We watched a little video about ostinato presented by the Harry Potter Puppet Pals. A pipe bomb made a ticking sound and the characters each said their names using different rhythms. They repeated their names over and over to make the ostinato. Then we made up our own ostinato patterns on our names.
In our small groups we are working on vibrato. We used shakers to work on the arm motion. We also practiced sliding our fingers along the fingerboard and changing the speed of the sliding.
We are learning more of the variations in Variations on a Well-Known Sea Chantey. What makes the new parts hard are the fast speed of some of them and changing from a fast variation to a slow one.
Sansa Kroma is one of the pieces we are learning and we played a game that goes with the song. You sit in a circle with a stick or a stone in front of you and then you pass the stick or stone to the next person following the beat of the song. We used mints instead of a stone and we ate them at the end of the game.
Last week we watched a video that showed people all over the world singing a song together. All the musicians were street musicians and the people who made the video traveled all around the world to record them singing Stand By Me. It was a really good performance and it was done by people who weren’t professional musicians.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
6th period 7th grade orchestra
Lately in seventh grade orchestra we have been playing lots of interesting pieces like Sansa Kroma, The Star Spangled Banner, Variations on a Well-Known Sea Chantey, Drunken Sailor, Postcards from Russia, An English Folksong, and last but not least Kingsfold Melody. My favorite of all the pieces is Postcards from Russia. It has many different pieces in it like Minka, Meadowland and many more. As you can see we are playing lots of pieces but all are very fun to play especially with a small group of people.
-Paige Baillies
-Paige Baillies
5th period 8th grade orchestra
In the first week of orchestra, we got to know each other. We came to class the first day and sat down. We didn’t play then because it was the first day of school. We talked about what was going on this year, talked about how the first day was going, about what we were going to go through this year. We did “mini” interviews with each other, took some pictures, and sat around and talked.
On the second day of school we started playing our instruments. Since then, that’s what we have been doing. Lately, we’ve been getting new pieces; they seem to be interesting to play.
Today is the 10th of September, since today is Friday; we are playing the Star Spangled Banner for tomorrow, which is Saturday, September 11th.
This is Tasha.
I got to conduct the orchestra one day in practice :) I love conducting and I’m really glad that I get that opportunity. Playing cello was the best decision I ever made! I LOVE IT Whoop-Whoop for Cello! (WHOOP-WHOOP!)-(Pass me Ms. Buehl I need an “A”)
This is Kyrie.
I get to help make this blog. Today we played the Star Spangled Banner. It was kind of fun. I like to play in orchestra. I play the viola and really enjoy it. I also play the bass sometimes. .0
This is Torleif.
I like to play orchestra, I play the cello, and I’m making this blog because I put this little Popsicle stick in a can. I’m glad that I’m orchestra because I enjoy it.
This is Caitlin.
Orchestra is so much fun. I like coming to orchestra everyday because it’s interesting. I play viola and the pieces we play are very fun to play. I hope you liked reading my post. Bye.
We hope that you liked reading our blog post and as Tasha says.. “Our memories of our wonderful Orchestra.. WHOOP WHOOP”
Tasha ﻸ, Torleif ﷼, Kyrie ®, and Caitlin
On the second day of school we started playing our instruments. Since then, that’s what we have been doing. Lately, we’ve been getting new pieces; they seem to be interesting to play.
Today is the 10th of September, since today is Friday; we are playing the Star Spangled Banner for tomorrow, which is Saturday, September 11th.
This is Tasha.
I got to conduct the orchestra one day in practice :) I love conducting and I’m really glad that I get that opportunity. Playing cello was the best decision I ever made! I LOVE IT Whoop-Whoop for Cello! (WHOOP-WHOOP!)-(Pass me Ms. Buehl I need an “A”)
This is Kyrie.
I get to help make this blog. Today we played the Star Spangled Banner. It was kind of fun. I like to play in orchestra. I play the viola and really enjoy it. I also play the bass sometimes. .0
This is Torleif.
I like to play orchestra, I play the cello, and I’m making this blog because I put this little Popsicle stick in a can. I’m glad that I’m orchestra because I enjoy it.
This is Caitlin.
Orchestra is so much fun. I like coming to orchestra everyday because it’s interesting. I play viola and the pieces we play are very fun to play. I hope you liked reading my post. Bye.
We hope that you liked reading our blog post and as Tasha says.. “Our memories of our wonderful Orchestra.. WHOOP WHOOP”
Tasha ﻸ, Torleif ﷼, Kyrie ®, and Caitlin
7th grade 2nd period orchestra
September 10, 2010
Hello and welcome to the 7th grade Orchestra Blog. On the first day we talked about expectations and respect for our instruments. The next day we started playing right away. Some of the music we have played in the last two weeks are “Postcards From Russia”, “Drunken Sailor”, “The Star Spangled Banner”, “Variations On a Well-Known Sea Chantey”, “Kingsfold Melody” and “Sansa Kroma”. We also have done a group activity involving candy bars. In our groups for the activity we had to make variations of a pat-clap pattern. So far we have had lots of fun in our new Orchestra class!
Three of Mrs. Buehl’s Students, Morgan Espich, Kristen Odorico,Kailee Lessner
Hello and welcome to the 7th grade Orchestra Blog. On the first day we talked about expectations and respect for our instruments. The next day we started playing right away. Some of the music we have played in the last two weeks are “Postcards From Russia”, “Drunken Sailor”, “The Star Spangled Banner”, “Variations On a Well-Known Sea Chantey”, “Kingsfold Melody” and “Sansa Kroma”. We also have done a group activity involving candy bars. In our groups for the activity we had to make variations of a pat-clap pattern. So far we have had lots of fun in our new Orchestra class!
Three of Mrs. Buehl’s Students, Morgan Espich, Kristen Odorico,Kailee Lessner
Monday, October 5, 2009
Last week, the students in the groups that meet every day had sectionals on Wednesday. I worked with the different sections of the orchestra (1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos and basses) of the pieces that they will be playing for the concert. When the students were not in a sectional, they spent time brainstorming ideas for the classroom blog and then took turns typing in their contributions.
Mrs. Buehl
Four Royal Dances
4 sections/dances called The Knight, The Lady, The Jester, and The Lord.
There are different dynamics and speed.
Activities
We do a lot of scales.
One person tunes and everyone follows.
Word Wall words we have been learning:
Solo – in all of the songs
Fugue – In Fairly Fugal
Sforzando – In The Knight
Erica, Juliana, Danielle, and Caroline did it yeah!
“The Four Royal Dances”
“The Four Royal Dances” is a beautiful four part piece that throughout, paints images of dancing nobles from the renaissance times. The four included nobles are the loyal lord, the weeping lady, the jubilant jester, and lastly the heroic knight.
Word Wall
We have learned many musical terms like suspension. Suspension is where there is a clashing or tense sound that is usually resolved within the next note or so with a major chord or sound. Another word that we learned is subito. Subito is the musical term meaning when a dynamic is immediately changes to the next dynamic or temporarily to a new way of playing.
Activities in Class
Some of the different activities that we do during class is the warm up using different keys and rhythms going up and down, sometimes in a round or canon. During some days we come together in smaller learning groups called our learning communities. In those groups we talk about terms or words on the world wall or do different activities. Finally we rehearse together as an orchestra different pieces in sometimes breaking off for a minute or two so one section can practice a section more one-on-one with the teacher.
By: Taylor, Katie, Gloria, Marlee, Bradlee
One Song we have been practicing is “Four Royal Dances”. It has 4 movements, The Lord, The Jester, The Knight and The Lady. This song is only being played by the kids that are in orchestra every day.
Warm ups consist of a scale (f,g,a,b,c,d,e,f,g,a) and we sometimes switch accidentals on the notes. Sometimes we play a tune from one of the songs we are learning.
In small groups we are first starting up with practicing vibrato and ending with practicing measures in all the songs we are playing for the November concert.
By: Lauren .W, Courtney .W, Kaitlyn .W and Tori .S.
The four royal dances is what we play on everyday orchestra. We practice each movement carefully, especially the knight because it's the hardest. We learn even more from the clues we see on the board when we guess the song we are going to practice. Sometimes they are word wall works, which are musical terms that we may not know, but we’ll learn. Before every class we tune our own instruments and do a warm up. The worm up helps teach us hard rhythms and gets us ready to play.
By: Daniel, Gabby, Tori, and Ada
By: Dani S, Anne M, Finnley R, Isaac J, David S, Carissa G
Ellis Island is one of the pieces we are playing this fall that has a long story to the whole piece. Ellis Island shows immigration and hardships that immigrants had to face while leaving their country and settling in the new world. To others in our group it told a story about the immigrant’s struggle of getting to and out of Ellis Island and surviving in the new world. This piece has a very fast speed with lots of triplet notes, making it difficult to count. Many problems we personally have are counting after a certain spot that was especially hard to read. But we learn from our mistakes and make new ones to fix until we have the piece perfect sounding. We are working hard to stride high with this piece and hope our parents will enjoy it!
By: Allie, Abby, Becca, Corey
By the way…VIOLINS RULE!!!
We are learning a lot of pieces right now, but one challenging piece is called Ellis Island. It sounds like it is about a family immigrating to America. The high violin part sounds like the family is amazed at what they see, and the low cello/bass part sounds like the guards who either let immigrants in or send them home. Some challenging parts in this piece include measures 73-79, where the violin 1 part has to play in 3rd position! We all are getting better and better at our playing, so the concerts this year will be great!
Mrs. Buehl
Four Royal Dances
4 sections/dances called The Knight, The Lady, The Jester, and The Lord.
There are different dynamics and speed.
Activities
We do a lot of scales.
One person tunes and everyone follows.
Word Wall words we have been learning:
Solo – in all of the songs
Fugue – In Fairly Fugal
Sforzando – In The Knight
Erica, Juliana, Danielle, and Caroline did it yeah!
“The Four Royal Dances”
“The Four Royal Dances” is a beautiful four part piece that throughout, paints images of dancing nobles from the renaissance times. The four included nobles are the loyal lord, the weeping lady, the jubilant jester, and lastly the heroic knight.
Word Wall
We have learned many musical terms like suspension. Suspension is where there is a clashing or tense sound that is usually resolved within the next note or so with a major chord or sound. Another word that we learned is subito. Subito is the musical term meaning when a dynamic is immediately changes to the next dynamic or temporarily to a new way of playing.
Activities in Class
Some of the different activities that we do during class is the warm up using different keys and rhythms going up and down, sometimes in a round or canon. During some days we come together in smaller learning groups called our learning communities. In those groups we talk about terms or words on the world wall or do different activities. Finally we rehearse together as an orchestra different pieces in sometimes breaking off for a minute or two so one section can practice a section more one-on-one with the teacher.
By: Taylor, Katie, Gloria, Marlee, Bradlee
One Song we have been practicing is “Four Royal Dances”. It has 4 movements, The Lord, The Jester, The Knight and The Lady. This song is only being played by the kids that are in orchestra every day.
Warm ups consist of a scale (f,g,a,b,c,d,e,f,g,a) and we sometimes switch accidentals on the notes. Sometimes we play a tune from one of the songs we are learning.
In small groups we are first starting up with practicing vibrato and ending with practicing measures in all the songs we are playing for the November concert.
By: Lauren .W, Courtney .W, Kaitlyn .W and Tori .S.
The four royal dances is what we play on everyday orchestra. We practice each movement carefully, especially the knight because it's the hardest. We learn even more from the clues we see on the board when we guess the song we are going to practice. Sometimes they are word wall works, which are musical terms that we may not know, but we’ll learn. Before every class we tune our own instruments and do a warm up. The worm up helps teach us hard rhythms and gets us ready to play.
By: Daniel, Gabby, Tori, and Ada
By: Dani S, Anne M, Finnley R, Isaac J, David S, Carissa G
Ellis Island is one of the pieces we are playing this fall that has a long story to the whole piece. Ellis Island shows immigration and hardships that immigrants had to face while leaving their country and settling in the new world. To others in our group it told a story about the immigrant’s struggle of getting to and out of Ellis Island and surviving in the new world. This piece has a very fast speed with lots of triplet notes, making it difficult to count. Many problems we personally have are counting after a certain spot that was especially hard to read. But we learn from our mistakes and make new ones to fix until we have the piece perfect sounding. We are working hard to stride high with this piece and hope our parents will enjoy it!
By: Allie, Abby, Becca, Corey
By the way…VIOLINS RULE!!!
We are learning a lot of pieces right now, but one challenging piece is called Ellis Island. It sounds like it is about a family immigrating to America. The high violin part sounds like the family is amazed at what they see, and the low cello/bass part sounds like the guards who either let immigrants in or send them home. Some challenging parts in this piece include measures 73-79, where the violin 1 part has to play in 3rd position! We all are getting better and better at our playing, so the concerts this year will be great!
Friday, September 18, 2009
2nd period 7th grade orchestra
2nd period 7th grade orchestra
Caitlin, Tabitha, Kyle, Julie, Mary, Hannah
Our small groups started this week. Small groups were fun and helped us get better at Hero’s Journey and The Arethusa.
Our songs are very challenging. Some of the challenges are playing in 6/8 in Hero’s Journey, bowings in Reverie, and playing flats in Farandole.
Every day we start with a warm-up. Ms. Buehl has rhythms on the board and someone chooses an articulation and a dynamic from the wheels. We also played fiddle tunes that we learned in past years. We play scales and themes from our pieces. Each person has a chance to come up to the podium and be the tuner.
Ms. Buehl doesn’t tell us the title of the songs we are playing, she gives hints about the songs and we have to figure out what it is.
We have a word wall in our classroom and we have learned legato, reverie, col legno, and ostinato.
Caitlin, Tabitha, Kyle, Julie, Mary, Hannah
Our small groups started this week. Small groups were fun and helped us get better at Hero’s Journey and The Arethusa.
Our songs are very challenging. Some of the challenges are playing in 6/8 in Hero’s Journey, bowings in Reverie, and playing flats in Farandole.
Every day we start with a warm-up. Ms. Buehl has rhythms on the board and someone chooses an articulation and a dynamic from the wheels. We also played fiddle tunes that we learned in past years. We play scales and themes from our pieces. Each person has a chance to come up to the podium and be the tuner.
Ms. Buehl doesn’t tell us the title of the songs we are playing, she gives hints about the songs and we have to figure out what it is.
We have a word wall in our classroom and we have learned legato, reverie, col legno, and ostinato.
Monday, June 8, 2009
End of the year thoughts from 7th and 8th grade students
I asked students in both 7th and 8th grade orchestra to write a short poem about one of three topics related to orchestra class: write about a specific piece of music we played, write about a goal that they worked on during the year, or write about orchestra class in general. The poetic form I asked them to use is called a cinquain. The poem uses one word in the first line, two words in the second line, three words in the third line, four words in the fourth line, and one word in the last line. Some of the students also gave their poem a title. Here is a selection of poems on each of the three topics. I think it is a great way to end the school year.
Poems about a piece of music
Brandenburg Concerto
Daniel Rau
Moving
Tricky fingerings
Fast paced rhythms
Hard to keep tempo
Fun
Russian Sailor’s Dance
Rachel Guenther
Ballet
Red Poppy
sfz, chromatics, poco a poco
Are some musical terms
Fun
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Marlee Rolfsmeyer
Complicated
Very fun
Lots of practice
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Amazing
Brandenburg
Erica Whittenberger
Fast
Hard challenging
Fun quick advanced
Bouncing
Cool old famous
Skillful
Poems about orchestra class
Orchestra
Ada Lam
Interesting
Learning Communities
Word Wall Vocabulary
Very Helpful New Technique
Knowledge
Mariah Martin
Orchestra
Key signature
Tempo, volume, sound
Violin, viola, cello, bass
Music
Rachel Hughes
Orchestra
Come everyday
So much fun
Violin, viola, cello, bass
Musical!
Maya Irvin-Vitela
Loud
Music Filled
Rough and Smooth
Through thick and thin
Music
Jess Kutz
Challenging
Fun, interesting
Best, cool, music
Sweet, inspiring, viola, practice
Amazing
Orchestra
Lauren Wysocky
Interesting
Fun challenging
A new language
Different things to learn
Enjoyable
Orchestra 08-09
Cosette Sommers
Together
Working hard
Practicing our vibrato
Playing Ahlan Sabay Alfarah
Together
Mickala Hardy
Fun
Awesome teacher
Bagel days yummy
Creative best class period
Orchestra
Orchestra
Lizzy Temte
Smooth
Smooth, lovely
Harmony melody perfect
Flowing notes all together
Japanes Lullaby
Cordel Weber
Fun
Really fun
Really really fun
Really really really fun
Sleep!
Emily Forster
Orchestra
Playing music
Lots of fun
The bagel parties rock!
Instruments
Danielle Rockwell
Awesome
Worked hard
Fun in class
Built may new skills
Wonderful
Scout Harrison
Orchestra
Beautiful music
My favorite class
Learning cool new things
Fun
08-09 Orchestra Class
Taylor Anderson
Educational
Very fun
Mrs. Buehl rocks
My place to be
Amazing
Danielle Slusser
Orchestra
Fun times
Where I belong
I will always remember…
Orchestra
Orchestra
Greta Greisinger
Orchestra
Fun times
Learning a lot
Getting bagels after concerts
Memorable
Lisa Johnson
Bagels
Asiago, cinnamon
So many choices
Now time for cream chesse
Yum
Farewell to 8th grade orchestra
Sarah Kutz
Orchestra
Strings resounding
Beautiful polyphonic sounds
I’ll miss this class
Goodbye.
Emily Johnson
Orchestra
Cool music
Mrs. Buehl rocks!
Candy for your birthday
Orchestra
Poems about a goal
Reading Notes
Allie Greene
Hard
Brain hurts
Talk to Mrs. Buehl
Flash cards BIG help
Easier
My Goals
Danielle Wagner
Goal
Be louder
When I play
Use a longer bow
Relax
Goals
Brooke Debroux
Vibrato
Loose, relaxed
Learned new techniques
Worked on good exercises
Improved
Maddie Vogt
Vibrato
Is impossible
How can you
Move that ridiculously fast?
Crazy
Poems about a piece of music
Brandenburg Concerto
Daniel Rau
Moving
Tricky fingerings
Fast paced rhythms
Hard to keep tempo
Fun
Russian Sailor’s Dance
Rachel Guenther
Ballet
Red Poppy
sfz, chromatics, poco a poco
Are some musical terms
Fun
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Marlee Rolfsmeyer
Complicated
Very fun
Lots of practice
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Amazing
Brandenburg
Erica Whittenberger
Fast
Hard challenging
Fun quick advanced
Bouncing
Cool old famous
Skillful
Poems about orchestra class
Orchestra
Ada Lam
Interesting
Learning Communities
Word Wall Vocabulary
Very Helpful New Technique
Knowledge
Mariah Martin
Orchestra
Key signature
Tempo, volume, sound
Violin, viola, cello, bass
Music
Rachel Hughes
Orchestra
Come everyday
So much fun
Violin, viola, cello, bass
Musical!
Maya Irvin-Vitela
Loud
Music Filled
Rough and Smooth
Through thick and thin
Music
Jess Kutz
Challenging
Fun, interesting
Best, cool, music
Sweet, inspiring, viola, practice
Amazing
Orchestra
Lauren Wysocky
Interesting
Fun challenging
A new language
Different things to learn
Enjoyable
Orchestra 08-09
Cosette Sommers
Together
Working hard
Practicing our vibrato
Playing Ahlan Sabay Alfarah
Together
Mickala Hardy
Fun
Awesome teacher
Bagel days yummy
Creative best class period
Orchestra
Orchestra
Lizzy Temte
Smooth
Smooth, lovely
Harmony melody perfect
Flowing notes all together
Japanes Lullaby
Cordel Weber
Fun
Really fun
Really really fun
Really really really fun
Sleep!
Emily Forster
Orchestra
Playing music
Lots of fun
The bagel parties rock!
Instruments
Danielle Rockwell
Awesome
Worked hard
Fun in class
Built may new skills
Wonderful
Scout Harrison
Orchestra
Beautiful music
My favorite class
Learning cool new things
Fun
08-09 Orchestra Class
Taylor Anderson
Educational
Very fun
Mrs. Buehl rocks
My place to be
Amazing
Danielle Slusser
Orchestra
Fun times
Where I belong
I will always remember…
Orchestra
Orchestra
Greta Greisinger
Orchestra
Fun times
Learning a lot
Getting bagels after concerts
Memorable
Lisa Johnson
Bagels
Asiago, cinnamon
So many choices
Now time for cream chesse
Yum
Farewell to 8th grade orchestra
Sarah Kutz
Orchestra
Strings resounding
Beautiful polyphonic sounds
I’ll miss this class
Goodbye.
Emily Johnson
Orchestra
Cool music
Mrs. Buehl rocks!
Candy for your birthday
Orchestra
Poems about a goal
Reading Notes
Allie Greene
Hard
Brain hurts
Talk to Mrs. Buehl
Flash cards BIG help
Easier
My Goals
Danielle Wagner
Goal
Be louder
When I play
Use a longer bow
Relax
Goals
Brooke Debroux
Vibrato
Loose, relaxed
Learned new techniques
Worked on good exercises
Improved
Maddie Vogt
Vibrato
Is impossible
How can you
Move that ridiculously fast?
Crazy
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