Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | Orange Roots Lessons

Lesson #3

I can build a triad! From any note on the staff, I just add a 3rd and a 5th. Then guess what! I can move the notes around (as long as they stay on the same letter) and the root is still the same. If the chord isn't in root position, then "the note above the gap's the root" (just listen to the song... it explains it all!). We will continue to explore this concept in the coming weeks.

In "John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith" we found that it was missing a note in the first measure in the bass clef. We decided what note we should put there by finding out what the root of the chord was in the treble clef. We wrote some of the letter names in the space between the treble and bass clefs during class, but the kids were told to finish writing them at home.

While we are only practicing the first two lines of part I in "From the New World," it would be easy to just simply 'play' it, but remember to not only sing the note names, (“e-g-g-e-d-c” etc.) but try singing the rhythm as well (“shoot-the half note” etc.) while playing it this week. Or you could even sing the counts! (1+ 2+ 3+ 4+...)

John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith

This fun song from your childhood will get us learning a new style of bass root accompanying. Once we understand this we can improvise on a two handed marching style. It also is another opportunity to feel a half cadence. This song is also another opportunity to feel a half cadence (ends on a yellow chord instead of red).

 I Can Build a Triad 

Like the song says, "Pick any note to be the root... then add a third, and add a fifth!" Now that we are learning chord structure, our skipping snakes will help us to chant and spell each of our triads. Like any language, you speak (sing) it first, and then you can learn to write it. Want to practice making your own Skipping Snakes at home? Print out the attached file and have fun with your own alphabet magnets at home!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triad_(music)

John Jacob

There are lots of different variations on our 'John Jacob' song. I remembered singing it as 'Schmidt' instead of 'Smith' as a kid, and instead of 'look there he goes again' we would just sing 'la la la la la la la.' It can be lots of fun to take a familiar tune and improvise in fun and crazy ways. Which way does your family like best? The  Rock'n'Roll, the Sesame Street, or the Sing a Ma Jig version??  

Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)

Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 | Orange Roots Lessons

Lesson #2

We're beginning a fun new way to celebrate how fast the kids know their note flashcards. It's called the "In a Flash Club" and the kids get to compete against their own best time for how fast they can go over all their PURPLE NOTE FLASHCARDS. There's a place in the homework each week where the kids are supposed to time themselves for how long it takes. This only needs to be done 3 times each week, not every practice. We will record their best time on a card in class so they can see how much better they get each week! The kids will also get "fish food" stickers to put in their fishbowl (in the back of their homework book) for each time they do "In a Flash" and "Say It, Then Play It" as part of their homework. They can earn up to 5 stickers each week. Let's get those bowls so full of fish food that we can't even see the fish!

We also began counting rhythms (very simple ones) today. If you would like to print out some practice counting pages for home, you can download them from your student portal. (If you don't know how to access that, please just let me know.) You can either cut each card apart, or you can randomly pick one for your child to clap and count. Just know this is completely optional and have fun with it! 

Echo Edison
The newest member of our Echo family has arrived. He is Echo Ed and Echo Edna’s grandfather! He doesn't like when he gets echoed though. He likes to ask musical questions and have the kids give him musical answers. He will not only help us learn technique and play finger exercises in 5 keys, but is the vehicle for helping us create our compositions this semester!  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_composition  
   
Cadence Blues 
Cadence Blues is actually ONLY printed in the key of C in your songbooks, but on your CD you have the 'Blues' in other keys. While playing in the key of F or G, you still have to read the song written in the key of C. That's right! Your little musician will be transposing! Woot woot! Be sure to keep the CD player near the keyboard to make practicing fun!  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposition_(music)  
   
Monsters 
The new puppet show is entitled Monsters. However, the real name of the puppet show is Montagues and Capulets, also known as Dance of the Knights and is from the ballet 'Romeo and Juliet' composed by Sergei Prokofiev. This puppet show is similar to many of our past puppet shows--it follows the ABA formula that composers love! But the themes are layered on top of each other, and we will further develop our ear training to distinguish the individual layers of sound.

Musicians definitely have a sense of humor! Check out this fun video of a trick played on an orchestra conductor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oipg71dSem0

Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)

Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 | Orange Roots Lessons

Lesson #1

What a great first lesson! There is always so much info to pack in while I have you in class once a month! Thank you for coming! In class we signed up for the times when we will do our private lessons on weeks 6 and 11. If you weren't there, I'll text you with the remaining times available and you can let me know what works for you.

Please check the calendar in your student portal so you can be sure you are scheduling parent days in the right places! You can sync the calendar to your google calendar or whichever digital calendar you use. If I need to make any changes, I'll text you to let you know.

Our last semester of Let’s Play Music is packed with amazing musical concepts that some kids will get in middle and high school music classes, if they are lucky! This is going to be an amazing ride as we make skipping snakes, play with the roots of chords, build triads, compose a song, add to our musical repertoire, and much, much more.

Because we are moving right along now, my hope is that you will continue to put highest priority on your practice time. Each week we will be building on concepts and skills practiced the previous week. Of course, we have been doing this all along in the other LPM semesters. However, if the students get behind this semester, they will most likely feel lost rather quickly. As a result, they won’t feel happy going to class because they won’t know the material and won’t have practiced the songs. This will quickly lead to frustration and unhappy students. We’d like to avoid this from the start, by putting highest priority on practice from the beginning. This will eliminate much of the distress that could develop because of neglected practice.

More than any other semester, the music has lyrics that will really help teach musical concepts. There are way fewer songs, but that is because they are very important! Be sure to listen to the class music with your child so you can know how to help!

Tuition is due this week and is $280 for the Orange Roots semester. You can pay via Zelle using my phone number (preferred, so I don't have to pay Venmo transaction fees). Zelle is a way to transfer money from your bank account to my bank account without needing to wait or pay extra fees. It's easy to set up through your bank and even easier to use once it has been set up. You could pay via Venmo @musikandme if you really can't set up Zelle. If you need to make monthly payments, rather than paying for the semester, it will be $75/month. (You will save $20 by paying for the semester up front!) 

Celebrate Connection
Think of ways you can focus on making practice time as fun as possible – give your child warm, friendly eye contact, smile with your voice, be a little silly, show you are relaxed and happy to sit with your child, and look for the good in your child's effort. Notice the joy in your child's eyes. Verbalize the good you see and hug your child often. This practice relationship will be essential to your child's success in Let's Play Music. The more you invest your energy into positive interaction, the more solid and successful this habit will become.     
      
After doing your assignment for class, allow your child to fool around and experiment if he wants to, and play a song he knows -- no matter how simple. This can be done anytime or multiple times throughout the week. Model joy as you play the piano. If you make a mistake, smile and show that you are relaxed and enjoy trying again to fix the mistake. Celebrate your effort to give him the idea his efforts are something to enjoy and celebrate.

Primary Root Chords Song
Wow! We had to do some hard thinking during class with this song. Playing our old familiar song in a new way is helping us understand that root and how to play chords when they are in root position. We are jumping all over the keyboard to play this song, but don't forget, to play these root position chords you simply put your thumb on the root and then play what 'feels' like a red chord.

Cockles and Mussels
Our first repertoire song this semester is an old Irish folk song from the 1800s. This week, we are focusing on learning the melody. The fun part of this song comes soon, when we look at the ROOT position chords in the left hand. This piece allows us to strengthen our fingers as hands play together, tests our sight reading skills, and gives us the opportunity to improvise with a broken chord variation. Ha ha! Is there anything it doesn't do??? Our Let's Play Music blog has a great post with fun facts and practice videos dedicated to our new 'Cockles and Mussels' repertoire piece. Gather the family together and enjoy!

Let's Find the Root
Ever wonder why we learn so much about chords in Let's Play Music? Chords are the building blocks of songs and harmonies. In our 6th and final Orange Roots semester, we will finally analyze and label the chord theory and structure that our fingers have been playing and singing since we were Red Balloons! The idea of 'it's not about the shape, it's about the pieces' will take on new meaning as we label those pieces and discover the most important of those pieces-- the ROOT! Don your sunglasses, and keep it cool while you sing 'Let's Find the Root' to understand what the root is, and how to find it in our chords! In case this feels a little foreign to you, I have added a couple pages to the online resources in the Student Portal: There is a parent help that dissects the lyrics to Let's Find the Root  with visual examples and simple explanations to better help you understand the theory concepts I am teaching in class. There is also a Parent Theory Note that has a little more info and explains things a little differently. Please ask me if you need ANY clarification on these. This video is good at explaining how our chords can be rearranged to be in root position, but still be red, blue and yellow chords.

Primary Root Chords Song

As you start out this year, check out this practice tip from our Let's Play Music Blog. Here's a little 'practice humor' for you, just for fun!

Also, the Monsters puppet show puppets are in your book now, but if you'd like you can also download them and print them from your student portal! Log in at www.musikandme.com and you can download, print and let your child color the characters as you discuss their favorite part about the puppet show! (Can you hear the characters that you are coloring?)

Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)

Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)