Blackburn Primary School Weekly

F-6 Music & Choir

Term 4, Week 2

Welcome to Term 4! 

I hope you and your families had a rejuvenating holiday to prepare for this eventful term!

It’s shaping up to be a very musical one!

 

Please read below for information regarding:

  • Classroom Music 
  • Assembly Performances
  • Choir
  • The Evening of Music, Band Recruitment Night (more information on the ‘Band’ page of the newsletter)
  • Music Appreciation
  • Local Theatre 

Classroom Music - Foundation

Students were very excited to perform songs they learnt in Chinese with Miss Yi.They also performed the Chicken Dance and 'Trepak' from the famous Nutcracker Ballet which they learnt during music lessons with Mr Merlino and myself.

 

Many students were keen to introduce items themselves and I was happy to write short speaking parts to provide as many of our enthusiastic students the opportunity to present to an audience. Thankyou to families who assisted their child in rehearsing their parts - they did a wonderful job! Thank you also to Hetu and Mengsi (LOTE Captains) and Ava and Malcolm (Music Captains) for assisting our youngest BPS students with patience and care. What great role models you are!

Grades 1 and 2

 

Term 4 Focus:

  • Call & Response/ vocal improvisation/ body percussion
  • The musical alphabet - visual representation with our new chime bars (above) on the wooden staircase - ascending (going up), descending (coming down)
  • Continuing understanding of beat and rhythm - now including pitch 
  • Completing class composition in rondo form using tuned and untuned instruments

Grades 3 and 4

Students are developing their technique, hand position, and posture when playing tuned percussion instruments (xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels)

Grade 3 - 'I Just Love ABBA' 

Grade 4 - 'CABBAGE Cafe'

Grade 5

Grade 5 students are developing their technique, hand position, and posture when playing a variety of tuned percussion instruments to 'Chopsticks'

Grade 6

Students in Grade 6 are continuing to develop their skills in playing the ukulele. 

They will finish off the year (and their primary years of schooling!) singing songs and playing the games that they learnt in the music room throughout their time at BPS. I will prepare a slideshow of the photos and videos from Foundation-6 to end our time together in the Music Room.

 

 

Choir Performance 

The Choir have been rehearsing new songs and rounds and are looking forward to our next performances:

  • Next Friday 25 October – at assembly - 2.40pm in Gym (Week 3)
  • Wednesday 13 November - Evening of Music (Week 6)

The Evening of Music, held at One. Church (opposite BPS) is definitely a highlight of the BPS musical calendar! Please lock this date into your diary.

 

For the Evening of Music, choristers are to wear the same performance clothing as they did for the Mid-Year Soiree earlier this year:

  • a plain, bright coloured tee (no collar or logo)
  • black pants / leggings / stockings and skirt (no bare legs, please!)

It may be a good idea for students to try on their performance clothing just in case they've had a growth spurt since their last performance! 

 

In the meantime, we hope to see you at next week's assembly as we sing songs from 'Wonka' and 'The Greatest Showman'. 🎵🌟

Music Appreciation

How do we make informed choices about the music we like to listen to, 

perform or create if we are not exposed to a diverse range of music?

 

Each week a different musical genre (or style) is played over the loudspeaker at bell times so that students become familiar with a variety of genres and artists. All songs chosen are child-appropriate.

 

The musical genres showcased in Term 4 will be:

 

Week 1 – Childhood Songs!

Week 2 – 1950’s

Week 3 – 1990’s

Week 4 - Mixed Genres including Diwali

Weeks 5 & 6 – Duets

Week 7 - 2020’s 

Week 8 - Songs from Musicals 

Week 9 – Mixed Genres 

Weeks 10 & 11 – Christmas & Holidays!

Support the local arts at the Whitehorse Round! 

If you enjoy musicals, cabarets, theatre shows and have not yet visited the 'Whitehorse Round', I encourage you to do so!  I saw two musicals during the school holidays (Brigadoon and Gypsy) presented by local community theatre companies. Both were fabulous shows held at Whitehorse's beautiful new(ish) venue. It was so good not to have to organise paid car parking prior to the show or navigate city traffic as is usually done!

 

Find out what's on at https://www.theround.com.au/ 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful term ahead!

 

Yours in harmony,

 

 

Lisa Shacklock

F-6 Music, Choir Co-ordinator & Band Liaison (M-W, F)