Year Two Choir

If your Year Two child would like to join Year Two Choir please fill in this online form. Year Two choir will start on Friday 2 May (Week 2 next term). We will rehearse at second break on Fridays. Children are welcome to come and have a trial but I do ask that after the first week they make a decision and if they want to be in choir that they commit to coming to every rehearsal, not just when they feel like it. Choir will cost $10 for the year and you will be invoiced next term.

Most of our performances throughout the year will be on assembly, we will have one out of school time rehearsal which will be our end of year Gala Concert in the MPC. More information will come about that later in the year. If you have any questions about Year Two Choir please email, Mrs Brydon dbryd1@eq.edu.au.

Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/r/ZNpjmFzYUQ

Choir Day

Next Wednesday our Senior Choir and Year Three Choirs will have a special incursion where Jenny Moon, a fabulous Brisbane Conductor will come and work with them at Jamboree for the day. What a great day of singing and learning they will have. Choir members should just go to class as usual and their teachers will send them at different times during the day.

Year Six Music

In Year Six Music we have been learning about how music can be used to revitalise cultures and the importance of music in communicating a message. Here are some observations from the Year Sixes. We particularly explored the song “Treaty” by Yothu Yindi, one that many parents will remember! If you’re a Year Six parent, why not play this song at home and have a chat to your child about what they know!

“The purpose of the chorus is to hook the listener in and to stick a topic into their head. The composers gave the chorus extra power by repeating the same word over and over again and making it forte and faster or presto. Treaty helps to revitalise Aboriginal culture by bringing back the memory of what happened when they wanted a treaty and how it never came as well as using traditional Aboriginal instruments in the song.” Alanna 6C

“The lyrics that showed the two cultures coming together is when it says “when the waters will be one”. This shows the Aboriginal and English culture coming together because it means one water way is the Aboriginal culture and one is the English culture. The Aboriginal people want these two waters to connect and be one.” Megan 6H

“They used English and an Aboriginal Language in the song to communicate the idea of cultures coming together as well as traditional Aboriginal instruments with electric guitars. In the chorus they used more instruments and changed the dynamics to forte to give the chorus extra power. This song makes people realise how long Indigenous people have been here before us and that we should respect them and give them rights.” Chase H 6M

Year Two Music

The Year Two learners have been discovering all about ostinatos over the last few weeks in Music. If you ask any Year Two learner what an ostinato is they will tell you, in a very groovy way, “an ostinato is a pattern that repeats”. They have been performing songs while keeping the beat and playing the rhythm and now also while performing an ostinato (a rhythmic pattern that isn’t the beat or the rhythm of the song). It is quite tricky as they increase in skills of part-work in Music. They need to concentrate on singing one thing and clapping something different – all while staying in tune and in time! They have done a great job! Here is a link to the video we have watched about ostinatos – they request it every week they love it so much. If you’re a Year Two parent, play it at home and enjoy with your child. I warn you, it sticks in your head! Ostinato Explained!

Executive Function and Music

Executive functions fall into 3 main categories: working memory, cognitive flexibility (flexible thinking) and inhibitory control (self control). To improve any executive function (EF), practice is critical. EFs need to be continually challenged — not just used — to see improvements. (That goes for both children and adults.) However, EF training and practice alone will not achieve the best results. EFs blossom most when we lessen things that impair them (like stress or sadness) and enhance the things that support them (like joy or feelings of belonging).

Having great EF means that we are able to focus on our work and adapt to different situations – it is what we want all of our children to be great at. The Music classroom is a great place for us to practise these EFs in the context of having a great time making music together. Playing instruments and stopping at the right time is a great example of how we practise these EFs in Music. Another example is when the Preps use scarves to move to music – they are using their inhibitory control to not just do whatever they choose and their working memory to remember what happens in each part of the music. All in the context of having so much fun!

A little bit of Music Fun

Here are the clips that Year 5 & 6 students have watched recently in Music. We often only watch part of the clip in class due to time constraints and the learners are always asking to watch the rest. I tell them to ask their parents to show them from the newsletter. Why not watch them as a family and share the fun!

Week 6 -  Celebrating Ireland on St Patrick's Day

Week 7 – Jingle Hoops

Week 8 – THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE HIT THIS WEEK! Chocolate Cello!