Musical Jenga

This idea was gleaned from a couple of other education blogs, and was a hit with the third grade students today. I took an old Jenga game and with a Sharpie drew musical symbols/terminology/rhythm patterns/notes on the staff on one side of each Jenga block.  A person could color code the blocks to sort quickly for different ability levels.

Students played just as in regular Jenga but with a musical twist. After they removed the block, they had to identify the musical term/symbol etc. on the block. If they didn't know it, someone from the class would volunteer the answer, and the person taking the turn had to draw another block. I limited the number of times for each student to draw to 2. The students did a pretty good job of building the tower higher and it served as a fun review for the end of the year. 

Tune Train

Second Graders tried out a new app for them on the iPads today...Tune Train.  This app allows students to create their own composition with a variety of melody, harmony and rhythm  
choices.  A short tutorial is included to get started.  There is also a Teacher's Guide. Basically you are getting your train from one depot to another via a musical composition! 

People are located in buildings at various heights, representing their pitch.  By using their fingers, they can go from house to house, higher pitches being higher, and lower pitches lower.  If a person wants a longer duration of a pitch, then simply draw in-between the houses instead of through them. Viola! a musical melody is created!  Harmony is created by choosing a style of band to accompany your melody.

An option that I liked was to show the staff notation as you create and play back your composition.  Notes turn red as the melody progresses on a playback.

The Levels option isn't your typical game level in the sense of needing to "pass" a task to go on to the next level.  Each level is a different setting to use, with different options of houses etc. 

All in all, a fun useful app for creating and music making! (and it's FREE!)

"I knew you were Treble when you walked in...."

Third graders have been working on learning the names of the Treble Staff.  We've done the usual "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and FACE mnemonics.  I find that pointing and using their hands as a hand staff helps to put a concrete action to the concept.  We have developed a routine of language and action, counting, naming, pointing to each finger and space to coordinate to the music staff. 
I used Denise Gagne's Learn and Play Recorder app as part of my introduction to the note names of the staff. 

 Interactive practice is included as well and was fun to use on the SmartBoard.  Another game that we use for challenging ourselves in both speed and accuracy was Staff Wars.  

This game can be personalized to either Treble, Alto or Bass Clef.  This was a fast-paced game and very challenging! The Star Wars connection excited the students.  It was very popular!
Either one of these apps works well as a whole class on the SmartBoard or with students iPads used individually or in pairs.

Any connection to the music of today will be an instant winner with the students!  Two videos that they have especially enjoyed are "I Knew You Were Treble" by Jeannette Young and the parody of Meghan Trainor's music "All About That Bass (Clef)".  Students instantly sang along, enjoying the parody of songs they listen to all the time on their own!  Enjoy those videos below!

Chalk it up!

The Kindergarteners are just learning about quarter notes (walking notes) and eighth notes (running notes) in their ABC Music and Me curriculum.  First graders are reviewing some basic notation and musical symbols in their music classes.  We all took advantage of the gorgeous weather today, and went outside with our chalk and practiced our notating!!  The kids thought this was a great idea, although a bit hot if we were in the sun very long!  Mrs. Lyon enjoyed the extra bit of sunshine too!  Here are some examples of our budding musicians' artwork!

All I Do Is Farm!

Peterson Farm Bros. has a new parody this summer, "All I Do Is Farm".  I always look forward to their blogs and new musical creations!  The kids love their videos as well, and can relate to much of what they sing about since we are a strong farming community!  Here's their blogpost and new video. http://petersonfarmblog.wordpress.com/

Now The Green Blade Riseth

Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain,

Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;

Love lives again, that with the dead has been:

Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

In the grave they laid Him, Love who had been slain,

Thinking that He never would awake again,

Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:

Forth He came at Easter, like the risen grain,

Jesus who for three days in the grave had lain;

Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,

Jesus' touch can call us back to live again,

Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:

We sang this song tonight at Mass. Several things touched my heart as we sang.....
"Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain:"......When I married my farmer husband almost 20 years ago, I didn't even know that there was winter wheat as well as spring wheat! The winter wheat is planted in the fall, sprouts, and then is dormant until the sunshine and rains in the spring. I've always marveled at the dying and rising of the wheat seed. The faith of the farmer is not to be downplayed in this scenario. Seed, fertilizer, time, are all poured into this labor of planting a seed which will soon die, with no sign of life for many months after. Early spring comes, the ground starts to thaw, and then miraculously, the green rows start to appear in the field! And it is wheat! Of course, this is only another beginning for this leap of faith for the farmer. Rainfall, storms, diseases, are all part of the story yet to come. Yet, hope is found in the spring, when that green blade is seen! And so it is with our Jesus..."laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen." But a marked difference as well. With Jesus' Resurrection, there is no doubt that Jesus is alive, and remains so to this day...no storm or drought can change that fact!
"When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,"....Our area of the state is expecting snow late tonight and tomorrow! Yes, TOMORROW, Mother's Day, May 11!! Our hearts yearning for springtime will once again be wintry! There are many who are also grieving the loss of ones they love. I know many are in physical or emotional pain. The promise we have as Christians, however, is that these times of desolation, sorrow, or pain, are the EXACT times that Jesus calls to us.LIVE again! The fields of our heart are made lush with joy, freedom, love, and peace! Jesus, the Shepherd whose voice we KNOW, brings us to the fullness of life that he has waiting for us. All we need do is listen.

Indescribable!

How would you describe God?  Amazing! Unstoppable!  All-powerful!  Unchangeable!  Uncontainable!  Holy! All-Knowing!  Forgiving!  Life-Giving!  There's not a single word to proclaim the total awesomeness of our God!  

As I contemplate the gift of the Resurrection, it is both humbling and amazing to me the Love that God has for all of us, that He sent his Son to redeem us!  As I think about the apostles when Jesus appeared to them after His Resurrection...wow, their hearts must have been so totally overwhelmed with thanksgiving, love, praise!  The total joy they  must have felt!

This song by Chris Tomlin, "Indescribable", is a beautiful song of praise to our God...who is my Everything!

Amazing America

Madison Rising has released the theme song for the new program "Amazing America" on the Sportsman Channel with Sarah Palin, premiering April 3. You might recall the awesome Star-Spangled Banner from Madison Rising.  This new release is another hit celebrating the American spirit and pride in our country.
As for the new show, Sarah Palin will be on the road, exploring the hunting and fishing lifestyles of Americans.  According to her press interview with USA Today:

 it's "not going to be some kind of fake scripted reality show" but will "showcase people, places and things in order to restore, fundamentally, what makes America great,"  

You Are The Only One

Is Jesus your compass in life?  I believe that each person wants to be happy.  No one likes to be miserable, lost, rejected.  What/who guides your life?  Does your life show the fruits that come from a relationship with Jesus?  

 Jesus is truly the only one we can count on to be there for us ALWAYS!   He is everything to us!  You Are The Only One was written by Casting Crowns.  It's part of their new album THRIVE, released the end of January, 2014. Here's their own description of the album:

  THRIVE, the brand new studio record from Casting Crowns, is packed with the band's signature style of songs about real life that redefine our identity in Christ, pointing us to our purpose from Him so that we may carry it out through Him. It's time for us to more than survive. We were made to THRIVE!.  

Consider taking the THRIVE CHALLENGE by Casting Crowns!  Each month, 1 songs will be featured from the THRIVE album.  Mark Hall speaks in 3 accompanying videos, teaching the meaning behind the song, scripture references, lyrics and thoughts from the band.  This is a great way to re-focus your life to dig in and reach out.  Go HERE to begin!
You can find the THRIVE album on Spotify and iTunes!

Carnival of the Animals - Piano Carnival

I just discovered a new iPad app that will fit perfectly into my upcoming music lesson plans!  Piano Carnival is a narrative that accompanies Saint-Saen's Carnivalk of the Animals. Attached to each page of this story is a video of the appropriate piece of music as well as additional drawings AND a movie of those drawings being created in Photoshop!  SOOOO cool!

What really impressed me was the website for educators (http://www.pianotheatre.com/#!piano-carnival-lesson-plans/c2hs) that is linked in the "grown ups" area. This site has lesson plans and activities to accompany the book AND Common Core Standards are listed that apply to each lesson!  WOW!  I am so excited to begin this unit with my students!

There are many ways to use this app with your classroom. Project on a SmartBoard, just use your iPad to present the story, or put on a classroom set of iPads for individual use. Another great thing about this app is that it is FREE!  Check it out music educators!

"Wash me, make me pure within!"

3Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;

in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.

4Thoroughly wash away my guilt;

and from my sin cleanse me.

5For I know my transgressions;

my sin is always before me. -----Psalm 51: 3-5

"God Be Merciful To Me" by Jars of Clay, a Christian Rock Band from Nashville.  You can find them on Facebook and MANY of their albums are on Spotify as well.

Lord, We Praise You!

It's been a sad week for us at school.  Earlier in the week, a beloved retired educator, Georgienne, passed away.  Then on Friday morning, a colleague of ours, Marlene, also passed away.  Our hearts are heavy with sorrow for the loss of these two women.  Our staff is a caring community. There will be a hole in our hearts as we mourn the loss of these souls that we were privileged to call friends.
Even though sadness prevails at times like this, as Christians we also know there is an incredible amount of joy.  When we pass from this world we are not really gone...we are transformed into new life!  No more pain, no more struggle.  We can rejoice that Georgienne and Marlene are celebrating their new life!
God truly is our Rock, our Salvation.  Things of this world are temporary, at best.  Only God is there for us always, forever.
So, even in our sorrow, we WILL praise you Lord!  We will praise You for being our Rock, our Salvation! As I listen and immerse myself in prayer while listening to the two videos below, I truly do praise God for everything...even the hard, sad times.
These two videos are original songs performed by Francesca LaRosa.  She has a voice of praise and thanksgiving!  I also very much enjoy the piano focus of the video! There is another video on the YouTube channel linked above that is an interview with her from four years ago.
She has another YouTube channel where I found the 2nd video, "Let It Shine."

YOU are my SHIELD Lord!

Greg Peterson (yes, of the Peterson Farm Bros) has written and performed quite a few solo (and quartet) selections on his YouTube Channel.  Here's one of his original songs, "Shield"  Enjoy and check out his other recordings!

LEGO MUSIC MAKER!

True play is creativity.

John Lasseter

We tried out a new app in technology today - The Lego Music Maker!  The students LOVED creating their own music mixes!  Four characters - Emmet, Wyldstyle, Benny, and Batman - are available to dance to the style you create.  You can also choose from three different songs, and four types of sound blocks (legos)....percussion, guitar, synth, and voices.  One of the favorite voices to use was "I Am Freaking Out!"  The song loops in the background as the sound effects are layered on top.  The characters will do a dance moves that correspond to the type of effect chosen.  When a composition has been created, you can choose to save it and work on it later or even send to a friend to view.  Go to The Lego Music Maker and give it a try!!

I Will Follow

"He Leads, I Follow"  

Life isn't certain.  The future is full of surprises for each of us.  Some good, some not so good.  Where is my focus throughout the days of my life...are my eyes on Jesus, on His footsteps?  I will be following Him...not just when the journey is joyful and exciting, but also when the way is hard, sorrowful, heart-breaking.

Chris Tomlin...

 

As you reflect about how you (and I) are salt and light to the world around us, listen to this selection by Jami Smith.  Salt and Light was released in 2002.  Her latest album, Verse, features songs derived entirely from Scripture.   Jami grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and has been called to travel the country, serving as worship leader.  Her passion is to use her gift of music to help people connect with the Lord.

Salt and Light by Jami Smith

You make me want to be like You

Your holiness I will pursue 

I want the heart of Jesus 

Show me the meaning of Your grace 

I want to give the world a taste 

Of the love of Jesus 

Make me salt 

Make me light 

Let Your holy fire ignite 

Reveal Your glory in my life 

I am not ashamed 

To lift up Your holy name 

Make me salt 

Make me light 

Set me as a city on a hill 

A lamp on a stand 

Mold me in Your image 

The work of Your hand 

The Presentation of Jesus

Luke 2:22-29   The Presentation in the Temple.22 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,23just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,”24and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him.26It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.27He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,28he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:29“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word.

This weekend the Church celebrates Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus to the Lord.  Tradition dictated that the mother bring a first-born son to be dedicated in the Temple about 40 days after a child's birth.  And here we are, about 40 days out from our Christmas celebration!  A sacrifice was usually offered at that time as well (the Gospel of Luke refers to a pair of turtle doves or pigeons).  Simeon was  a holy man, who had been waiting for this moment - the long-awaited Messiah for Israel.  Luke tells us that at long last, he was ready to enter into everlasting life, he had held the Messiah in his own arms!
By the 11th century a custom had developed in the West of blessing candles on this feast day.  A procession took place through the darkened church while the Canticle of Simeon was sung.  This was referred to as Candlemas.  This is still an important feast in many European countries.
When a person thinks of those who have committed their lives to God, often what comes to mind are priests, nuns, missionaries, theologians.  As Christians, aren't we ALL called to dedicate our life to God's service?  No matter what our profession in life - teacher, parent, mechanic, farmer, student - we can dedicate what we do to the Glory of God.  Think about where your day takes you...in what ways do you honor God - that makes your Christian faith evident?  I'm not talking about elaborate speeches or huge donations.  It could be as simple as a hug for a crying child, a smile to a co-worker who is feeling down, a compliment to a spouse.  Sometimes it's the little things that speak volumes when it comes to who we really are - or show what we really believe in our heart.

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin

RECORDERS!

Third grade students have started to  learn to play the recorder this semester!  They are all very excited!  We have learned 3 notes so far, B-A-G.  We can play LOTS of songs with those three notes!  We have talked about the proper way to blow into a recorder (slow and with warm air), as well as how to properly care for our recorders.  (It's important to remember that the recorder is an instrument, not a weapon to hit little bro with!)  
The earliest use of the word "recorder" was in the household of the Earl of Derby in 1388: nomine Recordour.^[1]   There are many sizes of recorder ranging from the Sopranino to the Bass.  We are playing the Soprano Recorder in class.  

Today we did an activity matching the "bumble bees" with letter names to the "trash cans" with the notation on them.  The students did pretty well!  There were a lot of bees that needed to find their can!  After things were matched up, students chose patterns of the melodies to practice with their partner.

Martin Luther King Jr. and The Beatles!

Are you wondering, "What does Martin Luther King Jr. and The Beatles have in common?"  Did you know that Paul McCartney wrote the song "Blackbird" as a tribute to the 1963 march on Washington?  The song is credited to Lennon/McCartney.  While in Scotland in 1968, McCartney was inspired to write these lyrics.  The song was released Nov. 22, 1968.  As McCartney explained before his solo acoustic guitar set during the Driving USA Tour in 2002, the word "bird" is British slang for girl.  So, blackbird, becomes a synonym for "black girl."  

Enjoy listening to The Sessions Voices performance of "Blackbird."  The video incorporates Super 8mm footage and documentaries from the national archive. 

The Sessions Voices - Blackbird [official video] from Andrea Nevi on Vimeo.

I Will Go Lord If You Lead Me!

John the Baptist’s Testimony to Jesus. (from John, Chapter 1)29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.30 He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’31I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”32John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.33I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’34 Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” 

The  Gospel reading for this weekend again tells us of the Baptism of Jesus, but from John's point of view this time.  All of John's life was spent "preparing the way" for the One to come.  He lived his life on that belief - what great faith!  Can you imagine the moment when it was revealed to him that the man standing by him was indeed the Son of God?  To FINALLY see the fulfillment of his life's work. 
I wonder if John had any moments of doubt.  He had followers who supported him, but I bet there were also those who thought he was crazy!  
We all have people in our lives who are "John"...those who think differently than the mainstream...maybe they eat differently, dress differently, live differently as well. Some people are on the "fringes" of society..or at least they are viewed as such.
Are they prophets with a message as John was?  Not everyone accepts the status quo or sees things like "normal" people do.  Do they view this as a liability....or a gift?  How do WE see it?  Perhaps YOU are one like John!  
Whether we live on the fringes or in the midst of the what is viewed as our society, what is really important is our relationship with God.  Are we like John, giving our entire life to the mission that God has for us?  Can others see who you are living your life for?  
Dan Schutte wrote Here I Am Lord in 1981 (wow, that's a LONG time ago isn't it!).  It's been a staple of many Christian hymnals.  The song is based on Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3.
As you listen to the verses of this song, put your voice to the lyrics.  Listen and meditate on where the Lord will lead you!