J. W. MacLeod Elementary School Fri. March 28 2.45-3.45pm

We reviewed scales songs and theory concepts today. Next week will be our test.
Some of you are a little shaky on the theory concepts, so here are some home exercises you can work on in order to prepare.

LEVEL 2 TEST REVIEW
Part 1: Writing down scales. For practice, try these links. C Major Scale and Scale Degrees and C Pentatonic Scale
Part 2: Note and Rest Values. Take a look at the 'complete the measure' questions from your testlast term. Here is a note value chart to help you. If you have the Piano Suite software at home have a look at the lesson in the Theory Thinker 2-1 "Musical Rests".
Part 3: Semitones. If the note goes from a black key to a white key, we call this a semitone. If the note goes from a white key to a white key, we call this a wholetone.
Part 4: Grand Staff note naming. Remember where middle C and bass C are. Practice finding notes using the musical alphabet. Note Trainer
Part 5: Musical terms. Here is a list of words you should know: staccato, legato, sharp, flat, forte, piano, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII.

LEVEL 1 TEST REVIEW
Part 1: Grand Staff note naming. Remember where middle C and bass C are. Practice finding notes using the musical alphabet. Note Trainer
Part 2: Note and Rest Values. Make sure you know whole, half, quarter and eighth notes and rests (note value chart). If you have the Piano Suite software at home have a look at the lesson in the Theory Thinker 1-2 "Barlines and Note Values".
Part 3: Intervals. The distance between 2 notes. To count the interval, the bottom note is 1, count by line and space up to the top note. The number of the top note is your answer.
Part 4: Musical terms. Here is a list of words you should know: legato, bass clef, treble clef, whole note, half note, quarter note, whole rest, half rest, quarter rest.

Please Email me if you have any questions about the theory part of the test.
I will also come around and hear one of the 5 songs you've learned this term. Then, we'll do some rhythm/melody playbacks, and you'll have graduated to the next level of MusIQ Club!

Don't worry too much. If you study/practice on your own this week, I know you can all do very well. Afterwards we will celebrate all your hard work.

Kingswood School Thurs. March 27 11.40-12.40pm

Excellent work today. We had a big review class for the test next week.
Here's what you should study this week.

LEVEL 2 TEST REVIEW
Part 1: Writing down scales. For practice, try these links. C Major Scale and Scale Degrees and C Pentatonic Scale
Part 2: Note and Rest Values. Complete the rest of the examples on the sample test I handed out, and review the note value chart. If you have the Piano Suite software at home have a look at the lesson in the Theory Thinker 2-1 "Musical Rests".
Part 3: Semitones. If the note goes from a black key to a white key, we call this a semitone. If the note goes from a white key to a white key, we call this a wholetone.
Part 4: Grand Staff note naming. Remember where middle C and bass C are. Practice finding notes using the musical alphabet. Note Trainer
Part 5: Musical terms. Here is a list of words you should know: staccato, legato, sharp, flat, forte, piano, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII.

LEVEL 1 TEST REVIEW
Part 1: Grand Staff note naming. Remember where middle C and bass C are. Practice finding notes using the musical alphabet. Note Trainer
Part 2: Note and Rest Values. Complete the rest of the examples on the sample test I handed out, and review the note value chart. If you have the Piano Suite software at home have a look at the lesson in the Theory Thinker 1-2 "Barlines and Note Values".
Part 3: Intervals. The distance between 2 notes. To count the interval, the bottom note is 1, count by line and space up to the top note. The number of the top note is your answer.
Part 4: Musical terms. Here is a list of words you should know: legato, bass clef, treble clef, whole note, half note, quarter note, whole rest, half rest, quarter rest.

Please Email me if you have any questions about the theory part of the test.
I will also come around and hear one of the 5 songs you've learned this term. Then, we'll do some rhythm/melody playbacks, and you'll have graduated another level in MusIQ Club!

Don't worry too much. If you study/practice on your own this week, I know you can all do very well. See you next week :)

BLT Elementary School Wed. March 26 2.00-3.00pm

Wonderful to see you again. Next week will be our last class of the Winter term.
Please re-register for the Spring term if you wish to have your child continue on with his/her music classes on Wednesday after school for April 9th, 2008; http://musiqclub.com/

Level 2:
Completed lesson 23 with Mr. Villa Lobos. You learned about line notes and space notes, as well as half notes, quarter notes and whole notes - that's a lot to remember. Review the lesson and practice at home if you have the CMJ software on your computer. If not, try out this song - can you hear where the half notes (worth 2 beats) and quarter notes (worth 1 beat) are?

LOVE SOMEBODY:
R.H. 1-3-5-5-2-3-4--
1-3-5-5-4-3-2--
1-3-5-5-2-3-4--
3-3-2-2-1-3-1--

Level 1:
You completed lesson 12 and 13 with Mr. Scott Joplin today. He taught you about five-finger ant tunnels with your Right and Left hand. Make sure to keep your wrists up and fingers curved, thumbs on Middle C. Notes above the line are played with your right hand, and notes below the line with your left hand. Each of you performed a song for me today - very well done.

Here is a song that all of you can practice at home, with your Left hand thumb on middle C:

3-4-5-4-3-3-3--
4-4-4--
3-1-1--
3-4-5-4-3-3-3--

Can you tell me for next time what the name of this tune is, and whether the notes at the beginning move by step or by skip?

At the end of class we practiced our rhythms and spent some time playing games and improvising some tunes.

Excellent work everyone.
Have a great week!

Westmount Elementary School Tues March 25 12.15-1.15pm

Today we kicked off the spring term with a very fun and productive class. I was so glad to see most of you back for again for MusIQ Club.

Level 1: Excellent work. You completed lesson 17 with Miss Mendelssohn today. You were learning about 'Playing and Singing Songs'. You're now playing Folk Tunes for your Right and Left hands, one at a time. See if you can play the song 'Lightly Row' at home, using your Right hand in Middle C position:

LIGHTLY ROW
5-3-3--
4-2-2--
1-2-3-4-5-5-5--
5-3-3-3-
4-2-2-2-
1-3-5-5-3---
2-2-2-2-2-3-4--
3-3-3-3-3-4-5--
5-3-3--
4-2-2--
1-3-5-5-3---


If you have the CMJ software at home, review the lesson and practice number 17 and look up Songs on the computer in the library.

Level 2:
You had your first lesson of CMJ Vol. 2 with Mr. Antonin Dvorak. He has a funny name! Do you remember what country he is from? (Czechoslovakia) What instruments did he play? (cello, viola, organ...)
Mr. Dvorak did a big review lesson with you today. It's important that you know your note values - quarter notes (1 beat), half notes (2 beats) and whole notes (4 beats) - that you learned last term. Also, remember stepping and skipping with your hands in Middle C position.
How can we tell when the notes are stepping (they move from line to space, or space to line).
How can we tell when the notes are skipping (they move from space to space, or line to line).

Review lesson 29 if you have software at home, and practice your games and improvisations. Use everything you know about the piano. Make sure to always keep curved fingers and a steady beat.

At the end of class we did some rhythm playbacks with my hand drum. We had fun playing games and improvising.

Well done! See you again next week.