Performing Arts

Communicating with the Specialist Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2022, and welcome your input:

Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) penelope.lang@education.vic.gov.au 

Welcome to Term Four. I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me when I got back to school. Check out these amazing Wizard of Oz biscuits!!! Lucky me....thank you Xavier.

I hope you had a lovely break and are getting excited for Christmas and the Summer holidays. This is my absolute favourite time of the year. We have started our Thursday lunchtime Christmas choir (open to all year levels)  because it's never too early to be singing Christmas carols right!? I am hoping to arrange a walking excursion to Upwey town center to entertain the local community. I will keep you posted. I have also enjoyed meeting with our Year 6s to chat about all things graduation. No doubt we will be decorating the gym and saying our goodbyes before we know it!

We have had a busy few weeks of learning and laughter.

Foundation:

This term will be focussing on percussion instruments and the instrument families of the orchestra. We have been starting all of our lessons with a beat keeping game and a song to reinforce those accumulated beat and rhythm skills. The students enjoyed singing the echo song "Wash your face in Orange Juice" and taking in turns of being Mr Clicketty Cane. They played 'What sound is that?" to develop listening skills and their ability to identify different instruments. They are now working with a partner to create a percussion sequence which will be performed in front of the class.

Year 1/2:

The focus this term is on informal music notation, composing and performing. The Year 1 students were introduced to the music 'rest' and had the opportunity to perform this (or not perform, as when there is a rest you don't play) during the song, 'It's My Car'. Each group (honk honk, rattle rattle, toot crash, beep beep) played a percussion instrument but had to listen carefully for their 'rest'. They were fantastic at keeping a steady beat when singing, "The Grand Old Duke of York" and are now composing their own clapping rhythms using graphic notation. They will have the opportunity to play them on their own and in small groups over the next few weeks. The Year 2s revised their beat and rhythm skills using the Queen song, "We Will Rock You" and enjoyed bopping out to, "The Steady Beat Rap" and the body percussion clip "Better When I'm Dancing". There were many happy faces when I told them they would also be playing the Ukuleles this term. They have done a great job at holding them correctly (not upside down and back to front) and not crashing into each other's ukulele. 

Year 3/4:

This term the Year 3/4 students will be learning to play some songs on the ukulele. Our lessons have been split between beat and rhythm practice ('Pass the Beat' is now our new favourite warm up game) and time on the ukuleles. We created some classroom expectations about caring for our instruments. I have been super impressed with the respect and responsibility shown by everyone in our room each week. The students created their own rhymes for remembering the names of the four strings on the ukulele (GCEA) and then attempted to pitch match these notes whilst singing their rhyme. They have been introduced to plucking, strumming and have learnt the C and F chords. Some creative ideas included:

"Geelong, Collingwood, Eagles, AFL"

"Galah, Cockatoo, Emu, Australia"

"Giraffes, Can, Evaporate, Ants"

"Gamers, Can, End, Anyone"

"Gingerbreads, Can, Energetically, Evaporate" 

Year 5/6:

Learning to play songs on the ukulele will be the focus of our performing arts lessons this term. Underpinning our lessons will be the need to keep a steady beat and listen carefully to others so we can play in unison. We have used 'Body Percussion' games to reinforce these skills. The students enjoyed the creative freedom to 'choreograph' their own body percussion routine in small groups. Half of the group maintained a 'steady pulse' whilst the other half added the rhythmic pattern over the top. So much fun! We have learnt the C chord, string names and practiced strumming and plucking.