Commercial for Go Fish!!!

We are getting closer to our performance dates of February 20 and 21, 2013!!  Below you will see a commercial to advertise our upcoming performances.  All classes have practiced the songs during music class, although we did lose valuable rehearsal time because of the snow day last week.  We'll catch up today.  However, since the speaking parts were practiced after school, students are coming along quite nicely in getting the "big picture".  During those after-school rehearsals, 23 students stayed in the Music Room and we rehearsed when to speak, where to stand, how to speak into a microphone, "can we hear you???" and more.  Oh, and the video you are about to see was actually filmed BY STUDENTS using an iPad!!!!  That gave Ms. Mutz a chance to see what students see, and it gave students a chance to really focus on what was going on with the scenes.  Students are very excited about the performances!  Enjoy this YouTube!

Drummers Warming Up

All students, faculty, and many family members gathered on Friday, December 21, 2012 for our annual whole school Sing-Along. Ms. Mutz prepared a Power Point of all the songs which helps students learn the words. It also helps all the adults in the room who do not typically practice before the sing-along! As you may have seen in the African Noel post, every student in the school had the opportunity to play the tubano drums during music class. Then 12 students were selected to play for the sing-along. There was one student chosen from every class, but everyone knew that anyone could play the part since everyone had the chance to play. This short video clip is of the 12 students warming up and getting ready for all the students and guests to arrive for the sing-along...

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!!