Greetings BNS families! We have been busy traveling around the world in music class since we returned from winter break. Below is a summary of each classes destinations so far!
RED: Africa: We continue to grow our singing skills through call & response and using solfege syllables. Our focus is on Do - Me - So. Students watched an African welcome dance and learned the greeting song, titled, "Sorida"!
ORANGE: Our focus is on the music of Europe, as many key and famous composers were born across the continent. We began in Italy, learning about classic Italian instruments such as the Violin and Accordion. Next, we took a train to France to discover the folk instrument the Hurdy-Gurdy and created our own dance moves to French electronic music. Most recently, we flew to Russia and learned a Russian folk dance. Orange Roomers are good dancers!
YELLOW: Our focus is on the music of Europe, as many key and famous composers were born across the continent. We began in Italy, learning about classic Italian instruments such as the Violin and Accordion. Next, we took a train to France to discover the folk instrument the Hurdy-Gurdy. While there, we used our BoomWhacker abilities to play and sing "Frere Jacque" and did an excellent job! Most recently, we flew to Russia and learned a Russian folk dance. Yellow Roomers caught on quickly!
GREEN, TURQUOISE, & BLUE:
For these three classes our world music focus has been in Asia. While students are exposed to new instruments and sounds we also look at each country's culture, traditions, and how that looks in society today.
China: We learned about China's ancient music history, impact of philosopher Confucius, and the integration of traditional instruments into modern settings- such as playing the Mario Brothers Theme on a Sheng or a mixed traditional/modern orchestra playing pop arrangements.
Japan: We have studied the musical ties Japan has with China, the expectations of a performer, and the continued importance of music used in rituals, both in the past and present day.
Some favorite instruments so far include the Shamisen (Japan), and the Sheng (China).