line dance

Americana songs

Correlate notes to rise and fall of music while singing

Proper intonation

Grades Three and Four:

Prepare for Catholic School week mass.

Recorder work:

A. Review note reading, note value

B. Review rests

C. Learn dynamics –piano, forte etc.

D. Learn new notes and proper fingering

E.  Proper tempo

Americana songs

Rounds

Dance -  line dance

***It is important that all third and fourth grade students practice their recorders for 5-10 minutes every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  They may do more but that is the minimum required.  Please encourage your child to follow through on this requirement.

Grades Five and Six:

Prepare for Catholic School week mass

Read and tap rhythms using half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes and rests

Write rhythms using above notes and rests

Song styles of different cultures.  Students will sing songs from different cultures and learn about that cultures particular style and their influence on American music.

Listen to various instruments used by different cultures.

Review time signatures

Learn key signatures

            We will make an effort to touch on all these areas but it may take us into the next quarter to complete them.  Hopefully our weather will have improved significantly by then. 

            God bless you all,

            Mrs. Fedor