Music classes in elementary grades include a variety of activities. Students sing, move, listen and play instruments in order to experience music in different ways. All students participate in many singing, moving and rhythm instrument playing activities to discover aspects of music such as steady beat, rhythm, tempo, dynamics and form and beginning music reading skills. In addition, third through fifth grade students extend their reading skills by learning the basics of playing recorder, and fifth graders spend some time learning piano basics as well.
Science is showing us that music plays an integral part in developing a child's brain, and that students who participate in music perform better in other areas of study. Participation in music class also offers students opportunities to practice cooperation with others and respect for themselves, others and property.
Your are welcome to join us in the music room and watch as your students grow smarter every day!
I am at Washington from 7:45 until 9:45, and at Eisenhower the remainder of the day. Feel free to contact me at either school or by email.
pthompson@usd353.com
Click the keywords below for more information.
Recorder Karate Programs Music Websites
WHY STUDY MUSIC
RECORDER KARATE 
Recorder Karate is a fun way for students to learn new music skills. This year we will begin recorder activities in early February. As students learn new notes, fingerings and rhythms through songs, they earn a new "belt." The belt is a reward for the students attaining note, finger and rhythm recognition. The students start with the white belt and end with the black belt, and are really excited when they earn a new belt. Third-graders will work towards orange belts this year, and proceed thru the rest of the belts over the next two years. Fourth and Fifth grade students will review and continue from where they left off last year. Recorder activities may also be included throughout the year as part of day to day music classes.
Students may access Recorder Karate activities online at: www.musick8.com/rkdojo/rkdojo.tpl. (I will give them the password in class.)
PROGRAMS
Grade 5
Tuesday, May 13th
7:00 in Eisenhower's Multipurpose Room
MUSIC WEBSITES
Composer and Orchestra Activities and Music Games and Composing
Classics for Kids: www.classicsforkids.com
New York Philharmonic Orchestra Kid Zone: www.nyphilkids.org
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids Site: www.dsokids.com
San Francisco Symphony Kids Site: www.sfskids.com
Music Singalongs and Downloads
Music K-8 Site for Kids: www.musick8kids.com
Garden of Song: www.gardenofsong.com
WHY STUDY MUSIC
1. MUSIC IS A SCIENCE. It is exact and demands exact acoustics. A conductor's full score is a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony, all at once and with exact control of time.
2. MUSIC IS MATHEMATICAL. It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper.
3. MUSIC IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English - but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.
4. MUSIC IS HISTORY. Music reflects the environment and time of its creation. It can also reflect the national and ethnic origin of the composer or a country.
5. MUSIC IS PHYSICAL EDUCATION. It requires coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lips, and facial muscles. In addition, it requires control of the diaphragm, stomach, back and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears, and the mind interprets.
6. MUSIC DEVELOPS INSIGHT AND DEMANDS RESEARCH.
7. MUSIC IS ALL THINGS, but most of all, MUSIC IS ART. It allows a human being to take all of the above and use them to express feelings and emotion. That is one thng science cannot duplicate - the human touch, feeling, emotion, call it what you will.
WHY I TEACH MUSIC
Because music is a gift that can be enjoyed all your life
Because music can help soothe the stresses of life
Because music can offer joy to life
But most of all I teach music-
so you will be human
so you will recognize beauty
so you will become more sensitive
so you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good, - in short, more life.
Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live?
THAT IS WHY I TEACH MUSIC!
