The year in review, musically speaking...........

Wow. During music class this year, this group of children has consistently met and exceeded my expectations of them. They have been introduced to and come to understand many different musical concepts. An underlying thread in all types of music is the idea of contrast. We have explored high and low pitches, fast and slow music, sound and silence, loud and soft. A more subtle concept is the distinction between loud singing and shouting. When we work with our speaking - whispering - shouting - singing voices, the children love to be given license to shout, but they also know how to sing at the appropriate times instead.
Beyond basic contrasts in music, we have learned to echo rhythms and melodic fragments, as well as reading simple rhythmic notation, and interpreting melodic hand symbols. The children have also been introduced to the beginnings of ensemble playing, following a conductor and listening to play their instruments at the correct time in the song.
If you ask your child, however, I doubt you will get such a long list of what they have learned at music this year. I expect that you will have heard them singing new songs at home, and I hope that they will tell you that they love music! I have certainly loved teaching them.
Susannë