2015 Term 2, Week 11: Last Week of the Term

Well, Term 2 went pretty quickly!

This week we will have a change of plan as some classes will miss their usual lessons because of parent interviews and cross country.   Instead, we will have a "Greatest Hits" session of our favourite songs and dances, and a bit of fun (although every week in music is fun, surely).

 Something just for fun . . .

Here's a Gangnam Style bird dance - literally!

Here's 16 different genres of music demonstrated in one song in 3 minutes. Notice that this is one continuous video - without any editing.

This pianist plays the theme to Harry Potter in a lot of different musical styles as they are asked for randomly.

These are  not the kind of singers you would be expecting if you were at the opera "Carmen" by Bizet. 

And because this Saturday is the 4th of July, the day the United States celebrate the anniversary of their Declaration of Independence in 1776, here's the most famous of American marches, called The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa. It is the national march of America.   The  "Stars and Stripes" is also one of the names for the flag of the United States. Other names are "Old Glory" and "The Star Spangled Banner".   This version includes a choir. Note the way the cymbals and triangle are played, and look for the piccolo players who have a special part to play.

Here's an animated version of the score of The Stars and Stripes Forever. Choose an instrument to follow and note when the tune goes higher  and lower.  Can you see how the percussion is shown?

And, of course,  a Muppets version of The Stars and Stripes Forever. 

Finally, for the holidays - here's a Kid President message about holidays (vacations in USA). 

2015 Term 2. Week 10: Bananas, Baked Beans and Body Percussion

What was Beethoven's favourite fruit?

We have been working on body percussion activities.  These are some of the ones we have adapted. 
Boom Snap Clap
Sevens   

How many different body percussion patterns can you make by changing the orders of these sounds? 

From Mrs King's Music Room 

Here's a rhythm matching game.  Click on "play" to hear a rhythm, then choose which one of the  lines of rhythm matches.

Where would you put bar lines to make a 5 bar rhythm?

What has setting the table, or putting the cutlery away got to do with music?  
Click here to find out.

Our New Zealand music clip of the week is a fun "novelty song" from 1977 by the Dunedin band called Mother Goose and is called Baked Beans.   

 The band members dressed up in outrageous costumes, each member with their own trademark look, as you will see in the video clip.  The song was very popular and was played frequently on tv stations in Australia and New Zealand.

The band "Mother Goose".

 Here's another silly baked beans song - just for fun. try singing along with it.

We are still working on  the song Islands with lyrics and sign language.  
Follow this link for ukulele chords and lyrics for Islands 
 
Link to metronome for our rhythm activities.

Follow this link to have fun making your own music patterns 

Here's a new dance for the Juniors - it will help warm us up on the frosty mornings this week, especially as the dance is called Freeze!

2015 Term 2, Week 9: Matariki

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars which are also known as the Pleiades.  It rises in  late May or early June, which is mid-winter in New Zealand.  For many Māori, it  marks the start of a new year.

Matariki means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). According to myth, when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated by their children, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became so angry that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.

Matariki was a time to remember those who had died in the last year. But it was also a happy event – crops had been harvested and seafood and birds had been collected. With plenty of food in the storehouses, Matariki was a time for singing, dancing and feasting.

You can read more about  the Pleiades and Matariki here.

Matariki, or Māori New Year celebrations were once popular, but stopped in the 1940s. In 2000, they were revived, and now,  thousands of people celebrate the ‘New Zealand Thanksgiving’. A special feature of Matariki celebrations is the flying of kites – according to ancient custom they flutter close to the stars.

A traditional Maori kite drawn in the 1800s

Here's a song about Matariki, and shows a group of people preparing a hangi for family party.

 
This is a picture book  story about Matariki. 

 Here's an interactive activity to learn more about Matariki. You might need to work on it a bit to find your way around, but you will learn some interesting facts about Matariki.

This link takes you to a group of children doing the Matariki Macarena dance.
Here's the words so you can sing along.
Waiti 
Waita 
Waipuna - a - rangi
Tupu - a - nuku
Tupu - a - rangi
Ko Uru - a - rangi te potiki
O te whanau Matariki

This is an easy song to sing - you will know the tune.  Follow the link:
Tirama, Tirama, Matariki.

Tirama, Tirama, Matariki

Me ona tamariki

Tupu-a-nuku

Tupu-a-rangi

Wai-ti

Wai-ta

Waipuna-rangi-e

Ko te potiki, ko Ururangi

Twinkle, twinkle, Matariki

And all your children:

Tupu-a-nuku

Tupu-a-rangi

Wai-ti

Wai-ta

Waipuna-rangi-e
And the youngest, Ururangi

Here's another Matariki song to sing:  

Nga Tamariki o Matariki  

Wai-ti, Wai-ta, Waipuna-rangi

Tupuanuku, Tupuarangi, Ururangi e

Koine nga tamariki o Matariki

Nga whetu e piataata i te rangi e

Nga whetu e piataata i te rangi e

Wai-ti, Wai-ta, Waipuna-rangi

Tupuanuku, Tupuarangi, Ururangi e

These are the children of Matariki

The bright stars that shine in the sky

The bright stars that shine in the sky

Click here to see Rob Thorne using taonga puoro ( traditional instruments of Maori). It's about 9 minutes long and shows you a range of traditional Maori instruments and how they are used.

Click on this link to learn more about traditional Maori instruments and to see some pictures of the ones that are in the video above.  

This link takes you to the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand's page about Maori instruments. You can click on each instrument to learn more.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Follow this link to test your knowledge of crotchets and quavers. 
Clap the rhythm  of the notes the click on "play" to listen to a  rhythm.  If you think the sound  matches the rhythm of notes, click "yes". If you think it is different, click  "no".


Add bar lines to make 5 bars of 4/4 timing. Remember, each bar must add up to four counts. 

2015 Term 2, Week 8: Fun with Rhythms

We are still enjoying watching this video of Gustavo Dudamel conduct Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (First Movement) with the Gothenburg Symphony in 2009.  This is another video of him conducting a Venezuelan orchestra performing the entire symphony in Paris in March this year.  You get to see the orchestra as well in this clip.  Skip to the end and see what happens when an orchestra finish playing a symphony.   And  to practise our Spanish, here's an interview with Gustavo Dudamel  (whose first language is Spanish) as he talks about conducting this music. It includes subtitles, but I'm sure you'll be able to pick up a few words on your own.

I'm sure Gustavo Dudamel would need an osteopath after his conducting of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony!

We are going to use this  New Zealand  song to practise our clapping and rhythm patterns. Counting the Beat by the Swingers (1981) 

(Extension activity: Here's a link to the sheet music for this song (well, the first page of it).  Look for the icon to enlarge it. See if you can work out the values of the notes, remembering that each bar will add up to the equivalent of four crotchets.) 

Revision: Where would you put the bar lines in this measure of music? Check the time signature first.  What is the value of each note? How many notes can you name? 

 

We are having fun learning this song and adding actions.

We are still working on  the song Islands with lyrics and sign language.  

Follow this link for ukulele chords and lyrics for Islands. 

Link to metronome for our rhythm activities.

Follow this link to have fun making your own music patterns 

2015 Term 2, Week 7: Revision Week and a Bit of Fun

 This week we are working on portfolio samples, so here's a bit of revision. 

We are learning to demonstrate the appropriate audience skills for music concerts. If we are at a concert to see and listen to an orchestra, we know that we must sit very quietly and still so that we don't distract the conductor, the orchestra members or others in the audience.  It's a good idea to take a cough lolly  (without crinkly paper!) so that we won't disturb anyone if we suddenly have to cough. When you listen to this video of Gustavo Dudamel conducting Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (first movement) you can hear a person in the audience cough a few times - and it is very distracting!  

Match the symbol with its name and number of beats.

Match the symbol with its meaning and the musical term.

Where would you put bar lines to make 4 bars with 4 beats to each bar?

A new nonsense song to have fun with - even the name is a bit of fun: Sarasponda. 

Even though it's not NZ Music Month anymore,  we are going to continue to include a New Zealand song every blog. This one's just for fun - although it is a Kiwi classic now.  Gumboot song by Fred Dagg.  Fred Dagg was a character played by NZ writer and actor John Clarke.  He created the character based on stereotypes of NZ rural farmers and farming communities. Fred Dagg was very popular in the 1970s, and remained a much-loved NZ fictional character even after Clarke moved to Australia. Gumboots are essential footwear in rural New Zealand, especially in winter. 

Here's a link to the lyrics and a bit more information about the song. 

 In 2010,  a group from Huia 1 classroom  made a movie about gumboots. Check it out here. 


And just for fun, check out Kid President's site about 20 things we should say more often.