Check out these donations!

Today in our trivia Zoom call we voted for organizations for my husband and I to donate to that is company is matching donations for. Initially, we were only going to be able to donate to 2 of the 4 organizations, but Mrs. Peters decided to chip in so we could donate to all 4! So, our $80 in donations became $240 dollars! Here are the receipts. Thanks again to everyone that came today :)

Week of June 1st Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

The activities I recommend are still based on the at-home music lesson template I explain in this video. If you want more variety you can go to this blog post for K-2 ideas, and this blog post for ideas for 3rd-6th grade.

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo/canon clapping: Do at least 8 echo rhythms and 4 canons
2. Count on Me: For our last song for the year, I would like for you to learn "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars. We'll be singing this at the Music Party on Friday :)
3. A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea: we read and dance to this songbook in class. Enjoy the read aloud video, and dance if you remember the game we played!
4. Zumba time: This week is all about moving to music. Do you recognize the Zumba teacher??
5. More Zumba: And, more dancing
6. And, one more song! If you still have energy, give one more song a try. This song is one of my favorites :)
7. Little Hawks Song: Sing the Little Hawks song, and remember you're not alone. I hope you enjoyed your music movement lesson!

3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Zumba time: This week is all about moving to music! Let's start with a warm up song. Do you recognize the Zumba teacher??
2. More Zumba: Yep, more dancing!
3. And, one more song! If you still have energy, give one more song a try. This song is one of my favorites :)
4. Learn some body percussion: This choir song uses body percussion (stomping, patting, clapping). Can you learn the pattern AND the song??? If you learn the body percussion, the song, or both, please upload a video to FlipGrid for me to see.
2. Sing "Count on Me" this is the song we'll be singing at our Music Party on Fridays for the rest of the year. Please learn it, so you can sing with me :)

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Week of May 26th Music Activities/Lesson

Hello families!

The activities I recommend are still based on the at-home music lesson template I explain in this video. If you want more variety you can go to this blog post for K-2 ideas, and this blog post for ideas for 3rd-6th grade.

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo/canon clapping: Do at least 10 echo rhythms and 3 canons
2. De Colores Song: This is our last week with this song. We're going to be singing this song together at our Music Party on Fridays with Ms. Bermudez :)
3. Check out the story of the Mbria (click on the Google logo to start)! An mbira is an African instrument. We got to use one in the music room when we were examining artifacts from the Shack Art museum. Here is what an mbira looks like in case you forgot:

4. Wiggle Break: Complete this fun Zumba dance!
5. New Ekaki Uta! Learn how to draw a smiley face and a frog as you sing along!
6. Homemade percussion! This week, see if you can come up with a new percussion instrument you can make from things in your house! Be sure to share those ideas with me at our music party on Friday
7. Sing "Count on Me" with me, and then the Little Hawks song if you have time. You can always count on me for awesome music learning! :)

3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Learn to do the "island strum" on an ukulele. This is one of the most common strumming patterns on ukulele and guitar. If you can learn this you will be able to play any pop/rock song you want with a basic ukulele accompaniment. Super useful!
2. Wiggle Break: Complete this fun Zumba dance!
3. Hawai'ian music challenge! Watch the video to review what an "ostinato" is, and then perform your ostinato while singing the opening song to "Lilo and Stitch"!
4. Ekaki Uta: The Lilo and Stitch song is challenging because it is sung in Hawai'ian. So, enjoy some easier drawing songs that teaches you how to draw a smiley face and a frog :)
5. Sing "Count on Me" with me, and then the Little Hawks song if you have time. You can always count on me for awesome music learning! :)

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Week of May 18th Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

The activities I recommend are still based on the at-home music lesson template I explain in this video. If you want more variety you can go to this blog post for K-2 ideas, and this blog post for ideas for 3rd-6th grade.

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo/canon clapping: Do at least 5 echo rhythms and 4 canons
2. De Colores Song: We're almost done with this song, can you sing the beginning? We're going to be singing this song together at our Music Party on Fridays with Ms. Bermudez :)
3. Music Book Read-a-loud: Listen to the storyteller share "The Sound of Music's Do-Re-Mi"
4. Wiggle Break: Complete this fun Zumba dance!
5. Steady Beat Game: Review how to play our steady beat game "Oh, what a treat" and find someone in your home to play it with you! See how many levels you can do as a family :)
6. Homemade percussion! For something easy and fun, look around your house to find some homemade instruments and play some rhythms with me.
7. My COVID Cover of Lizzo's "Juice": I hope this video makes you smile. I change the lyrics of a pop song to talk about how music is helping me get through this challenging time. Please enjoy! And, then sing the Little Hawk's song if you still have time :)

3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Quiet Music Activities: Listen to some ideas for quiet music activities. Not all music making needs to be loud. You can engage with music at a soft volume, too :)
2. Wiggle Break: Complete this fun Zumba dance!
3. Betty Botter Challenge: week 2 of this challenge. Can you do all 3 levels??? Please upload your video to FlipGrid when you can complete any of the levels :)
4. Homemade percussion! For something easy and fun, look around your house to find some homemade instruments and play some rhythms with me.
5. My COVID Cover of Lizzo's "Juice": I hope this video makes you smile. I change the lyrics of a pop song to talk about how music is helping me get through this challenging time. Please enjoy! And, then sing the Little Hawk's song if you still have time :)

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Week of May 11th Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

After 5 weeks of using the same warm ups, I'm only going to include links to videos for new activities. If that doesn't work please email me and I can send you links to the videos you'll need to complete all of the activities :)
The activities I recommend are still based on the at-home music lesson templates I explain in this video. I will also be recommending specific activities for each step for the rest of the school year. If you want more variety you can go to this blog post for K-2 ideas, and this blog post for ideas for 3rd-6th grade.

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo/canon clapping: Do at least 10 echo rhythms and 2 canons
2. De Colores Song: Can you sing half of the song yet??? We're going to be singing this song together at our Music Party on Fridays with Ms. Bermudez :)
3. Music Book Read-a-loud: Listen to the storyteller share the "The Story of Rock"
4. Wiggle Break: Complete this fun Zumba dance!
5. Review Your Notation Knowledge!: In order to keep our music skills sharp, let's review our notation knowledge before playing another fun game :)
6. Sing "Bow Wow Wow": Now that you've done the review, let's sing the song in a round!
7. Little Hawks Song: sing our Little Hawks and remember you're not alone!

3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Review Ukulele Tuning: Next year I am hoping more of us can tune our ukuleles. Watch this video to review how we tune our instruments.
2. Wiggle Break: Complete this fun Zumba dance!
3. Betty Botter Challenge: this fun tongue-twister game is super challenging. I spent hours recording, and I still had to make edits when I was creating the video! lol Record yourself completing level 1, 2, or 3 of this challenge. You have 2 weeks for this because it is more difficult. I can't wait to see who is the ultimate tongue twister master!
4. Easy Song! So many of you enjoyed "Naughty Kitty Cat" that I'm suggesting you also sing "Bow Wow Wow" in a round. It's super easy, the song is fun :)
5. Little Hawks Song: Sing with me and remember you're not alone! We're all in this together.

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Week of May 4th Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

Enjoy the playlist of activities for this week (click on the playlist relevant to your student): Week of May 4th (Kinder, 1st, 2nd) or Week of May 4th (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) or IS students (information at end of post). I'll also include links to each video below if you'd rather have 1 video available at a time.

These activities are based on the at-home music lesson templates I explain in this video.

Below I suggest when you can add other activities that don't involve our Youtube channel (those will have << >> around them to show you'll need to have other materials available). Remember: do what works for your family. Have fun, and happy music making!

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo and canon clapping game: do the echo/canon clapping with me in the video, or make some rhythms and sounds with someone in your house.
2. De Colores Song: We're continuing to work on this song. This website gives you the full translation of the lyrics. Can you sing half of the song yet???
<<3. Music Book: read a music book, or watch someone else read a music related book to you>>
<<4. Wiggle Break: do some more echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
5. Bump Up Tomato: It's time for everyone's favorite game! Kinders - you'll want to skip to 3:44 in the video because none of the notation will make sense. But! you can learn the song and game for when we play it in class the next time we see each other. 1st/2nd graders - have fun, you know how this game goes :)
<<6. Make some music: play an instrument in your house, sing-a-long to any video our Mrs. Harreld's youtube channel, use a virtual instrument, or make choices in a music game (digital or otherwise). Check out this blog post for more ideas >>
7. Little Hawks Song: sing our Little Hawks and remember you're not alone! (Bonus: if you want to sing along to "Help" as well I've included it in the playlist).


3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Treble Clef Song and Game: review this fun song/game from last week. See if you can leave out a different word this time!
Bonus: Do some singing practice with this video before you sing in the next game.
<<2. Wiggle break: do some echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
3. Sing in a Round: This week we are reviewing how to sing in a round! We do this every week in choir with our "Coffee" song, and you did it with me in 2nd grade if you were at MTE. If you're super tech savy, you can record yourself singing, and then sing in a round with yourself like I do in the video! If you're able to manage that please let me know, I will be super impressed :)
<<4. Make some music/musical choices! Play an instrument (remember, a cup is an instrument!), sing a song, dance to music, draw to music, make choices in a musical game (check out this blog post for more ideas), or listen to music>>
5. Little Hawks Song: Sing with me and remember you're not alone! We're all in this together. (Bonus: if you want to sing along to "Help" as well I've included it in the playlist).

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Week of April 27th Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

Enjoy the playlist of activities for this week (click on the playlist relevant to your student): Week of April 27th (Kinder, 1st, 2nd) or Week of April 27th (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) or IS students (information at end of post). I'll also include links to each video below if you'd rather have 1 video available at a time.

These activities are based on the at-home music lesson templates I explain in this video.

Below I suggest when you can add other activities that don't involve our Youtube channel (those will have << >> around them to show you'll need to have other materials available). Remember: do what works for your family. Have fun, and happy music making!

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo and canon clapping game: do the echo/canon clapping with me in the video, or make some rhythms and sounds with someone in your house.
2. De Colores Song: We're continuing to learn De Colores. This website gives you the full translation of the lyrics. This week please try to sing more of the song with me (In fact, I'd like you to come back to the song again after a break to get some extra practice this week)
<<3. Music Book: read a music book, or watch someone else read a music related book to you>>
<<4. Wiggle Break: do some more echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
5. De Colores/Practice Singing!: Kinders - watch the video again and try to sing more of the song with me (the 2nd half is much easier to learn b/c it's mostly the animal sounds), and 1st/2nd graders get to singing with me in the video using Do, Re, Mi, So, and La!
<<6. Make some music: play an instrument in your house, sing-a-long to any video our Mrs. Harreld's youtube channel, use a virtual instrument, or make choices in a music game (digital or otherwise). Check out this blog post for more ideas >>
7. Little Hawks Song: sing our Little Hawks and remember you're not alone! (Bonus: if you want to sing along to "High Hopes" as well I've included it in the playlist).


3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Learn/Review how to hold a ukulele (3rd graders this is a head start for next year!), and then how to read ukulele tabs (this will also help you piece together how to read guitar tabs - it's the same idea but with 6 strings instead of 4, and different note names)
<<2. Wiggle break: do some echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
3. Treble Clef Song and Game (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th): For this game, you need to eventually remove a word from our phrase "Every Good Banana Does Fabulous" much like you leave out letters in the song "Bingo". Let me know which word you chose to leave out!
<<4. Make some music/musical choices! Play an instrument (remember, a cup is an instrument!), sing a song, dance to music, draw to music, make choices in a musical game (check out this blog post for more ideas), or listen to music>>
5. Little Hawks Song: Sing with me and remember you're not alone! We're all in this together. (Bonus: if you want to sing along to "High Hopes" as well I've included it in the playlist).

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Week of April 20th Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

Enjoy the playlist of activities for this week (click on the playlist relevant to your student): Week of April 20th (Kinder, 1st, 2nd) or Week of April 20th (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) or IS students (information at end of post). I'll also include links to each video below if you'd rather have 1 video available at a time.

These activities are based on the at-home music lesson templates I explain in this video.

Below I suggest when you can add other activities that don't involve our Youtube channel (those will have << >> around them to show you'll need to have other materials available). Remember: do what works for your family. Have fun, and happy music making!

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo and canon clapping game: do the echo/canon clapping with me in the video, or make some rhythms and sounds with someone in your house.
2. De Colores Song: We're learning a new song! De Colores translates to "The Colors" in English, and the song is an expression of joy of all of the colors we have. This website gives you the full translation of the lyrics. This week you may just listen to the song once or twice. Then, as you feel ready, please start to sing-a-long with me :)
<<3. Music Book: read a music book, or watch someone else read a music related book to you>>
<<4. Wiggle Break: do some more echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
5. Draw a Treble Clef/"Naughty Kitty Cat" Round: Kinders learn how to draw a Treble Clef, and 1st/2nd graders get to sing "Naughty Kitty Cat" in a Round. If you want to do both activities instead of just one, go for it!
<<6. Make some music: play an instrument in your house, sing-a-long to any video our Mrs. Harreld's youtube channel, use a virtual instrument (like this piano website: https://www.apronus.com/music/flashpiano.htm), or make choices in a music game (digital or otherwise). Check out this blog post for more ideas >>
7. Little Hawks Song: sing our Little Hawks and remember you're not alone! (Bonus: if you want to sing along to "Happy" as well I've included it in the playlist).


3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. Review the notes on the 5-line staff, and then learn this fun game that uses our phrase "Every Good Banana Does Fabulous, FACE!"
<<2. Wiggle break: do some echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
3. Bim Bum Biddi (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th): This game is so fun, everyone is doing it this week! Once you've learned my version you can (and should!) come up with your own.
<<4. Make some music/musical choices! Play an instrument (remember, a cup is an instrument!), sing a song, dance to music, draw to music, make choices in a musical game (check out this blog post for more ideas), or listen to music>>
5. Little Hawks Song: Sing with me and remember you're not alone! We're all in this together. (Bonus: if you want to sing along to "Happy" as well I've included it in the playlist).

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

Edmonds School District wins a music education award!

Edmond School District’s Music Education Program Receives National Recognition

This is the 14^th time we’ve been awarded this honor!

Edmonds School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation for 2020 from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. 

Now in its 21st year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Edmonds School District answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music programs, Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

This award recognizes that Edmonds is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The legislation guides implementation in the states and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which was often criticized for an overemphasis on testing-while leaving behind subjects such as music. ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children. 

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, research found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores that their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well. Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically-trained children that in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound; young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.

A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, “Striking A Chord,” also outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportunities for all children as part of the school curriculum.

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

Music Activities for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders

Movement websites:

Go Noodle website: https://family.gonoodle.com/
Kidboomer's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/KIBOOMU/videos

Music-making websites/apps:
Flat (our district approved composition program): https://flat.io/auth/signin
Treble Clef Note Name Game: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note/brwyryyynybygb
Treble Clef Note Listening Game: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-note/iinbhyn81eyynydb

Mario Paint Music Composer: https://danielx.net/composer/
Patatap: https://patatap.com/
Sampulator: http://sampulator.com/
Typatone: https://typatone.com/
Drumbit: https://drumbit.app/
Groovepizza: https://apps.musedlab.org/groovepizza/?museid=SJeKIkdBL&
Chrome Music Lab: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/
Incredibox: https://www.incredibox.com/demo/
Mazaam (FREE iOS/Google app until June 30th): https://mazaam.com/en/
Easy Music (iOS app): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easy-music-give-kids-an-ear-for-music/id991897864
Loopimal (iOS app): https://www.yatatoy.com/loopimal

Music Activities for Kinders, 1st graders, and 2nd graders

Movement websites:

Go Noodle website: https://family.gonoodle.com/
Kidboomer's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/KIBOOMU/videos

Read-a-loud videos:

Mr Winkeljohn! - (coming soon)
Here is website with a list of many children's authors reading their books- https://www.weareteachers.com/virtual-author-activities/
KidTimeStoryTime's Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEPsNDUhUm-7yZhUjQQNqwQ

Music-making websites/apps:
Solfege Identification Game (on a 5-line staff - Do, Re, Mi, Sol, La hints are on the right side of the staff): https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note/bgmyryynnybydb
Solfege Note Listening Game: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-note/iwybhyn81fnynydb
Chrome Music Lab: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/
Patatap: https://patatap.com/
Typtatone: https://typatone.com/
Incredibox: https://www.incredibox.com/demo/
Mazaam (FREE iOS/Google app until June 30th): https://mazaam.com/en/
Easy Music (iOS app): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easy-music-give-kids-an-ear-for-music/id991897864
Loopimal (iOS app): https://www.yatatoy.com/loopimal

Week of April 13th Music Lesson/Activities

Hello families!

Enjoy the playlist of activities for this week (click on the playlist relevant to your student): Week of April 13th (Kinder, 1st, 2nd) or Week of April 13th (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) or IS students (information at end of post). I'll also include links to each video below if you'd rather have 1 video available at a time.

These activities are based on the at-home music lesson templates I explain in this video.

Below I suggest when you can add other activities that don't involve our Youtube channel (those will have << >> around them to show you'll need to have other materials available). Remember: do what works for your family. Have fun, and happy music making!

Kinder, 1st, and 2nd
1. Echo and canon clapping game: do the echo/canon clapping with me in the video, or make some rhythms and sounds with someone in your house.
2. Ni hao Jambo Greetings Song: sing and move to this fun song. Kinders and 2nd graders know this already, 1st graders enjoy learning this fun song.
<<3. Music Book: read a music book, or watch someone else read a music related book to you>>
<<4. Wiggle Break: do some more echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
5. Ekaki Uta/2-line staff compositions: Kinders draw and sing some Ekaki Uta, and 1st/2nd graders get to write music on their 2 line staff. If you want to do both activities instead of just one, go for it!
<<6. Make some music: play an instrument in your house, sing-a-long to any video our Mrs. Harreld's youtube channel, use a virtual instrument (like this piano website: https://www.apronus.com/music/flashpiano.htm), or make choices in a music game (digital or otherwise). Check out this blog post for more ideas >>
7. Little Hawks Song: sing our Little Hawks and remember you're not alone!

3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
1. How-to videos: review how to draw/read a treble clef, how to read/use a time signature, and how to read ledger lines on the treble clef staff (watch 2 or 3 of these videos depending on time)
<<2. Wiggle break: do some echo/canon clapping, or go to https://family.gonoodle.com>>
3. De Colores (3rd), Treble Clef Staff Composition (4th), flat.io Compositions (5th/6th):
---3rd grade: Sing De Colores with the video 3 times, then perform it for someone in your home
--- 4th grade: Recreate "Hot Cross Buns" on a treble clef staff on paper, or in flat.io (Here is a link to our Recorder Book in case you forgot the notes :)
---5th grade: Create a new score in flat.io using 3 different instruments and 4 complete measures
---6th grade: Create a new score in flat.io using 3 different instrument, 4 complete measures, and include the following rhythms: pair of eighth notes, quarter note, quarter rest, half note, half rest
I will be looking at your work through my teacher account. No need to worry about connecting to my class if you haven't! We'll be connected b/c you have to use your district email to log in, and we're all under the same school license. Also, if you don't have access to flat.io you can draw your music staff for each instrument on paper and write your music that way :)
<<4. Make some music/musical choices! Play an instrument (remember, a cup is an instrument!), sing a song, dance to music, draw to music, make choices in a musical game (check out this blog post for more ideas), or listen to music>>
5. Little Hawks Song: Sing with me and remember you're not alone! We're all in this together.

Ms. W-J and Ms. Arbuckle's students
Please review the notes names in our boom whacker videos, or choose from one of the playlists above to enjoy! You can practice the boom whacker songs by picking one note (A, B, C, D, E, F, or G) to clap every time it appears. I know a bunch of you liked "E" (the yellow one), so you can try clapping only when the yellow "E" appears and move on from there :)
Skeleton Dance
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Smashing Pumpkins
Pirates of the Caribbean
Ghostbusters
Popcorn II (the harder version)
Popcorn I (the easier version)
How Far I'll Go

If a student would like feedback about their performance, or they have questions, they can fill out this google form using their district email and I'll respond there: Get Feedback from Mrs. Harreld

Miss you all tons, take care!

March Newsletter

March started in the music room on campus, and now we’re moving to a music room online! This email is going to detail exactly what your student(s) needs in order to have access to music materials from me during this digital learning experience. I believe you know what is best for your student(s) and your family right now. So, please only take from the resources below what you want. With that, here is the music plan for MTE:

1. (UPDATED 4/10/20) On Friday afternoons I will email you with a link to our music website: https://littlehawkmusic.blogspot.com/ 
• There will be a new post listing all of the music activities for each grade level (and their corresponding links) to do the following week. This is especially useful if you have students in multiple grade levels. 
• The list of activities is a suggestion. I tried to create fun, easy-to-access lessons for all of our students.  Feel free to choose from the list however you want, and/or change the order as it works best for you. Do what is best for you and your family :)
2. On Mondays between 8:00am and 8:30am I will post on each ClassDojo classroom and Google Classroom grade-level specific music activities for the week (including links as I’m able). This way, if you have a student that is tech savy they can guide themselves through the set of activities on their own. Also, this allows students (or you) to chat with me about specific activities as they arise via ClassDojo/Google Classroom.
3. Each morning (Monday-Friday, 9:00am-12:00pm) I will be available to respond to messages/emails. I will do my best to respond to messages as I receive them!
4. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:00am I will post a new video on our YouTube channel: Mrs. Harreld is on YouTube! The videos include songs/games from the music room that students already know, or were going to learn very soon. This is a way for them to see me when it is best for you, because I know we’re not all operating on the same schedule. 
5. On Wednesdays at 10:30am Ms. McGee, Mr. Winkeljohn, and I will be hosting a fun Zoom chat for our families! We will focus on playing games, sharing, and moving our bodies for 30 minutes. We encourage the entire family to join these Zoom chats, and ask you to read the guidelines for the chat when we send the invitation. We want everyone to have a fun time and be safe. We will remind families about the chat on Tuesday evenings, and post the link to join the chat on ClassDojo and email it out to families at 10:25am Wednesday mornings.

Right now music can be a source of joy, a pleasant distraction, an expression of the unspeakable, or anything else you need it to be.  If your student is already making music on their own they are welcome to pursue their individual interests (choosing their own ukulele songs, creating a cups rhythm, writing their own song, etc.). These weekly lesson ideas will always be available should they want a change of pace. Lastly, I am here to help. So, please send questions my way as they come up. I’ll see you on the other side of the screen!

How to get to Library, PE, and Music activities for the week (UPDATED 4/10/20)

Hello families,

UPDATE (4/10/20): Due to some directions from the district, we have had to change how we communicate with you as specialists. You can check the following links/places for activities with Ms. McGee, Mr. Winkeljohn and Mrs. Harreld :)

Library - click here!
Music - click here!
PE - check your students' emails for invitations to Google Classrooms specially designed for each grade level!

We miss you all, and can't wait to see you again in person. In the meantime, if you need to reach us you can email us, or contact us via ClassDojo.

Stay safe, and take care,
Ms. McGee
Mr. Winkeljohn
Mrs. Harreld

Music Listening Calendar - ready to hear some great music?

Hello there! Below is a picture of a calendar with suggestions of music you can listen to each day. The Sunken Cathedral by Claude Debussy is especially good. Please enjoy :)

Music is everywhere!

Hello MTE families,

In this unprecedented time we are fortunate enough to have digital music resources to bring music with us where ever we are :)
First of all, you can check our music youtube page for videos on songs we're doing in class: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaxgqDgA4DvMFo0nJTdneqA
Also, a friend of mine made some videos demonstrating music songs/games you can do at home. We've done some of these in the past:
Omochio Tsukimasho
Lil' Liza Jane
Pease Porridge Hot
E Papa Waiari:
Little Tommy Tucker

Next, you can check out the links below for a bunch of fun music-making experiences online:
- FLAT: a composition program that 5th and 6th graders already know how to use (youtube tutorial coming soon!). You do need to register with your student google login ID in order to get access.
- Groovepizza: a rhythm-based composition program that also reinforces shapes, and basic patterns (this is a good intro video to watch if you want to know how to use the website). This is a free site and requires no registration.
- Chrome Music Lab: this has a WIDE array of resources. The Song Maker and Kandinsky programs are especially interesting (you compose melodies based on how you draw lines, it's really cool!). This is a great resource for our younger students, in particular.
- Body Drumset Activities - in this series of videos you can learn how to adapt a drum set rhythm to your body while sitting down.
- Learn to Rap! - this video series gives you tools to start learning how to rap (either free style, or writing your own lyrics)
- Little Kids Rock - Jam Zone: for anyone that wants to learn popular music on ukulele, guitar, piano, or drums. Easy tabs and rhythms to strum/drum with (look for the songs labeled "Beginner"). You can also download song lyrics and sing along with "jam tracks" if you'd rather just sing!
- Incredibox: a beatboxing generator (this site is a classic, and the program is now also available as an app). Super easy. Click and drag the different outfits onto the different characters and they start making different beatboxing sounds.
- Drumbit: similar to groovepizza, but you can get waaaaaay more detailed with this website.
- Virtual Piano: this is simply a digital piano. Nothing too fancy, but if your student has no other instrument at home you can use this! The middle C on the piano is actually the letter "u" on your keyboard, and then you play the keys on either side in order to play the keys nearby (i.e. the letter "i" is the D next to middle C on the keyboard, and the letter "o" is the E closest to middle C on the keyboard)
- Music Map: an English-based resource that provides resources about all of the various genres in music. If your student is really interested in learning about a specific style of music this is a great, interesting to use website.

If you have the ability to purchase applications on an iOS tablet/phone these are also great resources:
- Garage Band: Always a classic, and still so good! Make your own song complete with drums, bass, guitar, and other instruments.
- Easy Music: this is a great resource for our younger students. It has kids play with musical elements within an age-appropriate setting
- Loopimal: a loop-based program, this is probably my favorite :) Students can click and drag different shapes into the loop to make the animals make different sounds. Seriously, this game is adorable, engaging, and fun even for me!

Lastly, if you are not able to use a device to access music you can always make your own or listen to the radio! Speaking of which...
Tomorrow (March 13, 2020) at 7:00pm I'll be speaking on KING FM (our local classical music radio station)! I'm speaking on a program called Musical Chairs with host Michael Brooks, wherein I get to share some of my favorite classical music pieces. I also get to discuss my wonderful job here, at MTE, and how fortunate I am to be in a position to share music with our students every day. You can listen to the program by clicking here: http://player.streamguys.com/classicalking/king-fm-3/sgplayer/player.php
In case that doesn't load properly, you can go to the main "listen" page: https://www.king.org/listen/ and select "desktop" or "mobile" depending on the device you're using to listen.

Check the youtube page semi-frequently for uploads the next few weeks. Happy music making!

Japanese and African Shack Art Center artifacts have arrived!

Hello everyone,

I hope that you are finding some peace in your days as we are all dealing with a lot. We will be spending time with artifacts from Japan and various African countries over the next few days in music class.
We do a lot of music from around the world at MTE. It's important students make meaningful, respectful connections with the countries the songs are from. So, each year I try to get artifacts from countries we experience music from.
Last year we got to look at artifacts from the Philippines to make connections with tinikling (click here to see a demonstration), and artifacts from the Northwest tribes to learn more about Margie's performances of Tlingit music (Margie is our fabulous day custodian, makes traditional drums and used to lead a local dance team).
This year, we are looking at artifacts from Japan to make connections with Ekaki Uta (click here to see the 2 we've learned so far), and artifacts from many countries in Africa to learn more about our Zimbabwean marimba song, Tatenda (kids actually get to use one of the real instruments!). Some of the items this year are personal items from my trip to Japan last year, and the Hosho the students get to use is from my own collection.
As I continue to develop the music program at MTE I am always interested and looking for music that reflects our community’s heritage and cultures. If you're open to sharing more about your family's musical traditions with me I’d love to speak with you. Our students are musicians of the world, and I am eager to contribute to their global understanding of music.
Stay safe everyone :)
Here are some photos of some of the artifacts we get to use courtesy of the Schack Art Center and my personal travels:

A selection of kimonos and obis (sashes to tie the kimono closed)

A calligraphy set (in the purple box) next to some wrapping clothes, as well as some slippers and an old text

Coins, train tickets, and a packaged toy from Japan next to a stack of the same 2 books (one in English, one in Japanese)

A selection of cloths/textiles from Zaire, Kuba, Kente cloths, and an Adire cloth from Nigeria, Yoruba.

A Maasai beaded collar from Kenya near a beaded collar and bracelet from Egypt

A doll from South Africa, Ndebele

February Newsletter

February brought many fun events through our school. We had assemblies, field trips, and got to make some wonderful music in the music room! Here are some highlights from the music room this month:

Kindergarten: We learned "Nihao Jambo", so now we can say "hello" in 9 different languages. We also learned about Ekaki Uta (drawing songs from Japan). We learned a song in English that taught us how to draw a pig, and now we're learning songs in Japanese that teach us how to draw a fish and a duck. We will perform these songs at Multicultural Night on the stage on March 19th at 6:10pm. Please come to this AMAZING event! Details will be going home next week through the family newsletter so stay tuned.

1st grade: We learned how to play "Bump Up Tomato" on tone bells, and can sing the song while we play it! We are building our first skills as musicians, and having so much fun while doing it. :) We'll learn how to play the song on our pianos next, and then make our first compositions using Mi Sol La.

2nd grade: We are currently playing our Social-Emotional Rhythms game. Students have to listen to a 4 beat pattern and then show the card that matches that pattern, or draw the pattern that they hear (this is called taking dictation, and it's a very fancy music skill!). Once we're done with this game we'll make new compositions using the new rhythms we learned from this game.

3rd grade: We are using boomwhackers as we read notes on the G clef staff! Students are loving using the colorful instruments. We will continue to use boomwhackers as we learn the song De Colores. We will make a video to share at multicultural night of our in-class performance of De Colores. So, if you want to see the video please come to Multicultural Night on March 19th at 6:00pm! I cannot post the video anywhere in order to protect the privacy of our students, so this will be your only opportunity to see it.

4th grade: We are making excellent progress on our recorder karate belts. Most students have signed for their white belt song, and many are working on their yellow belt song. Some are even on the orange belt already (this is AWESOME!). Students have to independently read music on their own to sign for their belts. I do not play the song for them, and they don't get to copy a neighbor. Reading music, internalizing the notation, and then producing sounds on an instrument is extremely hard work and they are doing an amazing job. I am incredibly proud of them :)

5th grade: we are working within FLAT (a composition software) to transcribe our Zimbabwean xylophone arrangement of "Tatenda" (Swahili for "thank you"). Once we have finished entering the notation into FLAT we get to learn how to play this song on the instruments! All students have access to this program via their Edmonds email, and it's totally free! Check it out: https://flat.io/

6th grade: we learned the glockenspiel (bell) part for our end of year song, and are now working on the xylophone part. Students are having to read notation without my help, as I sing and play ukulele while they play their parts independently. They are doing an excellent job continuing to develop their musical independence within the ensemble.

January Newsletter

Happy end of January everyone! Between starting on the 6th, snow days and no-student days the month has just flown by. Here are some highlights from the music room this month:

Kindergarten: we finished our farm game with 7 different percussion instruments. Now, we are working on our songs for Multicultural Night (March 19th). The first song we're learning is "Ni hao Jambo Hola". It teaches us how to say "Hello" in 9 different languages :)

1st grade: we finished composing our rhythm compositions and performed them in a Rondo. We are currently learning our first song on our 2-line staff ("Bump Up Tomato"). There is great game that goes with it that we get to play at the end of class after doing notation work.

2nd grade: We jumped right in to composing melodies and playing them on pianos! We got a class set of portable roll-up pianos for our classroom and the kids are seriously enjoying using them :) Next month we will learn more rhythms and then have a 2nd chance to compose and play our melodies on the pianos again.

3rd grade: We had a great performance at the Winter Assembly with the choir, and now we're working on reading notes on the Treble Clef staff. This will help us learn to play our next instrument: Boom Whackers! Those start next week, get excited :)

4th grade: We made our first sounds on recorder and are working to remember all of the notation skills we've already developed. We are also working on learning to read music, internalize it, and then create the correct sounds on our recorders. This is a VERY DIFFICULT process, and we are working hard to meet the challenge. We'll start learning the first song (Hot Cross Buns) in our Recorder Karate program next week.

5th grade: we finished reviewing our pitch notation, and are about to start on our work in FLAT (the composition software). All students have access to this program via their Edmonds email, and it's totally free! Check it out: https://flat.io/

6th grade: we performed at the Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly and achieved two MTE firsts. 1. We were able to perform the song without the choir joining us to make us sound louder. 2. We were able to perform through a mistake and finish the song! #1 is impressive, and #2 is even more impressive. The ability to communicate non-verbally with other performers in the moment when you've made a mistake in order to recover is a very difficult skill to develop. And, our students have done it! I'm super impressed with their progress. Now, we're working on our next song "A Million Dreams" which we'll perform at the end of the year. This song has bells, xylophone, cajon, ukulele, choir singing, and solo singing (volunteers only of course). It's the most ambitious song and arrangement we've ever tried at MTE and I'm really excited to see how the students rise to meet the challenge :)