Waddle, Frolic, and Jiggle

It may appear as if these general music students are cowering in fear of their autocratic music teacher, but they have, in fact, just completed a performance of a short dance piece.

Sixth-grade students brainstormed in order to come up with verbs that describe various ways to move.  The students then divided into small groups and choreographed a dance based on these verbs.  Inspired by Michael Phelps, this group chose “jiggle” and “swim” to create their dance piece.  This picture was taken after diving into the pool:

Thanks to Prof. Pogonowski and the fabulous faculty of Creative Arts Laboratory at Teachers College for breathing new life into my general music curriculum!

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The Lift and Shift

The school year is off to a great start for WI Orchestra students.  Huge compliments to all of the students who regularly attend rehearsals and lessons.  I notice a huge improvement in the level of the orchestra this year!

Advanced violinists have been learning to shift to third position.  In about two more weeks, the violinists should be able to play the “Can Can” melody in third, which is a huge accomplishment for sixth-grade students.

Third position exercises are beneficial for many reasons:  shifting helps violinists learn to scoop their elbows under their violin, encourages rainbows in the left-hand fingers, solidifies a tall violin posture, and loosens up the whole left arm.

When shifting from first to third position, remember to move the thumb along with the first finger and to slightly lift the shifting finger above the string so you can hear harmonics as the finger shifts.

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