![]() ![]() “Intonation and the way that children use their voice and wrap their mouth around a word is something one can learn really early on. Janiszewski both say that over their careers as singers they have sung in dozens of languages and they are excited about this growing part of the program. Brooks, music is a language unto itself, and she selects music in a variety of languages. It should also be a challenge, but an achievable one,” says Mr. I want the children to sing high quality music and something worthwhile. “I’m extremely particular about song choice. They also select from a broad range of composers to represent different cultures. They take into consideration the vocal range of children, which is much higher than an adult’s range. Brooks spend a great deal of time and effort on music selection. Janiszewski works very closely with the Grade 1 and 2 teachers when they put on their classroom plays, often writing the music for them. For example, they look for harvest songs during the Pre-K farm unit and Lenape songs for Grade 2 when they study the indigenous tribe. The music teachers collaborate with the classroom teachers based on what the students are learning in class. Brooks of the Nursery and Pre-K presentations. “It’s an ‘informance’ as much as it is a performance, showcasing what we are learning in our classes,” says Ms. The performances represent a shift that is occurring in the LES music program. In addition, students listen to a variety of music through their “Composers of the Week” program, learning about the music and lives of wellknown artists.īy the time students leave the Lower Elementary School, students have participated in several performances including the Halloween Parade, Winter Concerts, the Kindergarten Circus, Spring Concerts, and Grandparents’ Day. Students begin by playing small hand percussion instruments in Nursery and eventually play xylophones in Grade 2. They learn the names of notes and concepts like piano (soft) and forte (loud), and begin the process of reading music. In his classes, students put names to musical concepts. “When they come to me in Kindergarten, they have a really strong sense of rhythm,” says Mr. “When I get into a classroom, I think to myself: ‘What can we create?’ What can we build with the sound that you just made? My focus is to get students to hear a rhythm, but more importantly, to feel the rhythm,” says Ms. “The only difference between how I approach a group of elementary age children versus how I approach a group of adults is the difficulty of the repertoire.” “All of the music work I’ve done really fuels my teaching, keeping the standard for excellence no matter what the age is,” says Mr. ![]() ![]() Brooks, who started at GCDS in the last four years, are trained musicians who sing and play a variety of instruments, and they bring their expertise to work with LES students. “So it has to be either a rhythmic lesson, a pitch lesson, a lesson on dynamics, or a lesson on tempo.” ![]() Janiszewski, who also teaches Grades 1 and 2. “We never teach a song unless there’s a lesson in that song,” says Mr. “Part of how we achieve that is making sure that every single moment is planned and intentional." Brooks, who teaches Nursery, Pre-K students, and Kindergarten along with Mr. We want them to walk out of class loving music,” says Ms. “First and foremost in our minds is joy, joy, joy. Every moment of the class is planned and thought through. Nothing about the class, however, is random. The class is unbridled joy during which the students are fully engaged-body, mind, and heart. Here come the seals with clap, clap, clap,” they sang, pretending to be seals. On a recent morning, they were learning songs for Kindergarten Circus, a tradition performed by thousands of GCDS kindergarteners: “Flap, flap, flap, flap. They also dance-tapping their bodies, waving their arms, and jumping. For 30 minutes, 90 children sing-in loud and soft voices, in English and other languages, trying to hit high notes and low notes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |