Music Update: November 2025
Grade 6: Band/Orchestra
Students have been hard at work learning how to read music and play their selected instruments.
Band has learned the first six notes on their instruments and put those six notes together in various short tunes. In orchestra, students have learned their first eight notes and how to play them pizzicato (plucking on a string) and arco (bowing).
Both groups have shown a lot of excitement about learning how to play a variety of tunes and have worked on playing them as an ensemble, in smaller groups, and as individuals.
Both groups have also been working on various rhythms and can now read, notate, and perform quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, half rests, whole notes, and whole rests.
Grade 7: Band/Orchestra
Seventh grade students have been practicing warm ups, fundamental exercises from their Essential Elements books, and sheet music for Winter Arts Night.
Both ensembles have been learning various new notes in new key signatures. They are focusing on identifying new key signatures and how to play within the key (and what happens when they don’t).
Students' sheet music this fall has more complex layering of parts all happening at once. This is stretching their independence at playing their part while also working as a group.
Grade 8: Band/Orchestra
Eighth grade students have been working on various warm ups, fundamental exercises from their Essential Elements books, and ensemble music for Winter Arts Night.
For this year's Winter Arts Night each 8th grade student was tasked with picking either a solo or creating a small group (no more than 4 students in a group) and then selecting music. After students selected their music, they started working independently (as soloists), or with their small group, to learn this music.
Once a week, students are leading rehearsals with their groups, practicing their parts and learning how to put the music together. They are always welcome to check in with me, but I encourage them to use the rehearsal skills they gained in 6th and 7th grades to run their own practice. I have been very impressed with how students are leading one another to make some really great music.
