Music On My Mind

“Sleigh Ride” by Jane Monheit This is from jazz...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:48:39 -0500

“Sleigh Ride” by Jane Monheit

This is from jazz vocalist Jane Monheit’s “The Season,” one of my favorite holiday albums. I like her light articulations and the overall playful feeling of this track. Happy holidays everyone!

My Dropbox folder! The green check means it has updated at...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:06:34 -0500

My Dropbox folder! The green check means it has updated at Dropbox.com.

https://www.dropbox.com/

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:04:00 -0500

https://www.dropbox.com/:

Dropbox.com is a free file storage site that allows you to access files you save there from any computer. I am using it since I primarily lesson plan at home where I am more comfortable (on the couch with a cup of tea!), but can now access my plans at school when I actually have a few minutes to do it during my planning time or if I want to print them at school.

If you use Dropbox, you don’t have to keep track of a flash drive and unlike with Google docs, you can work offline easily. If you download it to the computers you use, you can create a Dropbox folder and work offline, and whenever you are connected to the Internet, it will update to Dropbox.com. It is easy to use and a great way to back up files, since your documents will be saved to two computers and the internet.

I highly recommend using Dropbox if you lesson plan at home! It works with Macs (what I have at home) & PCs (what I have at school), and is easy to set up on both. If you decide to set up an account, please use this referral link (it will give me more storage space): https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTMzOTE2MDc5

The first day of snow coincided with the first day when I...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:15:05 -0500

The first day of snow coincided with the first day when I didn’t feel like it was too early in the season to listen to holiday music on the way to work, so this is only appropriate.

copycats:

Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz
originally by Richard Himber & His Orchestra
(posted by bunkercomplex)

Muppets perform “Habanera” I am thankful for totally...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:39:00 -0500

Muppets perform “Habanera”

I am thankful for totally ridiculous things that make me laugh, especially when there are Muppets involved. Beaker made me lose it in this one.

Sounds my Kindergarten students have created on their pretend “Woods Walk” (for vocal...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:35:00 -0500

Sounds my Kindergarten students have created on their pretend “Woods Walk” (for vocal exploration):

Porc-ee-pine (that’s how they say it)
Barn swallow - impressive!
Wolf who is only a little mad so he growls instead of howls
Fish
Earthquake
Kangaroo that does not jump
Jumping clock

I found out at parent-teacher conferences that one of my first grade students is a closet Journey...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:11:29 -0500

I found out at parent-teacher conferences that one of my first grade students is a closet Journey fan, and that at any moment she might switch from playing “Twinkle Twinkle” to “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the xylophone (she has already practiced it at home). Please let this happen…

Piano Tuner: Epiloge

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:54:29 -0500

My fiance posted this story about his experience with our piano tuner, Rick Pearson, today. He left out the part where he forgot he scheduled it, didn’t recognize Rick approaching our building and feared a little for his life when he said his name, and also was in his pajamas for this whole experience, haha. Rick is a great person & an excellent tuner! My fiance is a little silly and also great. :)

hellointernet:

The man works on our 1940’s piano for an hour. It sounds a lot better. When he is done, he calls me in to play it. I play it and ask a few questions. It’s old and makes some weird sounds that would require some extensive repair. Nothing major though.

After he asks me about my life. He eyes my saxophones and says, “Would you mind playing for me?”

So I get one out and play a few bars of Georgia on My Mind. I’m a classical musician mostly, but I can get around the changes for Georgia. He smiles.

After that we walk about my life and my fiancée. He packs up his gear and prepares to leave. I ask him for the total. He says, “I have been very blessed in my life. I am now in the business of giving back to people who are just starting. Your playing was a payment in return for my service.” Then, through my protests, he put on his shoes and left.

I wish I played better.

What's a record?

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:50:41 -0500

Student: “What are those in the black cases?”
Me: “They’re records. Have you seen a record player before?”
Another student: “No, those are something they used in the olden days.”

All of my students were born in the current millenium, so I wonder how many of them have seen cassette tapes before. I’ve mostly used my iPod, which is an amazing tool for elementary general music classes! But now they’re begging me to hear what a record sounds like…

October highlights

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:15:00 -0500

Halloween provided ample opportunities for vocal exploration, including lots of ghost sounds, and expanding the movement vocabulary - a student added “waddle” last week during the pumpkin patch chant, hehe.

One first grade class created a game for our cat/mouse song, which lent itself to assessing tonal patterns. I used it with all of the first grades and it was so successful that they were asking me on Halloween parade day to play it.

We started Learning Sequence Activities, which I was nervous about, but the students are doing well as long as they know exactly how long they need to sit for. I am also starting to see how much more help they need exploring their singing voices.

My record keeping expanded to the point where one day, various clipboards and binders covered half of the table at the front of the room, and I ended up knocking three things in the garbage by mistake in one class. I have since organized it better, and I am getting more insight to my students’ various needs.

November will bring first grade informances, or informal performances, and much more vocal exploration! We are taking pretend “walks in the woods” starting next week, I can’t wait to see what animals and sounds they discover!

Honeysuckle Rose performed by Sarah Vaughan (1964) I came across...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:44:29 -0400

Honeysuckle Rose performed by Sarah Vaughan (1964)

I came across this while doing a female jazz vocalist listening project for my voice lessons. YouTube has been a great resource for this project, though I’d love to know where this video is from. Anybody know what “SWE 1964” is?

According to this PBS biography of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald called her “the world’s greatest singing talent.” Her parents were amateur musicians and she was an organist and vocal soloist at her church when she was a preteen. After winning first prize for an amateur night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, she went on to sing with jazz greats Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and many more. Her winning performance at the Apollo Theater was less than 10 years after Ella Fitzgerald came onto the scene in the same venue - sounds kind of like the American Idol of the 30s & 40s, doesn’t it?

Stimulus aided teachers, laborers - msnbc.com

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:19:32 -0400

Stimulus aided teachers, laborers - msnbc.com:

In Michigan, where officials said 19,500 jobs have been saved or created, three out of four were in education.

Will these jobs still be around next year? Schools are still facing major deficits and cuts…

“Motherless Child” from John Scofield’s album...

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:45:00 -0400

“Motherless Child” from John Scofield’s album “Piety Street” (2009).

This album of gospel music reimagined by a great jazz guitarist is a perfect way to unwind from a long day of work! John Cleary on vocals, George Porter, Jr. on bass, and Ricky Fataar on drums.

An honest Kindergarten opinion

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:43:00 -0400

This week, a particularly inquisitive Kindergarten student told me he thought that the activity I was leading was boring! The class was echoing 4-beat patterns following a silly rhythm chant. We talked about how that could be rephrased in a kind way, then I said that it might be more interesting to do individual patterns. When I went to give the “this is boring” student an individual pattern, I was prepared for an eye roll, but instead he created his own pattern! It was not perfect by any means, but I was taken aback by this unprompted response and I am excited by the windows into my students’ individual musicianship that pattern instruction will allow.

In other Kindergarten news, one student asked me where my bed was this week. She was shocked to learn that I did not in fact live in the school building, but at an apartment out of town. :P

Alicia de Larrocha performs “Andaluza” from...

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:17:25 -0400

Alicia de Larrocha performs “Andaluza” from “Danzas Españolas”

I was inspired to play a few of these pieces after listening to de Larrocha’s performances of them a few years ago. She passed away yesterday evening at the age of 86. According to a New York Times article, this great interpreter had a dramatic start to her piano playing endeavors:

Ms. de Larrocha began to demand piano lessons when she was 3, after visiting her aunt as she taught students. At the keyboard on her own, Ms. de Larrocha imitated what she had seen her aunt’s students do, and impressed her aunt sufficiently that she took Ms. de Larrocha to Marshall. He was less encouraging. He said it was too early to start lessons, and suggested that Ms. de Larrocha be kept away from the piano. Ms. de Larrocha said that once her aunt locked the instrument, she banged her head on the floor until Marshall relented and began to teach her.

Annoying Music: Beatles Cover Songs (NPR)

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:40:00 -0400

Annoying Music: Beatles Cover Songs (NPR):

Speaking of popular tunes…

The Annoying Music Show is hosted by Jim Nayder on Chicago Public Radio. Click here to view annoying holiday, patriotic, campaign, Elvis, and Eurotrash (?) music.

Popular tunes

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:17:08 -0400

I’ve been reworking these at the piano a little bit:

“What a Feeling” from Flashdance, performed by Irene Cara and written by Giorgio Miroder with lyrics by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara

“Crazy” as performed by Gnarls Barkley, written by Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo.

“Halo” as performed by Beyonce Knowles, written by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and Beyonce.

I like to add some color to the harmony and change some voicings. Maybe some day I’ll have the guts to share it…

The Boy Who Knew Too Much by Mika Mika’s new album,...

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0400

The Boy Who Knew Too Much by Mika

Mika’s new album, “The Boy Who Knew Too Much,” is due for release on Sept. 22 and promises irresistible tracks in the style of “Life in Cartoon Motion.” Sample tracks are available on iTunes. Amazon.com includes a second disc with live video of selected tracks.

copycats: I Want You Back by Mikaoriginally by The Jackson...

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0400

copycats:

I Want You Back by Mika
originally by The Jackson 5
(posted by bunkercomplex)

Not perfect, but impressive for a live performance!

Homemade musical instruments

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:46:11 -0400

Homemade musical instruments:

I came across this site the other day and thought about using some of the ideas with my Montessori class that comes to music four times a week. Anyone know of any other children’s instrument-making resources?

I am also considering indoor/outdoor listening walks (fits in with their sensory-based curriculum) and classroom instruments exploration centers.