Music News
March 2024
Hello DES Families!
Your students have been busy singing, learning, listening, and playing in the music room! Here's a look at what's going on this month:
Kindergarten
In February, kindergartners had fun with some special Valentine's Day songs, including "Love Grows" (one of my all-time favorites!). We also performed a "Valentine Dance" with partners. This month, we have been singing songs about all different kinds of colors - ask your student to sing "Rainbow 'Round Me" or "I See Something (insert color)" for you at home! We are now wrapping up a short unit on Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf". We learned that characters can be represented by different musical themes and instruments, and we enjoyed listening and acting out the different sounds of the bird, duck, cat, wolf, and more!
1st Grade
First graders have been learning about the music staff and how notes can be on lines or in spaces. This means they can read simple melodic patterns with "so" and "mi" and even begin creating their own patterns and songs! Along with the kindergartners, we have also been exploring the story and music of "Peter and the Wolf".
2nd Grade
Our second graders have been working hard in class to prepare for our upcoming concert! Our theme this year is "Take a Bite of Music", and it will feature many songs about FOOD! We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, March 14th at 6:00 PM. A few reminders about the concert:
-Students are expected to report to their homeroom at 5:45 PM.
-Students are encouraged to wear nice clothing for the performance.
-We will be collecting canned food donations for the DCC Food Pantry at the concert or any time at school next week.
-Please contact me if your student is unable to attend the concert.
3rd Grade
Our third graders have also been preparing for their upcoming concert! These students will be singing, dancing, playing instruments, and performing many different songs about friendship, as our theme is "You've Got a Friend in Me!" Our performance will be on Thursday, March 14th at 7:00 PM - we can't wait to share our music with you! A few reminders about the concert:
-Students are expected to report to their homeroom at 6:45 PM.
-Students are encouraged to wear nice clothing for the performance.
-We will be collecting canned food donations for the DCC Food Pantry at the concert or any time at school next week.
-Please contact me if your student is unable to attend the concert.
2nd and 3rd Grade Concert
3rd Grade Concert - "You've Got a Friend in Me" 7:00-7:30 PM
Thursday, Mar 14, 2024, 06:00 PM
DES Gymnasium
4th Grade
Our fourth graders have been doing a GREAT job on their recorders! We started out with three notes (BAG), and now we've worked our way up to seven different notes! Ask your student about our "Recorder Karate" program and which songs they have played to earn their different belts - all students have earned white, yellow, orange, green, and even purple! The last day to test for Recorder Karate belts will be before Spring Break, and when we return in April, we will be finishing our recorder unit with a composition project.
5th Grade
Our fifth graders had a lot of fun improvising on bells during our jazz unit, and we've spent the last couple weeks on a movie music unit! We learned about John Williams and listened to some of his most iconic music, including "Star Wars", "Jurassic Park", "Home Alone", "Harry Potter", and "Jaws". This week, students have been working in small groups to compose and perform a short composition to accompany a silent cartoon. I am so impressed with the ideas that students have come up with, and we all can't wait to compare our performances to the actual music in the video!
When we return from Spring Break, our 5th grade music schedule will change slightly to accommodate one choir rehearsal per week with ALL students together! This is a great opportunity for students to practice singing together several times before our May concert, and it allows students to see and hear what choir is like as they get ready for 6th grade and beyond.
5th Grade Band News
We will continue to work on songs in our red lesson books, and students are also receiving a new full-band piece called "Shark Attack" this week, which we plan to perform at our last concert on May 9th.
As the weather gets warmer and information about summer school becomes available, be on the lookout for an email from Mr. Petersen regarding summer band lessons! These are offered during normal summer school hours and will be pullout lessons once per week, similar to the lessons that students attend with me during the school year. This means that students can still sign up for a full summer school schedule AND have the opportunity to play their instrument once per week with an instructor! More information will be sent home soon!
Upcoming Music Department Events
March 7th
All-Choir Concert (6th-12th Grade)
March 14th
2nd & 3rd Grade Concert
May 9th
Kindergarten & 5th Grade Concert
May 13th
DHS Band/Choir Concert
May 22nd
6th-8th Grade Band/Choir Concert
Contact Me!
K-5 Music Teacher
Email: meyera@deerfield.k12.wi.us
Website: http://www.deerfield.k12.wi.us/faculty/meyera
Phone: 608-764-5442