Music & COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY Integration Unit.

Music & COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READINESS 

Every student should graduate from high school ready for college or a career. Every student should have meaningful opportunities to choose from upon graduation from high school. But while all states have developed and implemented standards as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), in many cases, these standards do not reflect the knowledge and skills needed for success after high school, either in further education or in a job. We must follow the lead of the nation’s governors and challenge students with state-developed, college- and career-ready standards, and more accurately measure what they are learning with better assessments. 

Resource: ed.gov

The 8th grade music class, room 301, is currently working hard on a new Music integration unit recently added to the curriculum- "College and Career Readiness". This unit serves as a great  opportunity for students to research the numerous careers in the music industry, and possibly find future careers of their interest. Their final project includes a presentation with visual aids to describe their career of choice including: a job description, duties/responsibilities, education/skills required, salary, and career opportunities. 

I can Read, Write, and Perform MUSIC!!!

During the second quarter, students have been learning how to read and write rhythm using the Kodaly method. In the pictures below, you can see our classroom progress from their early compositions, to their ensemble collaboration, and final group performance on an instrument. 

Storyline Writing to Beethoven Rooms 311 & 205

Today, students in the intermediate grades 3rd-5th learned how dynamics can add expression to a musical piece. They listened to let Ludwig Van Beethoven's fifth Symphony in C minor as an example. Beethoven was known for is masterpiece symphonies and turning them into a form of self expression. Students applied this musical expression to their instruments, performance, and their story line writing. As they listened to the fifth Symphony, they wrote an ad lib. storyline that complements the expression and mood of the musical piece; therefore, reinforcing their writing skills as they learn the music content- Dynamics!!! Students were eager to share and read their creative stories aloud to the class. 

Learning my first instrument!

Third-grade students are thrilled and eager to learn their first instrument. Over the last few weeks, they have learned to identify the notes in the musical staff, composed their own melodies, and learned the beginning techniques on the recorder instrument. Techniques such as proper seating posture, hand positions, and embouchure. Below you will see students working on their new song "I Know Where I'm Going" as they identify the notes, rhythms, and learn the lyrics. 

Quick Writes

Students across all grade levels are writing Quick Writes. In my Music class, Quick Writes is practiced daily to write a summary of the days lesson and activities. This is a great way to have students practice their writing skills and retain information of lessons learned. Students also read their previous quick writes to review for assessments, prepare for activities, and help other peers understand any missed material. 

Kodaly Rhythm

Here at Hedges, I use the Kodaly method of teaching music across all grade levels. For room 202, fifth-grade, they have learned the various rhythmic syllables that express the duration of common rhythmic musical notes. For example, quarter notes are expressed by the syllable "Ta" while eighth note pairs are expressed using the syllables "Ti-Ti". For our activities, students were divided into sectionals, each person had an opportunity to write a two measure rhythmic pattern while others had to read and perform them aloud. 

Music Technology Room 308-8th

For the next two weeks, eighth-grade students are working on their music technology GarageBand project. This is a music and technology integrated unit using a shared vocabulary, common standards for both contents, for college and career readiness. The project uses a wide variety of elements with various tracks; including loops, effects, and various instrumental selections to combine. The rubric is made up of five sections including elements, organization and structure, rhythm, musicality, and the use of technology. 

After-School Rock Band with IMW

At Hedges, we are proud of offering a variety of educational afterschool programs for our students. One of our outstanding music programs offered is the Hedges Rock Band in partnership with Intonation Music Workshop. Students learn how to play numerous instruments including piano, electric guitar, electric bass, vocals, Latin  percussion, and drum set. 

8th Grade Room 308 - Guitar Unit

Eighth-grade students from room 308 are preparing for their final performance exam at the end of the week. Over the course of two weeks, they have learned the history of the Spanish guitar, the vocabulary, parts, and a ii-V-I progression in the key of C Major; along with these chords, they learned a Maroon 5 song called "Sunday Morning".