Music 

MUSIC NOTES 

As usual, all sorts of exciting things have been happening in the Music room.

Years F – 2 have been catching up on or revisiting some of the things that were missed during remote learning such as “Carnival of the Animals” filmed at San Diego Zoo (did you ever see two pianists and two pianos in an enclosure at the zoo?!).  There has been much laughter at the antics of cartoon donkeys and penguins if not at the fashions from decades ago.  In spite of the age of the video it’s really well done and very worth watching.  Many children tell me that they can hear a piano when they’re asked what they noticed in a piece of music.  This piece of music was written for the piano and they can see and hear the piano right through the video.  Hopefully they’ll recognise when it’s not present in future!

Year 3 and 4 children have been doing some research into the sounds that can be made by manipulating water in various ways with cups, hands and bath toys.  Along with Year 5 they’ve been finding out about various interesting ways to make sound and have looked at a number of “Music Machines”.  Some are truly amazing, and some are very old. Some look very expensive and one looked like a collection of junk.  Children at this level have begun to design their own music machines and have demonstrated excellent resilience when needing to revise and rethink their designs. Some of these student designs look like they might even work, should the opportunity arise!

The Xyloba has been well-used by just a few students.  Up to four children at a time can work with this marble run that plays music as the marbles strike chime bars.  It has to be correctly set up for this to happen and the challenge has been accepted and success achieved by every group so far. 

Year Six Teaching Day saw Amelia P and Ethan C working outside the Art and LOTE rooms on the deck with tubs, water and assorted bath toys.  They did an excellent job of teaching Music for the morning and, among other things, learned how to use gesture and move to gain the attention of a class and give instructions.  Ethan and Amelia also developed their questioning skills as they reflected with the children at the end of the lesson on what they’d discovered while doing the activity.  

Thanks so much, Amelia and Ethan.

Since this will be the last Newsletter of the year, I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a safe refreshing holiday break.  Please, children, don’t break my rule for the whole holidays!!  I look forward to seeing you all next year.

Lynne Burt

Specialist Music Teacher