Ms. Rennick

Week of September 26-30

HOMECOMING WEEK  -  yay!

GHSGT - WRITING TEST - for juniors Tuesday

OPEN HOUSE for all TUESDAY evening - Hope to see everyone there.

Now - On to the class plans....

Beginning Music Theory - We are starting the SINGING portion.  This week we will cover intervals (distance between notes), singing and recognizing distances between notes.  Class will use the see, hear, say, and do method to cement the information into long-term memory.

Orchestra Classes - ONLY 2 WEEKS FROM THE CONCERT.  I need to see the instruments go home every day for practice.  We will focus on Performance Skills this week and next in preparation for the concert.  Students will be asked to perform in large group, small groups, and individually, as needed to show mastery of the music. 

Week of September 19-23

This is the end of the FIRST 6 weeks.

Beginning Music Theory - Classes will review information in preparation for the 6 weeks test this week.  Review elements include: Note and Rest values, Time Signatures, Treble and Bass clef notes, Piano Keyboard notes, Half and Whole steps, Sharps and Flats, Enharmonics, Major Scale creation, and Chromatic Scale creation.

Orchestra Classes - Students will review performance skills from the first 5 weeks, as well as the terms, symbols, and abbreviations used in music-reading skills.  Our 6 weeks test will include: recognition of the 6 pieces of information given at the beginning of music literature, translation and execution of Italian bowing articulations, translation and execution of Italian tempos, as well as performing with correct posture, correct finger positions, correct rhythms, at the tempo indicated, and with the articulations indicated.

Week of September 12-16, 2011

Beginning Music Theory - This week we will focus on the SHARPS, FLATS, and ENHARMONICS (the "black" keys on the piano).  We will also learn how to arrange WHOLE and HALF steps into any major scale, and arrange all half steps into a CHROMATIC scale.  We will also review key elements in preparation for next week's 6 weeks tests.

Orchestra Classes - Our goals this week are: "Roadmaps" in music (understanding what the composer wants in the way of key, time, tempo, dynamics, and articulation markings), the 9 most commonly used tempos (speeds), the Italian terms and abbreviations for dynamics (volume levels), and symbols / markings used to indicate expression and articulation in performance.  We will also be reviewing key elements in preparation for next week's 6 weeks tests.

Week of September 6-9, 2011

(short week)

Beginning Music Theory - After 3 weeks spent on rhythms, notes, rests, piano keyboard skills, and time signatures, .. classes are still weak in the standards mastery.  We will review this week, and evaluate progress after the reviews.  This is a new class this year, and every lesson is not tested and tried, yet.

Orchestra Classes - Will review all concepts from the first 3 weeks: posture, tuning, vibrato, shifting, bowing articulations, and will concentrate on preparing the concert selections.  Friday, classes will test the bowing articulations in PERFORMANCE and in WRITING.  Students are strongly urged to practice all 11 at home, as well as the concert music.  (Next week concert music will be performance tested)