4th Grade Music
January 28th, 2024
Semester 1 all wrapped up!
During 1st quarter, students learned all about the percussion family. They learned percussion instruments make sound through a hit, shake, or a scrape. They learned how to properly hold drumsticks and move to strike the drum, called stroke. They applied these skills to playing on practice pads and even got to experience the real snare drum! Students also got to work together on bucket drumming! This unit was deeply rooted in rhythm, so they worked on counting, identifying basic rhythms, and performing with a steady beat.
2nd quarter we moved into the brass family. Students learned that all sound on the brass was created by "buzzing" their lips together. This buzz is then amplified by the instrument, creating the tone/timbre from the actual instrument. Students got to experience PBuzz, which is a plastic, smaller first step to trombone. This instrument had the low brass mouthpiece and moves the slide to perform the different notes. They even got to learn to play Hot Cross Buns! As the quarter progressed, we moved into jHorn. The jHorn looks like a miniature euphonium, but it has different mouthpiece attachments to mimic high brass, as well as low brass. Students learned all about valved instruments here while applying prior rhythmic knowledge learned during percussion.
Percussion with Mr. Betz
Bucket Drumming Experience
Rhythmic and Steady Beat work
Mr. Lievre showing us different trumpets
Experiencing jHorn
Amazing posture on the brass
Semester 2 underway
As quarter 3 begins, we are shifting to the woodwinds. We began the unit with a show and tell. They learned how diverse the woodwind family is and got to see and hear unique instruments in this family. You see, I am a woodwind specialist, so I have many cool instruments in this family: oboe, English horn, bassoon, crystal flutes, piccolos, ocarinas and more!
Our first experience in this family was the double reeds. Instruments in this category are oboe, for which I hold a doctorate, and bassoon. Students got to see the reeds first hand and hear these unique instruments in person. They also got to make their own double reed. We used straws to mimic the double vibration of the reed and the embouchure needed to produce sound.
Our next adventure is on the flute. We purchased Nuvo Toots for this unit of study and it is our second year using them. These instruments are so student friendly. The first step was how to produce sound on just the headjoint. We then adjusted the headjoint to have a sound production assistant attachment and have begun playing actual music. Students in Mrs. Friedburg's class (this week will be Rodriguez) now know how to play notes B, A, and G, how to hold the instrument properly, and how to form the embouchure for the sound attachment. We will study the flute for several more weeks and eventually switch back to the "real" flute headjoint to see who can create the sound without that helper attachment.
The last adventure for us will be on the clarinet by using Nuvo Doods. This will feel similar to the recorder in hand position, but similar to the Toot by the look of the instrument. Single reed instruments include both clarinet and saxophone, with the clarinet being the heart of our concert band, getting all the super cool parts in the music!
Double reed straw lesson
Nuvo Toots
Beginning to play music on flute
Grading update
Just a quick reminder about grading in the music classroom. Students are guided daily through instrumental study. The DVUSD grading policies are followed in assessing: Highly Proficient (90-100%), Proficient (70-89%), Partially Proficient (60-69%), Minimally Proficient (59% or below). Students in the music room are never given a minimally proficient if no sound is produced. It seems as though that should happen, as no sound would, in theory, equate to a zero. However, in performances, students have the opportunity to demonstrate more than just tone production. Gradeable concepts include: rhythmic accuracy, note/finger accuracy, sound quality, tone production, articulation (use of tongue to start notes), posture, embouchure.
Students receive feedback in class, some full class, some individual. We use technology to assist in other ways to approach the sound to ensure we are trying every way possible to achieve our goals. Proficient means they are performing at grade level. Highly proficient means they are above grade level. Reflecting back on when I first learned instruments. I would have received a highly proficient in woodwinds, but I struggled in brass. Buzzing was not the easiest for me and took a lot of work in college. I'd have been marked proficient, as I could do all of the things except get the correct sound out with consistency. We also have the struggle that not all students may be in class on the days we do the things and this is not a homework based course. I try to give the students ideas on ways to practice without the instruments. For brass, they could blow air and gradually bring the lips together until they buzzed together. For flute, they can get a bottle and blow across the top (glass works best). It definitely is a different environment than the general education classroom so I wanted to take this moment to share some examples.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
I will be available, by appointment only, for parent/teacher conferences. Unfortunately, the late evening for conferences has been moved to Wednesday, February 7. I will not be on campus that day, as I am a district level coordinator/team-lead for band and we have our southwest region DVUSD Honor Band that day.
I will be available Thursday, February 8 from 10-11:15am and 1-4pm as well as Friday, February 9 from 10:30am-2pm. Conferences are reserved for students receiving a B or lower in the course. Should our schedules not align, I am more than happy to email answers to specific questions and/or set up a phone call.