Westmount Elementary School Tues. Feb. 19 12.15-1.15pm

We had an excellent class today.

Level 1: You completed lessons 10 and 11 today. You learned about notes getting higher and higher and about five finger ant tunnels! Remember that you must start at middle C, and get higher or lower gradually. Remember to use medium high and medium low notes. Review lesson 11 with your new computer teacher Mr. Scott Joplin at home, if you have the CMJ software. You can also practice Folk tunes for the Right Hand on the computer in the Library.

Parents, you can practice rhythm playbacks with your child at home. Just clap a 4 beat pattern: 1-2-3-4. Mix it up by adding some notes that are twice as fast. For example: 1-2-3+4-. (We could say the phrase 'When Is Supper Time' to this rhythm.) Try different combinations of 4 beat rhythms, and have your son and/or daughter clap it back to you.

Here is a maze for you to print off: Jazz Music Maze
Try it, for fun if you like, and let me know what you find.

Level 2: You completed lesson 18 and part of lesson 19 today. For practice, you should complete lesson 19 at home, if you have the CMJ software. We are now playing with Grown Up Notes.
Miss Mendelssohn is showing us how to use middle C position every week, and is helping us to know our musical alphabet both forwards and backwards!
Practice naming those keys backwards at home.
I'd like everyone to play the Cliffhanger ear training game, and the Treasure Hunt game at home as well. Also, practice the Folk tunes for Both Hands on the computer in the Library.
Aoiffe, Maddie, Lidya, Sophia, Josie and Morgan have been putting forth their absolute best effort and it's wonderful to see how much they've learned over the year.

Parents, here is an exercise you can practice with them, even if you don't have a piano. Have them sit with both thumbs just next to each other - 'on middle C'.
Call out, 'Right hand' or 'left hand' and then a sequence of 3 or 4 numbers between 1 and 5.
For example: RH. 1-3-5, or LH. 2-3-4-1, or RH. 4-3-2-5
It helps to sing the numbers, so they can hear if they are getting higher or lower.
Remember that thumbs are 1 and pinkies are 5, for both hands.

Have fun playing this week!