2017 Term 3 Week 1: Interesting Instruments - The Typewriter

Welcome back to school for Term 3. 

This term we are looking at interesting instruments and interesting ways instruments are used. We are also working on vocal skills, including  enunciation, voice production, expression, choral speaking (rhymes and poems), and singing to accompany playing the ukulele. Juniors are learning about nursery rhymes and songs that tell a story. We continue to learn about beat and rhythm, notation and music symbols, and all elements of music but especially dynamics and tempo. We continue to develop movement skills and vocabulary and to learn and enjoy dancing routines and to create our own.Juniors are developing performance skills using percussion instruments and Seniors are learning and developing ukulele and glockenspiel skills, and Intermediates are learning ukulele skills. Specialist Intermediate groups are learning about 12 bar blues and will compose their own song. Throughout the term we develop and extend our vocabulary and general knowledge based on planned and incidental learning in our music classes. It is going to be a busy term. 

Dances: 
1. The Wheels on the Bus , Hot Potato , I Like to Move it 

2.  Good Feeling  , Land of a Thousand Dances

3. I Gotta Feeling , Waterloo,   Don't Stop Me Now 

Tongue Twisters: 
Tongue twisters are a great way to warm up for singing and to help us to improve our enunciation (saying sounds and words clearly). 

Theory: 

Add bar lines in 4/4 timing. (Scroll down for completed version.) 

The Typewriter  composed by Leroy Anderson, and performed by "Voces para la Paz" (Voices for Peace), an orchestra in Spain. 

This short video  about type-writers is from 1950 - the same year that Leroy Anderson composed "The Typewriter". It shows you where typewriter technology was at that time, and helps explain some of the typists actions and sounds in the performance. 

Leroy Anderson (1908 - 1975) was an American composer known mostly for short, 'light' orchestral music, and for using creative instrumental effects - including using non-musical instruments in a musical way. 
                                        
This is a music map of the typewriter. 

Here's a very funny version of The Typewriter where the actual typewriter doesn't work properly and the musician has to do his bests to keep in time and still make a sound to fit in with the rest of the orchestra. 
Here's a comedy skit from the 1960s based on The Typewriter by Leroy Anderson,  by a comedian called Jerry Lewis. 
                                          
And a skit about a typist having difficulty moving from typewrite technology to computer technology. 

(Intermediates -STEAM group) Here's an interesting version of the blues - this is the Boston Typewriter Orchestra with a  song called the Underwood Blues.  (Underwood was a brand of typewriter.) What makes it a blues song?  What instruments are used? 

Here is a the first page of the music score of the The Typewriter. Can you follow the rhythm pattern? 

Juniors: 
Warm up and focus: Good Night Moon by Claudia Robin Gunn 

Nursery Rhymes
The nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet first appeared in print in 1805. It's origins and meanings are not known for sure.  

Curds and whey

Vocabulary: 
tuffet - a low seat or footstool, completely covered in cloth so legs are not visible. 
curd  - (curdle) when milk starts to form solids
whey - the liquid left over after the milk has formed curds
arachnophobia - fear of spiders 
arachnid - spider 

A tuffet 

A famous painting of Little Miss Muffet by English painter Sir John Everett Millais. 

A Bullwinkle cartoon about Little Miss Muffet 

Kermit the Frog Interviews Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet on Sesame Street

                                                 

Vocabulary "The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night":
Many versions of this song have appeared since its first known version in the 1400s (15th century). This is Pete Seeger (1919 - 2014) from the 1960s. Note that some of the words and tune may be a bit different. 
chilly - cold 
therein -  another way of saying in there 
den - a fox's home 
strife - worry or trouble 
carving - cutting - a carving knife has a long blade to cut meat

The Fox (Ukulele/Guitar D)
(Highlighted words are for soloists)  

The fox went out on a chilly night
He prayed for the moon to give him light                               

 He had many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o
He had many a mile to go that night                                

Before he reached the town-o

Well, he ran till he came to the great big pen
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
He said, "A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town, town-o, town-o"
He said, "A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o"

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck
Threw the ducks across his back
And he didn't mind the quack, quack, quack
And the legs all danglin' down-o, down-o, down-o
He didn't mind the quack, quack, quack
And the legs all danglin' down-o

Old mother Flipper Flopper jumped out of bed
Out of the window she popped her head
Cryin', "John, John, the gray goose is gone
And the fox is on the town-o,  town-o, town-o
She cried, “John, John, the gray goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o!”

Well, the fox he ran to his cosy den
There were his little ones, eight, nine, ten
Cryin', "Daddy, daddy, better go back again
'Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
Daddy, daddy, better go back again
'Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o"

Then the fox and his wife without any strife
Cut up the goose with a carving knife
They never had such a supper in their life                      

And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
They never had such a supper in their life
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o

2017, Term 2, Week 10 - Last week of the term

It's  that time of the term again - the last week. 

                                                   
Check out the original Jail House Rock  video - over 50 years old!
Jail House Rock - Elvis Presley - Try this dance in groups of four.
Or this version  of Jail House Rock as a line dance.
Jail House Rock - Junior Version (although still tricky enough!)

How many music symbols can you recognise? 

2017, Term 2, Week 9: Musical Fidget Spinners

What music symbols can you recognise? 

Fidget spinners are all the rage at the moment - so why not have a fidget-spinning song?



This one, called Fidget Spinner Song for Kids is likely to be very catchy - but probably more annoying than the fidget spinners themselves. 

And one more Fidget Spinner song. 

 Add bar lines to have four beats in each bar.  Scroll down to end of post for completed version. 

Notation Song  - Remember that notes in the space spell FACE, and notes on the line (EGBEF) do the rhyme. 

Another notation song: Time to learn more about notes on the line - EGBDF - Every Good Boy Does Fine. 

Here's a flashcard quiz to test your knowledge of FACE and EGBDF. 

And here's a note name game to play by yourself on your own device. Just press the note name on your keyboard. 

Scroll down to last week's post to check out the notes on the staff and then find them on the keyboard. 

                                     


Dances - Rock around the clock (juniors) 

Juniors: 
This week's nursery rhyme is about the old woman who lived in a shoe.

This is a rock'n'roll version of the old lady who lived in the shoe - with quite a different story to it. 

Here's Kermit the frog trying to find the old woman to interview her for Sesame Street News. 

How do they do this? Can you see that they have to keep in time with the music and count to keep together.



Ukulele and Glockenspiels: 
A new song: Rock around the Clock.  This is in the key of A and uses A, A7, E7 and D7. 

Here's the original from the movie Rock around the Clock. 

Homework: Watch this video about rhythm, and learn the difference between beat and rhythm.  It carries on from last week's video about beat.  Skip to the  explanation at 1:25 and the practise exercise at 3:07.  Note that USA names are used here: semibreves are called whole notes,  minims are called half notes, crotchets are called quarter notes, and quavers are called eighth notes  in this video.

2017, Term 2, Week 8: FACE the Music

How many music symbols can you find and name?

Introducing  a new music symbol this week: the minim rest. H It looks a bit like a small rectangle,  and when it sits on top of the line, it means a rest for two beats. Add bar lines below to make bars of 4 beats each. (Scroll down to end of post for the completed version.) 

Can you locate these notes on the keyboards above and below? 

Clapping and reading practice. Can you keep up? 

By the way, in New Zealand English, this would read "I don't want to practise!" We spell practise with an s when it is a verb . . . . couldn't help take the opportunity to point this out. 

Everyone: 
Practise Tutira Mai  - Scroll down two weeks ago for our original lyrics and ukulele chords if you need them, and for more information if you  need it.  

Our Theory Songs: 
I Knew You Were Treble
Ode to Treble Clef

Seniors  - A new dance to try. Choose which version you prefer. 
I Gotta Feeling (partner version) 
I Gotta Feeling (individual version - Panda dancing) 

Juniors: 
Warm up - Everywhere Stars
Matariki Macarena (Scroll down to last week's blog for more information). 
Fight Song Dance 

Our Theory Songs: 
Piano and Forte - Loud and Soft song
Crescendo and Decrescendo song

This week's nursery rhyme is Jack and Jill went up the hill 

Here's Kermit the Frog interviewing Jack  



And here's  how to play Jack and Jill on the piano, glockenspiel or recorder (except you'd have to change  the note that goes below C). 


Homework: Watch this video to learn about the beat in music "The Beat is the Heart of Music"

2017 Term 2, Week 7: Matariki

Add bar lines to match the time signature. Scroll down to find the completed version.

                                       
This week's clapping rhythm uses quavers and crotchets - and no rests. 

Our Theory Songs

 I Knew You Were Treble
Ode to Treble Clef
Piano and Forte - Loud and Soft song  
Crescendo and Decrescendo  song 

                                      Can you recognise  and name these FACE notes? 

Junior Warm-up music: Everywhere Stars by Claudia Robin Gunn   (Listen for the reference to 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. Find out more about Matariki here. 

Here's a story of Matariki.

This is a short song about Matariki.

Here's the Matariki Macarena with actions and turns to each corner. 

Lyrics of Matariki Macarena 
Waiti Waita Waipunarangi 
Tupuanuku Tupuarangi 
Ko Ururangi te potiki  (the youngest of the Matariki whanau / family)
o te whanau Matariki.

This is one version of the Matariki Macarena which includes separate parts for boys and girls. 

You will recognise this tune. Copy the actions for this Matariki version of  Twinkle Twinkle 

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 a useful short video to help you learn about the history of writing music, and what some of the symbols mean. This is Part 1 of a series of videos. 

Scroll down to last week's blog to practise "Tutira Mai". 

Juniors - This week's nursery rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle and cat and the fiddle.

Here's Kermit the Frog reporting for Sesame Street News about the cow jumping over the moon. 

Here's the Teddy Rock version of Hey Diddle Diddle - time for air guitar!

And a jazz version 

And a Moana version? 

Do check out this very old (1935) Terry Toons cartoon based on nursery rhymes.  It shows nursery rhyme characters heading off to school for a quite different kind of education. See what happens when the parents turn up.  Can you imagine your teachers doing what this teacher does? 

Here's the time signature exercise with the bar lines added.