Just when you start to think.......

Just when you start to think that you've lost a kid, that they do not care one iota for what you are trying to teach them, they have one of those light bulb moments and come up with one the most amazing observations EVER!!!!!  The one thing I try to get kids to see about music is about how much of it is repetition and pattern.  If you learn to play or sing one lick, one rhythm, one phrase, it is more than likely going to occur the piece somewhere again.  To me, learning to look for the patterns in music saves so much time in long run whether it be in practicing or in frustration.

So today in class we were looking at a song called "All Around the Corn Sally."  Its a call and response piece, not a hard song by any means, but a good piece to teach eighth note and quarter note rhythms with.  Child who very rarely seems to be paying attention, realizes that the rhythm in the response part is the same every time.  At this rather loud pronouncement, I swear I could hear faint strains of the Hallelujah Chorus!  Another child shouts back, "No it doesn't," to which someone replys "Yes it does but the call rhythm repeats too!!"  After much discussion and some colored markers marking the rhythms on the board, we decided that the entire song was only 3 rhythms.  "THAT'S EASY!!!" the entire class responded. 

Now I would like be able to quote Hannibal from the A-Team and smugly say how much I love it when a plan comes together.  This was not even on the lesson plan radar for today.  I guess that goes to prove, some days you just get lucky.......

Whew! We Made It!

The title for today's post is from "Going on a Lion Hunt," one of the new favorites of this year's Kindergarten classes.  If you are familiar with the bear hunt version, this is basically the same thing, the hunter just finds a lion at the end.  My favorite part is the very end where they say we went on a lion hunt and we weren't afraid.  There is always the one kid who shouts out "yes we were!!"

Labor Day weekend means that teachers and students have all survived the first couple weeks of school.  It also means that marching band season is underway, the fall sports season is in full swing, and that the end of the Royals season is in the not to far future.  We got to spend two great days at The K (well, once the rain finally stopped Saturday).  I love shorts and sweatshirt weather.  Today was in the mid-70s but a north wind made the air just a little chilly.  Sunny, yet cool, the best weather to watch a ball game in.

Labor Day weekend also means that one of the biggest grinds of the school year is ahead.  That long stretch from Labor Day until mid-October with no breaks and no days off.  Hopefully everyone is getting used to the routines and procedures by now and this stretch will be as painless as possible.  I am more than ready for band to start in Concordia.   Evidently, there have been some HVAC issues in the band room so they haven't even been able to really have classes in the band room yet.  I miss playing, I miss being around people more my own height, I miss talking about music on a higher level, I miss seeing my music friends.