The music program at Our Lady of Lourdes school strives to enrich the whole child, mind, body and spirit. It does this through discovering music in the liturgy,  singing games, song, dance, drama, theory  playing classroom instruments and incorporating music with other subjects in the curriculum.

          Music gives wings to the mind,
                        flight to the imagination
                                         and life to everything. - Plato

      

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. There are only a couple of days before the Easter break. I found a few things that you could review, so we will save anything new until after Easter.

I am also going to leave the videos up that are already there, so that you can review them. I hope that you enjoy the new ones.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!




 

PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN:  All videos are in       youtube.com

Grades One and Two:  All videos are on      youtube.com
Video #1  Exercise, Rhyme and Freeze With Jack Hartmann    2:o7
When you hear rhyming words, exercise. When you hear words that don't rhyme, FREEZE! Copy Jack

Video #2   Introduction to Rhythm Reading: Stage One      2:07
This one is also #3 in Pre-K, K, in case you have a brother or sister in the class. (Look there for the directions)

Video #3  Solfege Handsign Review    4:08
You all know that the scale is do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. Each note of the scale also has a hand sign. We have learned do, mi, and so. This video has ALL of them. See if you can copy the sound and the hand sign that goes with it. (Don't worry if you can't sing as low as he can.......but I'll bet that you can sing higher.---try

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Video #4: Introduction To Rhythm Reading - Stage Two         2:07
Do this the way that you did Stage 1.









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Grades Three and Four:   All videos are on       youtube.com
Video #1: Introduction To Rhythm Reading: Stage Two   2:08
In this video, you will hear seven exercises. Each one has a one measure introduction. This will give you a chance to look over the notes and decide which sound to make for each note that you see. A reminder of the sounds is down below. You will hear three kinds of notes.

Quarter note - one beat; Ta
Paired eighth notes - together, one beat - each one is a half beat:     ti-ti
Half note - two beats; Ta-ah

Remember that the beat has a steady sound; ta ta ta ta
The rhythm is the way that rhe notes (or the words) go.

The rhyhtm for four quarter notes would be  ta ta ta ta
The rhythm for  one quarter note, paired eighth notes, and a half note, would be 
   ta  ti-ti  ta -ah

See if you can clap and speak each rhythm, just the way that we did it in class. Don't forget to look at the notes as you speak their sound.

Video #2 Introduction to Rhythm Reading: Stage Three    2:38
 This exercise is the same as the first, but we are adding a quarter rest. The rest is a sign for silence , as you know. When you come to it say shh or rest.

Video #3 The do, re, mi, so Challenge       2:29
This exercise is challenging, just as the name says. Try your best. As you know, the scale is do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. In the video, try to sing the syllable after the teacher, looking at where the notes are on the staff. If the notes are right next to one another, on the staff line, space, line, space, etc.  they are moving by step. If they are going from line to line, or space to space - or more, the notes are skipping, or moving by leap. If one note looks higher, sing up; if one note looks lower, sing down. Don't forget to read the notes as they light up looking where they are on the staff.      Good luck.
 

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Introduction To Rhythm Reading: Bonus Challenge       4:21
Do this exercise like Stage three.

Grades Five and Six:   All  videos are on      youtube .com
Video #1 Introduction To the Instruments of the Orchestra - Portland Youth                                 Orchestra 
This video is a review of the orchestra. Notice the detail of each section as it is reviewed. This will help you to recognize the instruments individually, as they play together in the second video. Here are some clues to look for:

Woodwinds:
flutes and piccolos - located  left of center - no reeds
oboes and english horns - double reed; long, skinny mouthpiece
clarinets  -   single reed   -flat mouthpiece, like the tip of your thumb
bassoon, double bassoon - larger and deeper

Brass   Location in back
trombones       -    slide
tuba  -deepest, biggest
trumpets  -  highest
french horns   -   back

Percussion: anything you strike, hit or shake     -     in back
Piano - (the conductor here makes it appear that the piano is in the string section, but it is in the percussion.

Strings: on the left and the right
harp
double bass, (bass, string bass, contra bass, goes by all these names)
cello - (violoncello) - location, center and right- player is seated.
viola - slightly larger than the violin  - both vioiln and viola are held under the 
           chin
violin  -  highest and smallest

Video #2: Britten: The Young Person's Guide To the Orchestra     Kohler
                      Philharmonic              16:49
In this video, look for the clues in video #1 to identify the instruments that you see being played. Write down the instruments that you recognize.

Video #3: The do,re,mi,so Challenge     2:29
In this video you will have a two measure introduction, then someone will sing the first exercise using do, re, mi or so. She will sing each exercise three times and you will repeat each one after her.

There are 6 exercises. Some of you may find this easier than others. Make it easier for yourself by looking for the following clues. If the notes are going line, space, line, space, they are moving by step. Look for the direction. If the next note is higher or lower then sing up or down. If the note is moving from line to line or from space to space, or more, it is skipping. Don't forget to follow direction. As you work on this (just once is not enough), you will gradually find yourself reading do, re, mi, and so.

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Video 4: A Guide To Rhythm Reading: Intermediate Rhythms Part 1: Dotted
              Quarter / Single Eighth      3:08
In this video the rhythms get a little more difficult. I would suggest that you pause the video when the first example is up. Study the rhythms and the sounds of the notes. (For the dotted quarter note ta-i, pronounce the i as ee in the word keep. For the barred eighth notes you say ti-ti, (tee-tee), so the single eighthnote is ti (tee).)
Say the rhythm SLOWLY, but keep it steady. Gradually increase the speed or tempo until you are saying the rhythm with the music.

 
            

Grades Seven and Eight: 
Video #1 Introduction To Rhythm Reading: Bonus Challenge     4:20
The directions for all of these videos are the same. Speak the sounds of the notes that you see and hear as they are highlighted. These first lessons are about reading rhythms.
Speak the rhythm of the notes as they light up. Keep it steady. You are reading the rhythm, the way the notes (or the words) go.
These are the sounds you speak for the notes.
quarter note   ta
paired eighth notes   ti-ti
half note  ta-ah  (they say te-o  - ignore that)
quarte rest   shh or rest
dotted quarter note ti-i       pronounced t-ee

There is an introduction before each example. 
Video #2: A GuideTo Rhythm Reading: Intermediate Rhythms Part 1: Dotted Quarter / Single Eighth     Notes    3:07

Video #3:   Basic rhythms you should be able to read Before Learning an 
                  Instrument.   7:16
Don't forget to speak the rhythms.

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Video #4:   A guide To Rhythm Reading Intermediate Rhythm Part 3: The
               Beethoven Challenge
In this video, pronounce the single eighth note, ti, (tee as in keep); pronounce the
barred  sixteenth notes as we did in class, ti-ra-ti-ra, and the half note, ta-ah. 
I would suggest that you pause the rhythm when you see it and practice it slowly, until you can keep the tempo that they use and then say it with the music.