Rowland

Music News Spring 2008

Music Notes

The Varner Music room is a very busy place this spring. The kindergarten through the third grade students are singing, reading, and moving to songs about animals. The second and third grade students have recently learned and performed an Irish dance.

The fourth and fifth grade students are currently learning and playing their recorders. They are playing songs and passing them off by playing songs to earn their belts in recorder karate. Many students have already passed off songs! Great job!

The Varner Vocaliers earned an excellent rating at the Large Group Performance Evaluation and will sing the Star Spangled Banner at the April 2nd Atlanta Braves game. Way to go Vocaliers!

Also this spring the Varner Music room is proud to have with us a guest teacher, Miss Erin Bell. Miss Bell has completed her music degree at

Kennesaw

State

University

and will be with us at Varner until the end of April. Thank you, Miss Bell for spending time here at Varner!

Explore the World of Music

The Varner music students will be exploring world music in the months of February and early March. We will listen, sing, move, and play instruments to musical selections from many countries around the world. We will sing and play songs from Ghana, Japan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, United States, England, France, and Canada.

Vocalier schedule Feb.-May

Vocaliers Schedule 2008

Tuesday, January 8, 2008         Rehearsals resume.

Tuesday, January 15                  rehearsal

Tuesday, January, 22                no rehearsal conference week

Tuesday, January 29                 rehearsal

Tuesday, February 5                 rehearsal

Tuesday, February 12                rehearsal

Tuesday, February 19                No rehearsal- student holiday

Wednesday, February 20        rehearsal

Tuesday, February 26               rehearsal

*Friday, February 29          Choral Festival field trip/performance

Tuesday, March 4                      no rehearsal- early release day

Tuesday, March 11                     rehearsal

Tuesday, March 18                    rehearsal

Tuesday, March 25                    rehearsal

Tuesday, April 1                        rehearsal

*Wednesday, April 2 p.m.     Vocaliers sing at the Brave’s game

Tuesday, April 8                       No rehearsal- spring break J

Tuesday, April 15                      rehearsal

Tuesday, April 22                     rehearsal

Tuesday, April 29                     Important final rehearsal

Wednesday, April 30                 Performance for Evening with the Arts

Tuesday, May 6                         End of the year party

* More information will be sent home regarding each performance/field trip.

                                                                  

All rehearsals begin at 2:30 and end at 3:45. Please pick up students on time!

Check my blog on the Varner website for updates.

Mrs Rowland’s e-mail: Deborah.rowland@cobbk12.org

Recorder order information

It’s Recorder Time!

It is a wonderful new year and it is also the beginning of recorder season at Varner Elementary. A recorder is a small, plastic, flute-like instrument used in classroom music. The students will use their recorders in 4^th and 5^th grades to increase music literacy and performance skills. I would like to strongly encourage that each student have their own personal instrument so they can practice at home. Students who do not wish to buy a recorder will be provided with a cleaned and sanitized one for use in music class. These class recorders may not go home, however. The cost of the recorder outfit that we will be purchasing this year is $4.25. This price purchases a one piece recorder, neck strap, fingering chart, cloth bag, cleaning rod and shipping. You may order now through Friday, February 22. No late orders will be taken. Printed recorder music will be provided.

You may wish to use a recorder you already have or purchase one at a local music store. Make sure that the recorder you purchase is a soprano baroque recorder. Please do not buy one in a toy, department, or dollar store. These do not play in tune and they tend to break easily.

Please send correct change or a check made out to Varner Elementary in a white payment envelope. Write recorder on the box that says “other” and turn it in to the safe or the black box located across from lost and found. Thank you for supporting the Varner music program.

Musically,

Debbie Rowland

Varner Music Specialist

Deborah.rowland@cobbk12.org

Name ____________________________________________________________

Classroom teacher___________________________________________________

We would like to order:

__ recorder outfit (recorder, neck strap, case, and shipping) $4.25.

I have placed $4.25 in the school safe.

Star Spangled Banner Challenge

The Varner music students are now being challenged to memorize and sing the national anthem entitled "The Star Spangled Banner". The students who meet the challenge have posted their names outside the music room. Visit our star spangled wall to admire these students' accomplishments!

Vocalier Performances December 2007

Great Performances

Here are the performances the Vocaliers will be presenting this holiday season:

Tuesday, December 4                        8:30 and 9:15 Varner cafeteria

Thursday, December 6               7:00 Varner PTA (cafeteria)

                                                Meet at 6:30 music room

Monday, December 10                Kroger @Varner Crossing p.m. performance Sing at 7:00. Meet 6:45.

Tuesday, December 18               

Bryan

Center

field trip sing @ 10:00

Please dress for your part in the musical for each performance. The chorus is to dress like kids in holiday wear, jeans, etc…

We will have our

Holiday

celebration Tuesday, December 11. Please send something to share:

If you last name begins with A-f         bring something sweet

If your last name begins with G-P       bring something salty

If your name begins with Q-Z            bring in a box of drink pouches or boxes

We also need parent volunteers to help with the party! Come party with us! J

Happy Holidays!

Mrs. Rowland

Mallet Fun

This month in music class we are playing the instruments that use mallets. We are playing the xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels. We are learning mallet technique, how to play high and low pitches, and upward and downward melodic patterns. We are using our instruments to accompany poems and songs. 

October Music News

This month in music class the Kindergarten and first graders are using all kinds of voices. We are using our singing, speaking, whispering, and calling voices. Sometimes we even use some fun silly voices!

We are also playing and moving with the steady beat and no steady beat.

The second and third graders are grouping beats into patterns and performing them on percussion instruments.

The fourth and fifth grade students are learning to play in a percussion ensemble using notation and ostinato.

Coming soon in music class: MALLET MADNESS!

Vocalier News October

Vocalier News

Fall 2007

We are off to a wonderful start in Vocaliers this year! Here are a few reminders and announcements regarding upcoming events.

·        Payments: If you have not turned in your music fee and shirt payments, please do so this week. ($25.00 –music, $16.00 shirt).

·        If you have not given me your shirt order form with your correct size, please do so this week. I will be placing the order this Friday, Oct. 5.

·        We have lots of candy!! Thank you for sending in donations. No more is needed at the present time. (I’ll let you know when we are running out.)

·        We are in need of a Santa suit for our musical. If anyone has one we can borrow please let Mrs. Rowland know.

Auditions for speaking parts and solos for the Christmas musical will be held next Monday, October 8.

If you would like to play the following parts, please plan on staying after school Mon., October 8 until 3:30: (Have a ride home or stay in asp after 3:30.)

Narrator

Mom (

Turkey

Song)

Aunty June

Uncle Albert

Uncle Joe

Ray

Interrogator (Santa song)

Something to believe in sung solo

Other one line parts will be assigned during Vocalier rehearsal.

Thank you all for your great participation in Vocaliers! J

Vocaliers Schedule

Vocalier Parents Meeting This Thursday!

There will be a brief parent meeting for all who have students in the Vocaliers this Thursday, September 6 at 6:00 p.m. We will discuss important information regarding this year in Vocaliers. We will meet in the music room which is located at the end of third grade hall. (Turn at the media center.) I hope to see you there!

Vocaliers Schedule 2007-08

Tuesday, September 11              1^st rehearsal

Tuesday, September 18              rehearsal

Tuesday, September 25             rehearsal

Tuesday, October 2                   rehearsal

Tuesday, October 9                   rehearsal

Tuesday, October 16                 rehearsal

Tuesday, October 23                 rehearsal

Tuesday, October 30                 rehearsal

Tuesday, November 6                NO Rehearsal – student holiday

Tuesday, November 13               rehearsal

Tuesday, November 20              No rehearsal- Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 27              Rehearsal

Tuesday, December 4                 Important final rehearsal of holiday program. (Don’t miss this one!)

Thursday, December 6               

Holiday

performance for Varner PTA

Tuesday, December 11                Vocalier

Holiday

Party

Tuesday, December 18               No rehearsal

Tuesday, January 8, 2008         Rehearsals resume.

Tuesday, January 15                  rehearsal

Tuesday, January 29                 rehearsal

Tuesday, February 5                 rehearsal

Tuesday, February 12                rehearsal

Tuesday, February 19                No rehearsal- student holiday

Tuesday, February 26               rehearsal

Tuesday, March 4                      no rehearsal- early release day

Tuesday, March 11                     rehearsal

Tuesday, March 18                    rehearsal

Tuesday, March 25                    rehearsal

Tuesday, April 1                        rehearsal

Tuesday, April 8                       No rehearsal- spring break J

Tuesday, April 15                      rehearsal

Tuesday, April 22                     rehearsal

Tuesday, April 29                     Important final musical rehearsal

Wednesday, April 30                 Performance for Evening with the Arts

More performances will be announced as dates become firm.

All rehearsals begin at 2:30 and end at 3:45. Please pick up students on time!

Check my blog for updated information.