On February 16, Renata's class performed the Chinese folk tale "Tikki Tikki Tembo", using shadow puppets behind a lit-up screen. While Alex and Max operated the puppets, the rest of the class played barred instruments, recorders, and non-pitched instruments to create sound effects and to accompany two composed pieces written by Delelles and Kriske, two music educators who have orchestrated many folk tales for children to perform.
This week we begin the folk tale "It Could Always be Worse", with Renata's students composing their own piece of music to move the story along while improvising lines and adding sound effects.
Again, we will invite the younger students to be our audience when our rehearsals are done.
Elaine's class is listening to selections from "Carnival of the Animals". We have flown like birds, lumbered like elephants, roared like lions, jumped like kangaroos, and will soon take pictures with our cardboard cameras every time we hear the cukoo bird echo his song. We will try to photograph this elusive bird "in the woods."
Susan's class has learned 4 notes on recorders. The recorders play the melody while the barred instruments accompany them. Today's music was titled, "Hi C!" Children read the music on the staff and then played it. Then we added the bass xylophone for a steady support and the glockenspiels for tone color.
Renata's class and Susan's class are listening to music of the earth and rivers in preparation for the Ann Arbor Symphony's Youth Concert on March 16. Lydia told me today that she recognized one of the pieces- "In The Hall of the Mountain King"- at the Academy Awards show Sunday evening.
