2015 Term 1, Week 9: End of Term 1 already!

 
Last week we looked at "Charge!" from The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins. 

This is another piece of music from The Armed Man, and it is conducted by the actual composer, Karl Jenkins. It's called "Kyrie Eleison".  The words Kyrie Eleison come from the Greek Language and mean "Lord have mercy". They were used in some forms of pagan worship and were later incorporated into Christian worship.

At 1:50 there is a special part sung by a boy soprano, which means a young boy who can sing very high notes. After that, the whole choir joins in. Can you hear 4 different singing parts: soprano (high female voices),alto (lowest female voices), tenor (high male voices), bass (lowest male voices). (We are stopping at 4:40 in class but you may like to watch the entire piece at home.)

Can you identify where the music is soft (piano) and loud (forte)? What instruments can you identify? How are the orchestra and choir different in this piece when we compare it with last week's "Charge!"?

When The Armed Man is performed for an audience, there is usually video backdrop showing images relating to wars through the ages.  

 
Well, that's the end of Term 1! 

Here's some  Easter-themed holiday viewing you may enjoy over the next two weeks of holiday. 

This is another of Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies - from 1934 - called Funny Little Bunnies.  It's about a magical place where Easter bunnies and chickens prepare Easter eggs. 

Here's a Bugs Bunny Easter cartoon called Easter Yeggs. 

It's Easter, Little Critter 

 This is a video of Mercer Meyer reading his picture book "It's Easter, Little Critter". It is about Little Critter who is very excited on Easter morning, as he wakes up to find a present  of a bunny from his parents. Suitable for juniors. 

Here's a dance sequence by Fred Astaire from a movie called Easter Parade, although the actual dancing here has very little do do with Easter but a lot more to do with percussion.

This is a video of an Easter Parade at Disneyland in April 2014.

And some interactive Easter activities:
 Decorate your own Easter egg. Have fun adding flowers, ribbons and changing colours of the egg. 

Some online Easter colouring pictures. Choose picture, click on it, and then use the online paint box to colour it in.

These online Easter colouring-in pictures require a bit more skill, as you have to keep the paint brush within the lines.

Some online interactive music activities: 

Have a go at composing your own music here.  This is an American site, so note that crotchets are called quarter notes here, and minims are called half notes. There will be a few notes and rests we haven't covered in class yet, but you will probably be able to work it out for yourself.   Note there is a beginners and an advanced level.  There is also an option for emailing your composition to a friend if you like. 

Create your own band with a bass, keyboard and drum set.  Play around clicking on all the options and I'm sure you'll work it out for yourself. 

Compose your own classical music by dragging groups of notes (measures) onto a stave. You can rearrange them and make different tunes. 

This is a really interesting game matching interesting instruments from around the world. It has 3 levels  and by the end of the game, you will be able to identify several instruments by their name and sound. Some of these we have already met in previous music lessons. 

Have some fun matching the musical instruments to their outlines and create different types of bands.
                                            
Create a raindrop sound sequence by clicking on the raindrops to make different patterns.  It might take a few tries to work it out, but it's quite fun once you've worked out what to do. Note, the metronome gets slower.

 Musical activities to try at home: 

(Check with your parents before you use any equipment) 

Musical glasses:  

-  Get some glasses or empty glass jars (all the same size and shape is best)

-  Set them up somewhere safe  and suitable (maybe the kitchen bench or outside)

-  Use measuring cups or a measuring jug to pour slightly more water in each glass.  One eighth of a cup of water in the first glass, two eighths in the second glass and so on is an ideal way to create an octave, 

-  Use a teaspoon or similar to gently tap each glass to make different sounds and tunes.

- Here's a video showing how to do it, but I recommend you measure the water into the glasses first, or mark the glasses at 8 equal intervals. 

-   Check there are no chips in the rims of the glasses and you could try dipping your fingers in another glass of water and then running them round the edge of the rim to make a glass harp, although these tend to be wine glasses - and always check with your parents before using those!

Learn about fractions and how to make a musical instrument.

Make your own drum:
Follow this video to make your own drum.  You might need to find alternative tines or containers but I'm sure you will find them if you ask around or check out what's in your cupboards at home (then check with your parents!)   I recommend that you use  strong tape over the rubber bands after you have secured the balloon over the top and bottom over the container.