January Experiences with Music

The stillness and quiet of winter makes for a mood of tranquility and reflection. And so the students' music activities seem quieter right now.

Elaine's and Anita's classes are learning how to read the staff by preparing a musical interlude for every page of Audrey Woods' book "The Napping House". They also get to see what a two-part score looks like when they play the glockenspiels on the rests of the xylophones' melody (a small motif from Brahm's lullaby). Of course, we want to share this work, so the classes get to decide whom to invite to music class for a musical rendition of this story.

Susan's class also is reading the treble staff (higher end of the piano keyboard).
The "Yantzee River Song" is slow, peaceful and includes the gong (finally, the gong!) played ever so quietly at the end of an 8-beat phrase. Atty went first and played so beautifully, as did the rest of Susan's class on the other pitched instruments. Erin led the non-pitched block section in carefully placed patterns that only hint at bamboo swaying and clinking against each other. The students will add streamers to this lovely piece of Chinese folk music in an improvised movement sequence as we play.

Reneta's class listened to Dvorak's "New World Symphony" second movement (largo)
in preparation for the March 11th Ann Arbor Symphony Youth Concert. In true S/K fashion, one of the students- Mike- grabbed his recorder and figured out the melody and played it. This piece is gorgeous in its crescendoing tugging at one's heartstrings. The composer was at the same time homesick AND fascinated by American folk music and Native American flute playing. To listen to this while sitting quietly watching snowflakes fall may bring you back to childhood and quiet stillnesses of winters past.