Hello Wildcat families!   Our Primary students have been having a lot of fun singing songs and SQUILT-ing.  That is Sit Quietly Un Interrupted Listening Time.  During this time, they closed their eyes and zoned in to the music looking for specific sounds and they were amazing with what they could hear and describe.  Look for John Williams’ theme to the movie Superman and play it.  Can you hear cymbals crashing? A triangle roll?

Second grade has been learning about Folk Tales/Music and even trying their “hand” and clapping games and playing instruments to accompany the songs.

Third through fifth grade have had their minds and their hands on the RECORDER!  I’m sure you have all heard the wonderful, and not so wonderful, sounds this instrument can make.  Please encourage your child to practice at home using their purple lesson book and to use gentle and calm air support.  Working slowly to obtain a nice sound is their goal.  This takes a balance of warm, slow air and correct hand position with their finger pads completely covering the open holes needed to play their pitches.  Have them log into MyPascoConnect and click on the Quaver icon to access many lessons for the recorder as well.

So that you can better prepare for rehearsals and our upcoming Holiday Concert, please listen to, and play along with these two audio tracks.  African Noel will be performed with the Odessa Chorus.  Good King Wenceslas will be performed with an audio track.

African Noel:

Good King Wenceslas:

Recorders are coming, Recorders are coming!!!

Yellow half sheet order forms went in the Tuesday folder of every third and fourth grader two weeks ago.  Fifth grade students who need an order form need to ask their music teacher for one. You can click recorder-letter2016b to download another one.

Unit two has been well under way in all grade levels and the students are having a great time learning about the different instruments and their families. We have lots of instruments for hands on exploration as well as performing on. Ask your child which instruments they learned about and got to play. This year we were very fortunate to have quite a few high school band members come to Odessa and play for the students and answer questions about the instruments they play and why they chose to play in band.

Kindergarten – Learning and performing on classroom percussion instruments

1st grade – Grouping classroom percussion instruments into pitched (xylophones/metallophones) and un-pitched (maracas, hand drum, triangle, woodblock…)

2nd grade – Grouping un-pitched classroom percussion instruments into sub categories: metals, woods, membranes, and shakers/scrapers.

3rd grade – Identifying and describing common characteristics of instruments that are grouped into five different families (categories) Keyboard, String, Percussion, Brass, and Woodwind.

4th grade – Identifying visually and aurally instruments from the five families (building on last year’s third grade unit).

5th grade – Identifying all common band and orchestra instruments, as well as keyboards aurally. (building on last year’s unit).

Thank you to the students and parents who came out on a weekend day to support our community and remember those who lost their lives on 9/11/01 and the heroes that are still here with us.  Our third, fourth, and fifth graders did an amazing job performing two Patriotic songs for all attendees.  Our students were given a big compliment on not only their beautiful voices but their  stage presence and behavior as well.  You make us proud!! Here are some pictures from the event: 

Third, Fourth and Fifth grade Odessa students have been invited to perform at the 9-11 Memorial Service at Sims Park in New Port Richey on Sunday, September 11th, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.  All students in these grade levels received a letter in their Tuesday Folder on 8/23 explaining the event and are encouraged to participate, even though this is not a mandatory concert. Dress code is nice-casual in Red, White, and/or Blue clothes.  No shorts please. The letter can be downloaded here:Sims Park 091116  and the lyrics can be found here:2016 Sept 11 concert Mp3’s of the songs to practice with can be found here:

Let’s Not Forget

American Every Day

Students are asked to arrive by 4:30 p.m. and to meet their music teacher outside of Peace Hall, behind the performance stage on Sims Lane.  Parents and guests may then leave and take a seat in front of the stage. Students will then enter Peace Hall to line up in height order and warm up their voices and run through their songs. We will bring them around and line them up on the stage to perform.  After the performance we will lead them off the stage and around the back of the stage by Peace Hall where you may pick up your child. If you would like us to bring your child around front to sit with you for the remainder of the service, please let your child know.  At least one music teacher will stay until the end (@6:30 p.m.) to be sure all students have a ride home.

Here is a link to the location of Sims Park:https://www.google.com/maps/dir/”/sims+park+new+port+richey/@28.2513664,-82.722306,155m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x88c2903237fc95e7:0x9596f2fee42a1f9b!2m2!1d-82.7217561!2d28.2513843

We look forward to a wonderful presentation!

Kindergarten – speaking, singing, and whispering voices

1st grade – the difference between one singer and a group of singers

2nd grade – the difference between the voices of a child, adult female, and adult male

3rd grade – the difference between unison and two-part harmony. )**Getting ready for 9-11 Performance**

4th grade – identifying and describing the four primary voice types (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass)**Getting ready for 9-11 Performance**

5th grade – identifying the four voice types by ear **Getting ready for 9-11 Performance **

Odessa Elementary’s school choruses will be teaming up with Trinity Elementary, Seven Springs Middle School and JW Mitchell High School’s choruses for a evening of COOL music on Thursday night, January 28th at 7:00 p.m. on the Mitchell football field. Bring your chairs, your blankets and some hot cocoa for a unique concert blending voices of young and old!

Students in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 have all received a letter this month to take home explaining this year’s spring concert, School House Rock!     Click School House Rock Permission for Concert 2016 for a copy. Please read through this letter and mark the date, Monday, March 14, 2016 on your calendars. This concert will be held at Pasco’s Center for the Performing Arts at River Ridge High school at 7:00 p.m. Students are expected to report to the music rooms behind the stage at 6:30 p.m. We ask that all students performing in this March concert to wear long blue jeans and a brightly colored t-shirt; red, yellow, orange, green, blue, or purple. Sneakers are the acceptable footwear as well!

Here is the lyrics page for grades 4 and 5 Schoolhouse Rock Lyrics 4-5

Here is the lyrics page for grades 2 and 3 Schoolhouse Rock Lyrics 2-3

Upload the DVD order form to purchase your keepsake video created by Affordable Recordables DVD-order-form-Spring 2016