Ringing in the New Year with a Celebration of Music at SCS!

I would like to celebrate the outstanding learning that is happening in music class so far this year! Students are working together to create a respectful, collaborative classroom culture that allows them to share their creative thoughts and musical experiences. 

Together we have explored the Expressive Qualities of music, dynamics, (piano and forte) and tempo, (presto and largo). We have discovered how to combine varying instrumentation and expressive qualities to help us to create a story through song. 

Student's have listened to Saint Saens' "Danse Macabre" and Stravinsky's, "Firebird Suite" to help facilitate the comprehension of these concepts. 

Listening map for Camille Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre"


Artwork depicting Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite"

In PK - 2 we worked together to create listening maps aligning the pictures from our story with instrumental or digital sounds to tell a story through song. We have recently begun to explore the instruments of the orchestra.  

In 3rd and 4th grade students used Chrome Music Lab, Orff and percussion instruments to create independent listening maps built on the same concept as Camille Saint Saens' "Danse Macabre" listening map. After creating their listening map, students rehearse on their instruments and present their musical story to the class. You may have seen some of the work posted on Seesaw already. Students will complete their presentations when we return from break.

This week we listened to Pyotr Tchaikovsky's, "Nutcracker Suite". We watched Macauley Culkin's movie rendition performed by the New York City ballet and discussed the instrumentation that Tchaikovsky used to help tell this fascinating story. 

I would like to wish you a Happy Holiday and enjoyable New Year's celebration. I look forward to creating more wonderful music when we return in January!