WHAT WE DID TODAY (SEMESTER #2-10): FRIDAY; FEBRUARY 11, 2011

GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2, 3, 6:
COMPOSER: Chopin Waltz in Db Major Opus 64 #1 "Minute Waltz" [Not really meant to be played in a minute but it is a very short piece played on the fast side.

Performed by Ignaz Friedman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PJqdkXDbSI

OBJECTIVE: QUARTERS AND EIGHTHS/LEFT vs RIGHT IN MUSIC
1. Quote by Ludwig Van Beethoven ....a. One of Beethoven's famous pieces is "Wellington's Victory" where he reenacts a war scene through music. As discussed in a previous lesson, he uses a percussion instrument called a "ratchet."

A "ratchet" is a percussion instrument consisting of a cogwheel, frame, and wooden tongue.

It produces a very loud clicking sound by spinning the cogwheel around against the tongue.

http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textp/Percussioninstruments.html

http://www.compositiontoday.com/sound_bank/percussion/ratchet.asp

Beethoven uses the "ratchet" to portray the sound of gunfire in this music. 
2. SOLFEGE: SOL-MI

3. LEFT versus RIGHT

.....a. Students instructed to write their name using their weak hand (the hand they normally do not use)

..........1)Use of the weak hand demonstrates what musicians experience when playing instruments which use both hands

.....b. Discussed how the brain works: right side of the brain controls left side of the body and vice versa

...........1)Implications of brain function and the playing of most instruments which use the equal use of both hands while performance

...........2)Most instrumentalists need to use both hands equally; in order to do this the usually weak hand that most everyone has must be developed more then normal

...........3)Using the weak hand forces the brain to use its under-developed side which expands brain usage

...........4)Frustration that often comes from using the weak hand is actually the feeling of the under-developed side of the brain expanding

......c. "ALLEY CAT" RHYTHM PIECE UTILZING LEFT and RIGHT HANDS

...........1)Students counted out loud the rhythms on the chart

..............a)Quarters-quarter rests/eighths notes in pairs

...............b)Used body percussion (BP)

...........2)Chart of song has BLACK and RED notes and students instructed to count rhythms but use RIGHT HAND for BLACK notes and LEFT HAND for RED notes

BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5:

OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION FOR SPRING CONCERT

1. TUNE

2. SONG: "21 GUNS"

.....a. Played through music with teacher helping with tracking

.....b. Reviewed music "road sign" directions

.....c. Class played their harmony part without help of teacher tracking while teacher played the melody

3. SONG: "HOEDOWN"

.....a. Worked on section "B" to get proper articulation

.....b. Started to add harmony part

ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4:

OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION FOR SPRING CONCERT

1. TUNE

2. "NUMB"

.....a. Played through the entire piece for continuity

.....b. Will need to work on unifying the bowings

3. "21 GUNS"

......a. Played through the entire piece first

......b. Worked toward articulation by starting with keyboard, cello, and quitar parts first then added in a few violins at a time until everyone was playing together

A FEW STUDENTS STILL NEED TO TURN IN THEIR PERMISSION SLIP FORMS FOR THE FIELD TRIP TO THE DISNEY HALL IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES ON FEBRUARY 24th.