Music Is Going Full Swing at Bacon!

Hello Bacon Families! It is so good to have each and every student back in

the music room together. We have missed being able to have our

community whole as we create, play, and learn through music. COVID-19

precautions have prevented us from singing as a class, but we have been

inventive, and students are still receiving a wholesome and complete

music education while still having lots of fun!

Kindergartners have learned the difference between loud and soft music

and fast and slow music through games, books, instruments and moving

to music. We have also been exploring our voice through non-singing

vocal exploration (humming), playing games, and moving expressively

throughout the music room.

First Graders have been responding to music through movement, as we

highlighted high, middle, and low pitches in common songs and games.

Then we named them as Mi, Re, and Do and used instruments such as

Boomwhackers, xylophones, and percussion to practice hearing these

pitches. Coming up next, students will be working on music that moves in

sets of two or sets of three meter through instrument playing as well as

practicing movement and choreography.

Second Grade has been busy with learning higher pitches such as So and

we will be looking forward to adding La which will increase the number of

songs that they will know and hear in class. We often use these songs in

various movement games around the classroom, then put them in

instruments. Recently, students have also been performing choreography

together with Imagine Dragon’s “Thunder.” We have also been working

on putting our Do, Re, Mi, and So on the musical staff using manipulatives

to create our own musical compositions!

Third grade is working hard putting music on the staff. We have had our

detective hats on and have practiced using our decoding skills through

reading G, A, B, C, and D on the musical staff. Then, we put this music in

keyboards (we are using these instead of recorders this year) to develop

our technique. Recently, students have also been performing

choreography together with Imagine Dragon’s “Thunder.” We can look

forward to learning more notes on the musical staff through decoding and

playing on the keyboard. Our goal is to be familiar with Middle C-High G

on the treble clef staff before summer!

Fourth and Fifth grades have both been working hard on a song-writing

unit recently. Students have had the opportunity to practice creating their

own songs with mini lessons on major vs. minor, duple vs. triple, music

form, and chord practice. Then, students have had the choice to put their

songs on ukuleles, keyboards, and/or percussion to practice in groups. It

has been so exciting seeing what they can come up with! In the coming

weeks, students can look forward to extending their instrument skills and

working to build ensembles with the different instruments.

Spread the joy of music however you can!

Mrs. Martinez