High and Low with Xylophone

Playing a xylophone is a lot of fun.

Students learn proper mallet technique and where it is best to strike the bars (in the middle) for the best sound.

Students need to experience playing the bars — just how hard or soft to strike the bars. They are encouraged to play all the bars in a random fashion and discover just how much is too much.  If the bars jump up or come out of place, then it was too much. But if they can hardly hear the bars being played, it is too little.

Students discover high and low sounds, too.  On our xylophones each bar is a different size which helps students learn “the bigger the bar, the lower the sound” and “the smaller the bar, the higher the sound”.

Students discover that the bars have alphabet letters marked on them.  But it is only the first seven letters of the alphabet:  A-B-C-D-E-F-G 

All students played the xylophones during music class! 

Kindergarteners Move To Music

Kindergarteners love to move.  In fact, they have a hard time sitting still!  So why not use that energy and express through music?  Students used colorful scarves and moved around while listening to Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nacht Music”.  By using an object while moving, students are less inhibited and can usually find expressive ways to show what they are hearing with the music.  Actually, the music is the motivator and the scarves are just a prop.  It works!

Welcome To Music at Porters Point School!

And so a new school year begins...  Ms. Mutz met all students at Porters Point School last week.  As you may have heard, there are now five classes of Kindergarten students, so that is a lot of new names for Ms. Mutz to learn.  She asks that Kindergarten students come to class with name tags, at least for the first few weeks.  Ms. Mutz already knows all the First and Second Grade students, with the exception of new students to the school.  

Our Music schedule is tight this year with only five minutes in between classes, and Music classes have been reduced from 45 minutes to 40 minutes once a week, so we have no time to waste!  Please visit this Music blog often as Ms. Mutz adds lots of information for you to get an idea of what goes on in Music class.  The chart below sums up what we do in Music:

Student Teacher in Music Class!!

Ms. Mutz is pleased to introduce you to Mr. Will Charron, a University of Vermont music student who will be in the PPS Music Room for the next couple of weeks.  He has not met everyone yet, but he will!  He is very friendly and is happy to learn about music education in a K-2 school.

Lake Monsters "Champ" and Mr. Will Charron

Students from Mrs. Hooper's class interviewed Mr. Charron, and here is a sampling of what they found out:
STUDENTS:  "How old are you?"
MR. CHARRON:  "I'm a senior at UVM, and so I'm 20 years old."
STUDENTS:  "Where are you from?"
MR. CHARRON:  "Connecticut."
STUDENTS:  "Do you have any pets?"
MR. CHARRON:  "Yes. Right now at home there are between 5 and 7 cats, and 3 guinea pigs."
STUDENTS:  "Do you have any siblings?"
MR. CHARRON:  "One older brother who is 28, and a sister who is 30."
STUDENTS:  "What made you start playing music?"
MR. CHARRON:  "I started playing trumpet when I was in 6^th grade. I quit when I was in 8^th grade because I did not like it. But when I was in 9^th grade, I picked up percussion and guitar.  I played music throughout high school, and by graduation, I knew I wanted to continue playing music.

Thanks for being with us, Mr. Charron!!  We look forward to learning some music from you!!!

CHAMP VISITS THE PPS MUSIC ROOM!!!

As you may have heard, today was a busy day here at Porters Point School.  During lunch, CHAMP, paid everyone a visit!!!  

Lake Monsters "Champ"

First, he came into the Music Room and we discovered that he is quite a musician!!  He wanted to play all of Ms. Mutz's instruments.  He played the rainstick, maracas,  tubanos, and even the electric keyboard!  The song he played on the keyboard was called "The Entertainer".  Wow, he's good!!!  We enjoyed meeting CHAMP today!!

Champ and Mr. Will Charron jam on tubanos

Champ plays "The Entertainer" on the keyboard

Champ and Ms. Mutz

We're Famous! Thanks, to The Colchester Sun

Over vacation last week, a photographer from The Colchester Sun contacted Ms. Mutz with pictures he took from the Thursday, Feb. 21st performance of "Go Fish".  He said they would appear in Thursday's edition, and sure enough, the pictures were there!  Front page and back page -- and in full color:

Concert Success!!

All students performed "Go Fish" last week either on Weds., Feb. 20 or Thurs., Feb. 21, 2013.  Both nights were a huge success!   Ms. Mutz will be posting more video clips later to show some of the actual performances.  For now, check out this Animoto video of the face painting that went on before the shows started each night!  Both nights are represented in this video.