Djembe Drums - all students

 Djembe Drums - all students

Last week, each class participated in Drum Circle lessons in Music.  For each class, everyone had the opportunity to play a rhythm instrument and a Djembe drum.  

During these lessons we:

-foster a sense of community as we work together

-echo rhythm patterns

-explore the sound of various musical instruments

-practice playing to a steady beat and rhythms we have worked on in class

-create some of our own rhythm patterns

Some of the students favourite activities include Round Robin and Electric Shock.  Ask your student what their favourite drumming activity was.  

Secret Chicken - Grades 1/2 and 3/4

Secret Chicken - Grades 1/2 and 3/4 

Grades 1/2 and 3/4 have enjoyed playing Secret Chicken.  

In this activity, students watch a video where a chicken spells out 4 beat rhythms which when decoded, provide the name of a place in the World.  

Once they have decoded the 4 beat rhythm, we learn about the Music from that place.  For example, we recently decoded Japan and Ireland while playing the game and then learned about these countries' instruments and music.  

Music Curriculum covered in this activity:

-listening, recognizing and decoding rhythm patterns including quarter notes, quarter rests and pairs of eighth notes.  

-follow music notation from left to right

-identify like and unlike patterns in music

-learning about Music from other places

Drumheller Dinosaur Dance Grade 1/2

 Drumheller Dinosaur Dance Grade 1/2

The Grade 1/2 students did a lesson around the book "Drumheller Dinosaur Dance" by Robert Heldbreder.

Through this lesson, students were learning about the four different families of the non-pitched percussion (woods, metals, skins, shakers and scrapers).  They also performed rhythms on non-pitched percussion.

After reading the book, we took out 4 sound phrases from the story: boomity boom, rattley clack, thumpity thump, whickety whack.  These phrases repeat several times throughout the story.

The students decided which of the non-pitched percussion families represented each of the 4 phrases.

We did this activity 4 times so each student had a turn to play an instrument from each of the non-pitched percussion families.  

 Music Monday

On Monday May 5, Lake Bonavista School came together twice to celebrate Music Monday.

In the morning, a Brass Quintet from the CPO came to perform for us and teach us about the French Horn.

In the afternoon, we gathered to sing the 2025 Music Monday Anthem "Hold On" by Triumph along with Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and O Siem by Susan Aglukark.

At the end of the assembly, Mr. Link performed some songs for us.

What a great day!

CPO Brass Quintet May 5

 

Lake Bonavista School is thrilled to welcome a Brass Quintet from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra on Monday May 5.   Thank you to School Council for this wonderful opportunity for our students!

This performance supports our learning of the Alberta Music Curriculum.  Some of the outcomes covered include:

• Awareness and appreciation of a variety of music
• Distinguish among the sounds of common musical instruments
• Recognize the instruments of the Brass Family

Recorder Composing - Grade 5/6

Recorder Composing - Grade 5/6

As a finale to our Recorder learning this year, students have created and performed their own Recorder Composition.

The Compositions needed to include the notes B, A, and G and consistent of  quarter notes, pairs of eighth notes and quarter rests.  The students needed to perform their rhythms accurately, maintain consistent tempo and play with good tone.

 

Sleepy Bunnies - Kindergarten

Sleepy Bunnies - Kindergarten

Sleepy Bunnies is always a hit in Kindergarten. (other grades as well.  I had a grade 5/6 class ask to do it the other day!)

In the song, students start out as very quiet sleepy bunnies:

Then the song changes - the music gets louder and they wake up and hop around the carpet. 

This song reinforces Musical Dynamics as they practice the concepts of loud and quiet while singing, moving and playing.

Here is the link if your student would like to show you this activity at home:

https://musicplayonline.com/songs/sleepy-bunnies/?my_access_code=J371630