BLT Elementary School. Grades 3 to 6. Thurs. May 1 2.30-3.30pm

Today was a busy class - all of you are learning new songs, and we're adjusting to a new seating plan as well. Next class I will arrange for everyone to be sitting with the best partner for your level, and learning style. There were a couple of disagreements today between classmates. Let's all try to cooperate and help each other to learn and have fun in MusIQ Club.

LEVEL 1 (Dylan and Taylor):

• C major scale, hands separately. Taylor also tried the C scale in contrary motion - hands together. Great playing!
  
• Old Grey Goose, Twinkle Twinkle and Pop goes the Weasel. Watch out for counting quarter, half and whole notes.
  
• Theory Thinker - note naming and time signatures.
• Pop goes the Weasel has a 3/4 time signature, which means there are three beats in each bar. Also, notice whether you are moving by step or by skip when you read your music. Counting and playing the correct notes are the two most basic concepts that we are trying to master right now.
  
• Rhythm playbacks.
  

Level 2 (Jazlyn, Savanna, Krista, Rama - I am moving Rama to level 2 because she has successfully completed all the songs in level 1):

• C major scale in contrary motion. Hands start with both thumbs on Middle C (Middle C position).
• Let it be. Who wrote this famous song? Can you tell me for next week?
  
• Happy Birthday. Hands separately, than together.
• You watched the video about ties and odd note values (dotted half notes and dotted quarter notes) in the theory thinker software today.
• Improvised and played ear training games in the Children's music journey software.
  

Level 3 (Grace, Rachelle, Veronica and Kara):

• C Chromatic scale and pentatonic scales.
• Ode to Joy and The Baseball game. Hands separately, than together.
  
• Watch out for sharps and flats. We reviewed the theory lesson on 'accidentals' today, to practice the exercises again. Sharps make a note a semitone higher. Flats make the note a semitone lower.
• Talked about intervals and worked on ear training.
• Played games in the Children's Music Journey software.

Finally, I distributed your assessments, report cards and certificates for the work you did in the previous term and the first few weeks of this term. That's a lot of work~ I also gave out some treats, just to say congratulations.

You're all doing great and I'm really impressed with the progress everyone is making from week to week. See you next time.