Oklahoma! due next week....
Last week we started learning about American Minstrel Shows. We are celebrating the singing, dancing, jokes, body percussion, instruments and comedy. We are exploring the legacy of racial hatred that is obvious in these shows. Students are making comparisons between the racism and sexism of the these musical shows of the past, and the music and TV/Film industry of today. Students have seen videos and have started taking notes on the music and parts of the show. Next week we'll learn about the Jim Crow laws and how they affected musicians, and Americans in general. We'll begin to learn about Stephen Foster, a great writer of music for the minstrel show.
7th grade
Music from Outer Space. We are using music written for space as our theme. Last week we listened to recording s of sounds from the planets nearby. We learned about the Golden record that was sent into outer space on the probe called "Voyager" and listened to some of the music sent out. We continue to learn to play ukeleles. We learned Twinkle Twinkle Little Star , Imperial March from Star Wars, and now the Cantina Band theme song.
6th grade.
Learning about the elements of music through the music of Australia. We've listened to Rolf Harris, John Wiliamson, The Wiggles, AC/DC, digeridoos and more. We are singing Waltzing Matilda and Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, practicing our piano keyboards, drumming, playing the Maori Stick game, eating vegemite and ANZAC biscuits and learning about the British pop music influence in Australia. Next week we'll move on to start learning about the music of India.