Music Makers--Week 4

We had a special visitor this week who brought his family with him: his Woodwind Family!

Tim Owen is a saxophone player in the Army Band and he came and showed us lots of different instruments. We learned about the flute, clarinet, and four different saxophones. Even though the higher ones sounded like babies crying and the low ones sounded like a grumpy grandpa, he showed us how the same instruments can make all kinds of music!

Everyone got to press the different keys and hear how they made different sounds and he even played Happy Birthday in a jazzy style. This week we will focus on tempo and conducting so get ready for more fun!

Music Makers--week 3

We started this week's class reading two books about the wonderful changes we see in the season of Autumn. After singing some songs about Autumn and it's awesomeness, we went on a neighborhood walk to discover the changes in nature. We saw lots of leaves with different shapes and colors, as well as spiders in the middle of their delicate webs. (We just had to sing Eensy Weensy Spider!) After munching on some blackberries we found on the way, we stopped at the most amazing chestnut tree and talked about our discovery. We even found a great Autumn surprise: four pumpkins growing next to the road! 

Next week: Wonderful Woodwinds with a special guest!

Music Makers--week 2

This week we learned about rhythm and how different rhythms affect music. We learned about Peer and his story and then listened to "In the Hall of the Mountain King". The kids enjoyed it so much that we acted out the story while listening to it again. Suddenly the sanctuary was filled with a king, a princess, and lots of trolls trying to stop Peer from escaping! 

We also made tambourines complete with bells and stickers and had fun making music of our own. (Did you know that "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and "Mary had a Little Lamb" have the same rhythmic pattern? Pretty cool!)

Next week: It's Autumn Time!

Music Makers--week 1

Today we learned all about my favorite instrument: the piano! We explored the beautiful piano in the sanctuary and learned about its inner workings. (Did you know the piano is technically a percussion instrument?) 

Checking out the keyboard, each student took a turn playing all the black notes and then naming the notes on the piano. We talked about how learning music is like learning another language and then we sang some songs together to warm up our ears. 

We ended things by going on a piano hunt in the church. Guess how many pianos we found? (Answer: 6)

Stay "tuned" for next week's class on Rhythm! 

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