Everything music from a perspective of a public
school music teacher with subject integration
(especially art, history, and literature) as a focus
to help teach the Common Core Curriculum.
NO QUOTE/COMPOSER REPORT: CHOPIN1. Started the 3rd section of the report about famous people alive during Chopin's life. Discussed some famous writers and some of their famous literary works of the time: Washington Irving, Victor Hugo, Sarah Hale
OBJECTIVE: MUSICAL THEATRE: OLIVER
1. Reviewed the story of the musical, discussed the author Charles Dickens, and composer Lionel Bart. 2. Gave a historical overview of what life was like back in 1840's England the time the story took place in 3. Discussed the food called "GRUEL"/ I gave a recipe and explained that this was the main food fed the children in the orphanage and that the first song in the musical is based on this food staple. 4. We started to watch the musical ......a) Overture ......b) Food Glorious Food ......c) Oliver ......d)Boy for Sale
ADVANCED VIOLIN:
OBJECTIVE: Prepared a short summary of impressions from our field trip to the Disney Hall 1. TUNE Song: Imagine
BEGINNING VIOLIN: OBJECTIVE:
Prepared a short summary of impressions from our field trip to the Disney Hall
OBJECTIVE: PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS 1. Watch film about percussion instruments: "MUSICAL ENCOUNTERS: PERCUSSION" .....a. Students to take down 15 important facts will help of the teacher .....b. Before beginning, teacher reviews how to take notes effectively .....c. Review of notes I took on this film are located on this Blog (http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6233607564678139674&postID=3203417336970149174)
BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5 andADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: EXPERIENCING A LIVE ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE 1. Field trip to the Disney Hall in downtown Los Angeles 2. Topic: Jazz and the Orchestra demonstrated by the musis of George Gershwin .....a. "Rhapsody in Blue" http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=2980 .....b. "An American in Paris"
..........1)An American in Paris is an extended symphonic tone poem .............a)A tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section (a movement) in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another (non-musical) source .............b)It is illustrated or evoked by the American composer George Gershwin who wrote it in 1928. .............c)The music was inspired by the time Gershwin had spent in Paris evoking the sights and energy of the French capital in the 1920s. .....c. It is one of Gershwin's best-known compositions.
Gershwin collaborated on the original program notes with the critic and composer Deems Taylor, noting that: "My purpose here is to portray the impression of an American visitor in Paris as he strolls about the city and listens to various street noises and absorbs the French atmosphere." When the tone poem moves into the blues, "our American friend ... has succumbed to a spasm of homesickness." But, "nostalgia is not a fatal disease." The American visitor "once again is an alert spectator of Parisian life" and "the street noises and French atmosphere are triumphant."
An American in Paris is scored for 3 flutes (3rd doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B flat, bass clarinet in B flat, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B flat, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, wood block, cymbals, low and high tom-toms, xylophone, glockenspiel, celesta, 4 taxi horns, alto saxophone/soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone/soprano saxophone/alto saxophone, baritone saxophone/soprano saxophone/alto saxophone, and strings.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_in_Paris and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tone_poem)The idea that this music was based upon was expanded into a film musical format in 1951winning Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Musical Score, Best Story and Screenplay, Best Color Cinematography, Best Color Art Direction/Set Decoration, and Best Color Costume Design.(http://www.filmsite.org/amer.html)
The melody from this piece was borrowed, words added, and the backround rhythm changed creating a popular song in the 1940's called, "Till the End of Time"
discussed terms: opus [op.] a way that is used to categorize and file large collections of music by a composer, etude ( a musical exercise), nocturne (night music) , prelude ( a short introductory song), waltz (3-4 dance-type style), polonaise ( a Polish nationalistic song)
Will continue to work on this report Friday
Recorder warm-up:
Use of the 3rd finger on the recorder; importance of sealing (not just covering) the finger holes; 3rd finger is weak and has a thinner finger tip pad so it is more difficult to seal its hole/
Use of the right hand (right thumb) support to help the left hand fingers seal the holes using the concept of counter pressure (the left hand fingers push down into the holes while the right hand (thumb) pushes the recorder up)
Lines and spaces (musical staff) and naming them by numbers from bottom to top Identifying which notes are line and which onesare spaces
Step-wise motion line to next space or vice versa like walking up or down stairs (when notes are in step-wise orderusually recorder fingers move in order as well (when notes move up in step wise motion usually fingers are taken off the instrument in order)
Using step wise motion in music notation to determine fingering on the recorder EX: In step wise motion if a note on the second space on the staff (2 fingers down on the recorder) moves down to the very next line (line two) on the staff then the recorder fingering moves down adding the third finger
Terms Reviewed: barlines, repeat signs, measures, and meter (or time signature), breath marks, quarter and eighth note countings
Introduced the symbols for: a full measure of rest (a little black square pointing down) and the idea of half notes (2 beats) and dotted half notes (3 beats)
songs played ALLEY ALLEY O (1-2) step LUCERNE TO WIGGIS (1-2) step JAMES LOT (1-3-2) skip and step (dotted half notes-3-4 meter)
BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: OBJECTIVE:
Preparation for tomorrows field trip Started Imagine reviewed harmony then split class into melody and harmony
GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2, 3, 6: COMPOSER: Chopin OBJECTIVE: RECORDER BEGINNING SONGS NO QUOTE (instead composer report) 1. COMPOSER REPORT: CHOPIN .....a. Passed out composer report forms and then .....b. Wrote down some general composer information (name, dates, country of origin) .....c. Wrote down names of 5 music examples heard in class Tobe continued (instead of the quote until finished) 3. WARM-UP: (FOLLOWING THE CONDUCTOR SILENT DIRECTIONS) .....a. Echo playing: teacher plays a phrase, students imitate .....b. Echo on T1 [T=THUMB (on back hole)/ 1=1st finger (left pointer) both "pinched" together at the same time] .....c. Echo on T12 [T=THUMB/12=1st and 2nd fingers (left pointer and middle) all placed down at the same time] .....d. Echo alternating between T1 and T12 .....e. Echo alternating between T1 and T12 and add T123 [THUMB, 1(1st finger), 2 (2nd finger), and 3 (3rd or left ring finger)] in direction order downwards then reverse in direction order upwards (moving by "step") .....f. Echo using notes T1, T12, and T123 some out of direction order (notes moving by "skip") 4. Review of music notation terms: .....a. Staff: ..........1)5 lines, 4 spaces ..........2)Lines and spaces are given number names counting them from the bottom to top .....b. Note stem direction ..........1)notes placed on line 3 of the staff or higher- stems go down to the left ..........2)notes placed on line 3 or lower- stems go up to the right ..........3)notes on line 3 can have stems that either go up to the right of down to the left .....c. Treble clef: ..........1)The word "CLEF" originally meant "KEY" ..........2)The word "CLEF" combined with the word "TREBLE" is the symbol which represents the high notes as they are represented in music notation (the right hand of the piano). .....d. Repeat sign ..........1)A "musical road map" symbol ..........2)Consists of a double bar (one thick and one thin line) and two dots ..........3)Tells the player to repeat a section of music .....e. More notation terms connected with math: ..........1)Meter/Time Signature: .............a)"Meter" is a mathematical pattern of strong and weak beats found in music .............b)Represented by a symbol at the beginning of a piece of printed music called the "time signature" .................1)Looks like a fraction .............c)Upper number of the meter tells how many beats are in a section of music (measure) .............d)Lower number of the meter tells the value of the beat .................1)Examples: If the lower number is 4=quarter note; if the lower number is 8=eighth note .........2)Bar Lines: .............a)Perpendicular lines in the music which separate the music into sections. .............b)They help keep the eyes from getting lost when reading music notation .............c)Are placed mathematically determined by the meter .........3)Measure: .............a)Sections of music .............b)Mathematically "measured" .............c)Divided by the bar lines .........4)Review of the quarter and eighth notes from a previous lesson 5. SONG: "Lucern to Weggi .....a. A song from Switzerland. .....b. In it there is a short INTERLUDE ..........1)A short connecting passage where the instruments stop and then return to the melo.....c. Fingerings: 1,12 6. Start more new songs continuing to use all first 3 fingers on the recorder.
.....a. NEW SONG: JAMES' LOT
..........1)Fingering moves by step and skip
BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5:
OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION
1. TUNE
2. CIELITO LINDO
3. BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS
.....a. Some tried the VIOLIN I part
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4:OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION
1. TUNE
2. CIELITO LINDO
3. IMAGINE
OBJECTIVE: RECORDER BEGINNING SONGS BY NUMBER 1. QUOTE AUTHOR: Jasha Heifetz: famous violinist 2. SOLFEGE: MI-RE-DO Introduction of MI-RE-DO hand signals and sounds a. For each student sings the pattern and hand signs to... teacher: "Did you finish your quote?" Student reply, "Yes I did."
2. "What Is a Musical Worksheet" and discussion .....a. Questions are being answered in class and to be finished on Monday .....b. See this worksheet on this Blog as well .....c. Some terms learned and discussed from this worksheet/lesson in regards to musical theatre: ........1)composer ........2)lyrics, lyricist ........3)dialogue ........4)choreographer, dance ........5)song, reprise ........6)act, intermission ........7)technicians ........8)creative team, director, musical conductor
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: 1. TUNE
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
OBJECTIVE: ALLEY CAT RHYTHMIC READING-PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE PIECE 1. Quote by Jasha Heifietz/famous violinist of the 20th century 2. Solfege Roll: Review solfege hand signals adding "Sol." Teacher asks with hand signals: Sol-Mi-La-Sol-Mi ("Mar-y did you finish your quote?")/Student answers with hand signals: Sol-Mi-La-Sol-Mi ("Yes I did") and show the quote to me. 3. ALLEY CAT RHYTHMIC PERFORMANCE PIECE .....a. Go over directions..each color/symbol is a different percussion instrument...one instrument assigned per student ..........1)SHAKERS (MARACAS): QUARTER REST ..........2)WOOD SOUNDS (CLAVES/SPOONS): BLACK ..........3)METALS (FINGER CYMBALS/TRIANGLES): BLUE X's ..........4)SCRAPERS (GUIROS): RED .....b. Students slowly practice together as teacher helps with counting (no aqccompaniment music yet) .....c. Students play parts with music and teacher helps with tracking .....d. Students play parts without teacher help with tracking .....e. Students switch to different instruments and replay BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: OBJECTIVE: SHORT HISTORY OF JAZZ: PREPARATION FOR FIELD TRIP TO DISNEY HALL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 1. Introduction to the history of jazz and its relationship to slavery 2. Play short video about what jazz sounds like .....a. Introduction to some famous jazz performers especially Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby 3. Play short video about 1920's jazz 4. Discuss with class added information: .....1)What instruments used in jazz versus the orchestra .....2)Improvisation over a fixed pattern of chords .....3)The idea of music as a conversation between instruments .....4)Scat singing 5. Importance of jazz music in American history and its influence on race relationships ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: SHORT HISTORY OF JAZZ: PREPARATION FOR FIELD TRIP TO DISNEY HALL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 1. Introduction to the history of jazz and its relationship to slavery 2. Play short video about what jazz sounds like .....a. Introduction to some famous jazz performers especially Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby 3. Play short video about 1920's jazz 4. Discuss with class added information: .....1)What instruments used in jazz versus the orchestra .....2)Improvisation over a fixed pattern of chords .....3)The idea of music as a conversation between instruments .....4)Scat singing 5. Importance of jazz music in American history and its influence on race relationships 6. Tune Instruments 7. SONG: IMAGINE 8. SONG: 21 GUNS
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.
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.
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.
1. Discussed meaning of words "Polonaise" and "nationalism" in relation to Chopin's music. OBJECTIVE: QUARTER AND EIGHTH NOTE RHYTHMS 1. Quote by J.S. Bach/explanation about how long ago he lived and how musicians of his time made a living (who could afford to pay his salary) and what types of audiences were listening to his music. 2. Solfege Quote Check: SOL-MI 3. ALLEY CAT RHYTHMIC PIECE .....a. Rhythmic symbols used in music and their relationship to fractions .....b. Concept of "SILENCE" in music .....c. Focusing Skills-visual tracking which is timed .....d. Patterns in music and their effect on the the brain .....e. Use of LEFT vs RIGHT in music and why musicians get frustrated sometimes TERMS: QUARTER NOTE QUARTER REST EIGHTH NOTE POLONAISE NATIONALISM FLAGS BEAMS MUSIC STAFF STEMS
BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION SPRING PERFORMANCE 1. TUNE 2. SONG: "HOE DOWN" .....a. Worked on first 3 sections and connecting them with the harmony parts 3. "21 GUNS"
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION SPRING PERFORMANCE 1. TUNE 2. SONG: "NUMB" .....a. Played first half of the piece reviewing what we had practice the day before during the sectionals 3. SONG: "YEAR WITHOUT RAIN" 4. MARIACHI SONG: "CIELITO LINDO" .....a. Played first half with melody and harmony
Four people still need to turn in field trip permission slips. The field trip is on February 24th!
1. Discuss the meaning of the word "etude" in relation to Chopin's music .....a. An etude is a French word for a musical study piece designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular musical skill 2. Chopin wrote this piece during his Polish homeland's revolution against Russia. Due to poor health he could not fight for his beloved country so he wrote this music as a tribute instead OBJECTIVE: Intro to Percussion 1. Quote by Irving Berlin .....a. Berlin was a very famous 20th Century American composer of Broadway musicals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin) .....b. One of his most famous pieces was:
2. Solfege Roll: Review solfege hand signals adding "Sol." Teacher asks with hand signals: Sol-Mi-Sol-Sol-Mi-Mi- Sol Mi ("Mar-y did you finish your quote?")/Student answers with hand signals: Sol-Mi-Sol-Mi ("Yes I did") and show the quote to me. 3. Pass out various percussion instruments: slapstick, tambourine, cabasa, guiro, spoons, claves, woodblock, ratchet, and maracas 4. Review how to follow a conductor's silent cues (signals) and how to start and end together. 5. Start "Alley Cat" .....a. Graph of the beats and the form (Intro/A/A/B/A/CODA) and practice with BP (body percussion) ...........1)Compare FORM in music to form in writing, to a "sandwich" [2 pieces of bread (INTRO and CODA) with cheese and turkey in between], etc. .....b. Exchange to instruments. Blue is any choice, wood sounds play the color yellow (A SECTION), scraper and shakers play pink (B SECTION) .....c. Students to play with help of the teacher but then be able to follow chart without that help. ..........1)Students learn to track with their own eyes and listen to the patterns of sound on their own. .....d. ALLEY CAT CHART WITH QUARTER and EIGHTHS (INTRO. TO BASIC RHYTHMS) ..........1)What is a quarter note? ..............a)Generally the "heart beat" in music is called the quarter beat or "quarter note" ..............b)An easy way to produce it is by the tap of a foot, a patsch on the leg, a clap of a hand, or a snap of a finger ..............c)Verbally, there are many ways to produce it; an easy way is by saying (or thinking) the sound of "TAH" ..........2)Is all sound music? ..........3)What is silence? What is one of its function in music? .............a)Silence organizes sound into patterns; without silence the sound continues on without stopping like a drone. .............b)Silence in music is called a REST .............c)There is a relative REST for every type of played rhythmic note in music ..........4)The length of sounds and silences can be musically notated using specific musical symbols based on fractions ..........5)Eighth notes .............a)Splitting quarter notes in half produces a sound that is twice as fast .............b)Two eighth notes equal one quarter beat 7. Do not forget to turn in signed rule sheets: worth 1 point TERMS: MUSICAL FORM INTRODUCTION CODA BINARY FORM (SECTION "A" and SECTION "B") QUARTER NOTE REST QUARTER REST EIGHTH NOTE BODY PERCUSSION (BP) ETUDE BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION FOR SPRING CONCERT 1. TUNE 2. MARIACHI SONG: CIELITO LINDO .....a. Worked on the second phrase ..........1)Noticed that the second phrase is mostly in scale-wise patterns 3. SONG: HOEDOWN .....a. For sight reading purposes and because we have some new students in the class we all read through the harmony version of Hoe Down using a student as a pointer to help with visual tracking
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION FOR SPRING CONCERT 1. TUNE 2. SONG: "NUMB" .....a. Separated class into harmony and melody sectionals .....b. Melody (violin I parts) spent time on the first phrase working specifically on proper bowing patterns 3. SONG: BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS .....a. Entire group worked together cleaning up articulation passages with and without the accompaniment
PERIOD 4 and 5 VIOLIN CLASSES FROM LAST SEMESTER NEED TO GET IN THEIR FIELD TRIP PERMISSION FORMS FOR OUR FEBRUARY 24th FIELD TRIP TO THE DOWNTOWN DISNEY HALL. THERE ARE A FEW STUDENTS WHO STILL NEED TO TURN THEIR SLIPS IN!!!!!
GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2, 3, 6 COMPOSER: CHOPIN OBJECTIVE: PERCUSSION IDENTIFICATION 1. NO QUOTE/COMPOSER REPORT: CHOPIN .....a. Discussed some other famous composers who were alive at the same time as Chopin: ..........1)Felix Mendelssohn: Famous composer and conductor from Germany (wrote a famous Wedding March) ..........2)Robert Schumann: Famous pianist, composer and piano teacher. He married the daughter of his piano teacher Clara Wieck Schumann, who was also well known for her piano playing and composing in her own right. Schumann experimented with a device he invented to help strengthen and train the fingers of his students. While trying the device out himself, he harmed one of his fingers to the extent that it never healed properly. Not being to play the piano as well as he used to depressed him so much that he eventually developed a mental illiness. ..........3)Franz Liszt: A famous pianist (performer) and composer who, like Chopin, was one of the most popular pianists of his time. .....b. Discussed some other famous historical people alive during Chopin's lifetime:
..........1)US President #5 James Monroe
..........2)US President #11 James K. Polk
..........3)Queen Victoria of England (She was the queen of England for a very long time and her style was copied by people all over the world. Her influence on style and culture was so famous that the time period she lived in is often refered to as the "Victorian" era. An example of her influence is the tradition of the Christmas tree. Before she had one in her palace, the Christmas tree was only a tradition in Germany. After Victoria was introduced to this custom by her husband Albert, who was German, the Christmas tree became a tradition all over. It was also Victoria who set the tradition of getting married to a famous bridal march composed by Felix Mendelssohn. She had heard the music in his (Mendelssohn's) "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and decided to have it played at her own wedding ceremony. .....a. Discussed famous artists that lived during the time period of Chopin (will finish this section for period 2 and 3 Wednesday): ..........1)J.M.W Turner, J.M.W ..........2)George Caleb Bingham ..........3)Eugene Delacroix (Personal friend to Chopin and George Sand; he painted a famous painting of Chopin) 2. Finished off the notes taken from the Percussion film view last week 3. Filled in the names of percussion instruments on the worksheets handed out in class 4. Turned all work in
BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5:OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION1. TUNE 2. SONG: BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS ....a. All violins practiced the VIOLIN I part ..........1)Music was broken down into small units or repeated patterns ..........2)We intensly practiced 3 of those patterns separately ..........3)For continuity we played through the entire piece (without music accompaniment) even the parts we did not know well yet)
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4:OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION 1. TUNE 2. SONG: NUMB ....a. Worked on new bowings (bowings were simplified) 3. SONG: 21 GUNS ....a. Again worked on new bowings
OBJECTIVE: Intro to Recorder: Beautiful and Ugly Sounds/Articulation/Putting Fingers Down 2. Solfege Roll: Review solfege hand signals adding "Sol." Teacher asks with hand signals: Sol-Mi-La-Sol-Mi ("Mar-y did you finish your quote?")/Student answers with hand signals: Sol-Mi-La-Sol-Mi ("Yes I did") and show the quote to me. 3. HOW UGLY SOUNDS ARE CREATED and VARIOUS REASONS FOR SQUEAKY SOUNDS: The reason I instruct my students to not put any fingers down yet is because I want them to concentrate first on the production of tone. To fix an ugly sound, first you must determine what caused it. If no fingers are being used in the production of the sound then it is very likely that the cause is associated in some way with the breathing (air control) apparatus. 4. HOW MUCH AIR IS NEEDED TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT: Unlike their modern relatives, the woodwind family, the recorders use small amounts of air in their production of pitched tones. These instruments are not capable of producing a good sound when too much air is blown into them. Too much air results in high, squeaky noises instead of distinct pitches. A good rule to think about, when playing the recorder, is never "blow" on it but instead "whisper" into it. 5. ROLE OF POSTURE AND BREATHING: The speed of the air entering the recorder needs to be controlled and regulated because changes in air speed cause the intonation of the pitches to be altered. Steady streams of air (air speed) need to be going through the instrument in order to keep the sound from becoming wave-like or bumpy sounding. So, good breath control is essential for good intonation and beautiful tone quality. Breath control is directly related to proper posture. Mechanisms in the body responsible for breathing (lungs, diaphragm muscle, etc.) can not work at their optimum best when a person has poor posture. Consequently, poor posture not only affects recorder playing, it most importantly, affects the health of the body. I like to connect the idea of air going through the body to water going through a garden hose: If a garden hose is bent or has a kink in it, does the water run smoothly through it? Poor posture does not allow the air to flow as freely through the body forcing the body to work harder then it should to circulate the air. If you overwork the body parts for long periods of time they may not last as long. 5. WHEN TO BREATHE: When people talk they breathe at the end of phrases (like using a "comma"). Excessive breathing while talking makes the speech sound "choppy" and uncontrolled not to mention physically uncomfortable for the person who is speaking and irritating for the person who is listening to it. Musicians breathe in phrases just like people breathe in speech. To breathe in phrases, the air taken into the body must be portioned out (not let out all at once) so that there is enough air to produce a beautiful sound on each note. In order to do that the places the player breathes in the music must be planned ahead of time. Using a car and gasoline as an example: If you plan a trip through the desert and you don't want to run out of gas, you plan where you will be filling up your gas tank. If you plan incorrectly you will run out of gas. Just as a car will "sputter" as it is running out of gas, so will the sound of the instrument as the player runs out of air because the air stream becomes uncontrolled and thus "choppy" sounding. 6. IMPORTANCE OF ARTICULATION: Articulation is how sounds are stopped and started. We articulate when we speak as we use our tongue to start certain sounds (consonances) behind our teeth to form words. Musical instruments are in a way imitations of the human voice; they also use articulation in production of their sounds. An example of a good articulated sound is when a triangle is struck. If the instrument is struck incorrectly, the result will be a vibration of sound that is weak (not pleasing to hear) but if it is struck correctly, the vibration will ring for a long period of time and create a beautiful tone. In recorder playing, separate individual sounds are started with the tongue softly (too hard produces sounds anywhere from harsh to squeaky) touching behind (not on) the upper teeth using a "dah" or "tah" tongue position. When playing in groups, instrumental performers playing the same parts need to articulate (and also breathe) the same way at the same time so the group can be heard by the audience as a single instrument. 7. A LITTLE SCIENCE ABOUT THE RECORDER: A recorder is a tube that sound waves go through. The longer the tube the lower it will sound. When holes are covered on the recorder, the size of the tube changes altering the pitch. In reality each different fingering combination is a different size tube so the instrument is actually many sized tubes all in one. If those different size tubes were separated and placed side by side they would like the different sized pipes in a pipe organ (only smaller of course). BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION 1. TUNE 2. SONG: "CIELITO LINDO" .....a. Worked on harmony part first to keep focus on notes without tracking help .....b. Added melody part (first section) to the harmony part .....c. Started to work with melody parts on second half of piece
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION 1. TUNE 2. SONG: "CIELITO LINDO" .....a. Worked on ending for the violins .....b. Worked on the harmony part (first section) for the cellos .....c. Put all parts together 3. SONG: "YEAR WITHOUT RAIN" 4. SONG: "BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS"
