CHS Freshman Chorus Mini Performance

All Porters Point School students experienced a special mini performance today by the Colchester High School Freshman Chorus!  Under the direction of Mrs. Melissa Towle, CHS students performed seasonal songs, including a few solos by PPS alumni!!  These students blended sweet harmonies and had Porters Point students and faculty mesmerized.  Ms. Mutz really enjoys seeing how students change and develop musically through the years.  A music teacher's ultimate goal is to make music a life-long learning experience, be it through performing, participating, and listening to music.  We are so appreciative of these students taking time from their studies to perform for us.  Thanks CHS Freshman Chorus and Mrs. Towle!!

JUMP JIM JOE

Second Grades had fun playing the circle game "Jump Jim Joe." This game is known as a snowball dance.  But it has nothing to do with snow!  So why is it called a snowball dance?  (Hint:  First there was one... Then 1+1... 2+2... 4+4..)

The music is Peter and Mary Alice Amidon performing "Jump Jim Joe" from their album by the same name.  We were very fortunate to have had them both at Porters Point School for a 5-day residency back in March of 2010.  We learned so much from them.  They are fantastic musicians and educators!!

SKIP TO MY LOU

First Grade classes enjoyed a circle game of "Skip To My Lou."  There are many different versions of this song.  We used the Peter and Mary Alice Amidon version, which includes two verses:

1.  Lost my partner, what'll I do?  

Lost my partner, what'll I do?

Lost my partner, what'll I do?

Skip to my Lou, my darling.

2.  I'll find another one better than you!

I'll find another one better than you!

I'll find another one better than you?

Skip to my Lou, my darling!

CHORUS:  

Skip!  Skip!  Skip to my Lou!

Skip!  Skip!  Skip to my Lou!

Skip!  Skip!  Skip to my Lou!

Skip to my Lou, my darling!

[Please note:  Animoto did not support using the music "Skip To My Lou."
The music used for this video is called "A Little Skip" by Brian Wayy]

HOWDY!

"Howdy" was written by Teresa and Paul Jennings, Music K-8 Vol. 14, No. 1.  

All Porters Point School students learn this song and are told to store it in their closet (their brain!) 

We will sing it at a school-wide meeting some time in the future.  

Ask your child what the name is of the instrument that plays 

"Buh, duh, duh" at the end of the song!

Inner Hearing

Students are learning about rests in music -- Silence is as important as sound!  Thanks to a blog post by Thom Borden, kindergarten students have learned the song, "Apple Tree, Apple Tree."  This song is great for so many musical concepts, but for this lesson, the concept of rests was introduced.  We started with eight black plates, each with a red (rubber) apple.  

The black plates represent the heartbeat (pulse) in the song.  By taking away an apple, we take away the sound from that beat.  This is a wonderful way to teach the idea of inner hearing!  Students then sang the song, but were silent on the beats that had an empty plate.  The students enjoyed taking away different apples and experiencing what the song was like with missing apples.  Ms. Mutz was very impressed with how attentive students were with this lesson.  They grasped the idea very quickly!  Of course, they eventually wanted to take ALL the apples away, and voila:  Inner hearing!!  

Hopes And Dreams For Music

Second Grade students were asked to think of a musical hope or dream and then Ms. Mutz wrote that dream on the back of a piece of paper that had a star drawn on front.  Students then were asked to color the star, cut it out, and glue it to their brand new music folders!

Freedom to Move

Kindergarten students listened to "Fur Elise"

And used scarves 

To move about the Music Room.       

Welcome Back To School!!

First Graders sang the song, "Welcome Back To School," and then played one of four rhythm percussion instruments:  hand drum, triangle, tambourine, and rhythm sticks.  They rotated through all four stations...

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Hard to believe the 2011-2012 school year is now over.  Best wishes to our departing 2nd graders -- you are going to love Malletts Bay School!!  And for returning Porters Point students, I hope you have a fun and safe summer.  See you in August!

Play Your Drum

First and Second Graders had a day of drumming a while back. Ms. Mutz just produced an Animoto video of this day. Hope you enjoy!

Second Grade Music

The following video is of star pictures the Second Grade students created and pasted on their music folders back in September. On the back side of these stars are their hopes and dreams for music. Ms. Mutz wonders how many of their hopes and dreams have actually been achieved this year. Only these students can tell you...

Face Paint Slide Show (Thursday performance)

Video Clips from "The Bear Went Over the Mountain"

"Good Morning" - Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Performance



"This Is The Day" - Wednesday, April 18, 2012



"Push" - Wednesday, April 18, 2012

PPS Commercial

Ms. Mutz and Ms. Purinton worked on this project together.  We wanted to make a multimedia commercial to get the word out for our upcoming musical performances, "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" by John Jacobson and John Higgins.  Ms. Mutz recorded students' voices in order to share the details of "what," "when" and "where."  Ms. Purinton provided a free play area in her classroom stocked with lots of forest animals that are featured in the musical.  Students were given free play time to go to that area while the video camera was filming.  Then we put all the pieces together using iMovie.  

  

Parent Note #2

On Monday, April 9, 2012, Parent Note #2 will be going home with students.  Below is a copy of that note in case your copy gets misplaced or you would like to refer to the information on-line.

Parent Note #2 – Porters Point School Music Department
April 9, 2012

Dear Parents and/or Guardians:

Porters Point School students have been busy preparing for our upcoming musical performances of The Bear Went Over the Mountain on Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19, 2012, beginning at 6:30 pm. These performances will be held at Colchester High School ("CHS") in the Theater. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Mr. Allbee’s Kindergarten, Mrs. Belaski’s Kindergarten
Ms. O’Neill’s First Grade, Ms. Silverberg’s First Grade
Mrs. Bissonnette’s Second Grade, Mrs. Cummings’ Second Grade

Thursday, April 19, 2012
Ms. Purinton's Kindergarten, Mrs. Trombley's Kindergarten
Mrs. Plunkett's First Grade, Mr. Shepherd's First Grade
Mrs. Benjamin's Second Grade, Mrs. Hooper’s Second Grade

The speaking parts have been assigned to First and Second Graders and students have been working during Music Class in order to put all the pieces together.  These students have received notes home to let parents know they have these parts.  There is one after-school rehearsal for each group and those students will be given a reminder note. Students who do not have speaking parts have an essential part as well: the Stage Chorus.

Are you available to face paint cast members and interested students the night of the performance? Any interested parents are invited to help! NO ONE HAS TO BE FACE PAINTED!! But if they would like to, I am planning for it to be available. All students are acting as forest animals. It is their choice what animal unless they have an assigned speaking part, so the options for what to paint centers on forest animals (HINT: Think Vermont forest, not African jungle). This will happen at CHS in the Cafeteria right across from the Theater starting at 5:45 pm. If you are interested and available to face paint students, please let me know (mutzm@csdvt.org).  Face paint and examples will be provided. My music blog has some examples on the "Face Painting Ideas" page. Please also feel free to face paint your own child at home before coming to the performance if they would like!!

Next week will be "Music Week" at Porters Point School, meaning that students will have music class two times, instead of the usual music once and art once. Mrs. Derry, the Art Educator and I switched our schedules in order to accommodate more practice time for the musical.  Students will be bused to the high school for a dress rehearsal that will take place the same day as their evening performance. Students will need to seek their own ride to the evening performance and be accompanied by a parent and/or guardian. Please email me at mutzm@csdvt.org or send a note to school if you have any questions about the musical. I will be at Porters Point School every school day from April 11 until April 17, 2012. Then I move everything to Colchester High School to prepare for our dress rehearsals and performances.

Please be looking for one more note from the Porters Point School Music Department with specifics about the concert night, including what to wear and time of arrival. All general notes sent home will also be available for viewing on the PPS website:  www.csdvt.org/PPS  and click on the link "Unified Arts" and then "Music," or go directly to my music blog: http://ppsmusicwithmsmutz.blogspot.com/. 

Sincerely,

Martie Mutz
Music Educator

WHOLE SCHOOL MUSICAL in APRIL!!!

This letter was sent home with students on Friday, March 16th.  And stay tuned to this Music blog -- The students will be putting together a commercial for the performances! 

Porters Point School Music Department

March 16, 2012

Dear Parents and/or Guardians:

Greetings from Porters Point School’s Music Department!  Our school will be having our annual whole-school musical performances on Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19, 2012, beginning at 6:30 pm.  Please mark your calendars now!  We are very fortunate to be able to hold these performances at Colchester High School in the Theater.  Because of the population size of our school, there will be two performances so that half the school can perform on Wednesday night and the other half of the school can perform on Thursday night.  The performances are as follows: 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 6:30 pm     Thursday, April 19, 2012, 6:30 pm                     

Mr. Allbee’s Kindergarten                        Miss Purinton’s Kindergarten

Mrs. Belaski’s Kindergarten                     Mrs. Trombley’s Kindergarten

Ms. O’Neill’s First Grade                          Mrs. Plunkett’s First Grade

Ms. Silverberg’s First Grade                    Mr. Shepherd’s First Grade

Mrs. Bissonnette’s Second Grade           Mrs. Benjamin’s Second Grade

Mrs. Cummings’ Second Grade               Mrs. Hooper’s Second Grade

If you have more than one child attending our school, it is possible they may not be scheduled to perform on the same night.  If this presents a problem for you, advance arrangements can be made to have one child join another class so that both your children can perform the same night.  Please let me know as soon as possible if we need to make arrangements for a switch.  If I do not hear from you I will assume your children will perform as scheduled.    

The musical is called The Bear Went Over the Mountain, by John Jacobson and John Higgins.  The story line has been introduced to all students.  During Music class this week, First and Second Grade students have been asked to show their interest in the various speaking parts through a voluntary sign-up process during their music class this week.  If your child did not express interest in the extra parts, please assure them that it is perfectly ok – they have an important part in the Chorus.  However if your child expresses any interest with you that was not visible during music class, please let me know.  If a part is available that is appropriate for him/her, I will do my best to cast them for a part.  Once these parts are assigned, we really need to depend on students to be able to attend the performance and do the part.  This is a whole school performing activity, so it is expected that all students will participate in any way in which they are able.  Students who do not have speaking parts will participate in the Chorus, which is an essential part of the musical.  Everyone is important in a musical!

If you have any questions about the musical or our music program, in general, I am happy to speak with you.  Please be aware that I am only at Porters Point School on Wednesday afternoon, and all day on Thursday and Friday morning.  Please e-mail me: mutzm@csdvt.org with questions or concerns or send a note to school and I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

There will be frequent notes from the Music Department right up until the April performances to keep you informed, and the information will also be posted on my Music blog: http://ppsmusicwithmsmutz.blogspot.com but you can also access this by going to the Porters Point School website www.csdvt.org/PPS and then going to Unified Arts – Music.  I look forward to these performances and hope it will be a positive musical experience for PPS children. 

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Martie Mutz

                                                                        Music Educator

Play Your Drum... 'Cause it's fun!!

First and Second Graders enjoyed a 

drum circle as part of Music class. 

They learned different rhythm patterns 

that were part of a song.   

They rotated from one drum to another, 

working their way around the circle.  

They played tubanos, floor toms, gathering drum, 

snare drum, and a variety of different sized hand drums.  

This was lots of fun!!

Sing-Along A Success!

Our whole-school Sing-Along was a big success.  Our Porters Point School community assembled in the biggest space we have indoors, the "cafegymatorium" (Ms. Mutz's term).  Parents, friends and community members were all in attendance.  There were ten songs in all, and then the faculty and staff sang "Jingle Bell Rock" which is their annual tradition.  The students showed everyone how easy it is to sing...  We even had second grader soloists!