Week of August 25, 2008

8th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week; Fossils from m. 17-26
Practice a 2 octave G Scale as your warmup.
Fossils - m. 17-26
Night Shift - shifting parts
Mambo - Count and clap!
Kassation - NEW! - learn notes, 3/8 time signature
Stars Spangled Banner - articulation!

7th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Joust from m. 13-25
Practice Purple book pgs. 8-13 as warmups
Joust - learn notes
Integrity - learn notes and rhythms

6th Grade Assignment:
What you should be practicing:

Bowhold on a pencil:
Right Hand holds the pencil!
Thumb TIP touches pencil.
Thumb is curved.
Middle finger folds over the pencil, touching at first knuckle across from thumb.
Ring finger folds over pencil, also touching at first knuckle. Hug the FROG!
Index finger flops over and lands on the pencil between the first and second knuckle.
Pinky tip rests lightly on top of pencil.
All joints should be rounded, flexible, relaxed. In case of double joints, the joints should be eased into the right position with the help of the other hand. The more you practice un-sticking the joints, the sooner they will stop locking up.

Exercises:
Bunny munches the pencil
Bunny ears wiggle
Tap the pencil with different fingers (TAP TAP taptap Tap; T-A-P T-A-P; Pinky pinky pinky tap; Circle circle; Pet The Frog)
Elevator
Rocket ship
Place pencil on head, shoulders, forhead, nose (any place would be great to add taps).
Windshield wipers, fast and slow
Wrist waves Hello, Side to side, Circles
Rhythm exercises with pencil in hand and focusing on opening and closing the elbow
Mississippi Hot Dog (Pepperoni Pizza)
Down kitty Up kitty
Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich
Red Light (STOP!) Go
Also do rhythm exercises without bow with right hand moving along the
left arm. Start each rhythm by going in the “DOWN’ direction.

Getting the violin/viola into playing position:
Make sure you have a sponge on!!
Feet together
Make a “V”
Step left foot out a little
Sway like a tree in the breeze
Slide left hand on “magic X”
Hold shoulder of violin
Statue of Liberty
Flip
Land the violin/viola on your SHOULDER (not chest / collar bone)
Nose, scroll, and left foot should all be lined up
Try “no hands”
Violin/viola is parallel to the floor.
A little animal lives between your arm and ribs
Slide “magic X” toward the scroll
Check for light in the valley and/or mouse hole
Place finger TIPS on the tapes on the fingerboard
Does your wrist look like a pizza server?? (Straight wrist please)
Fingertips should look “square” and be able to balance a penny on the tops
Elbow under the violin/viola

Pluck the open strings OVER the high dot with left hand
DAD SONG: DAD- DAD- DDAA DAD-
Pluck open strings with right hand
Remember the “L” shape
Chickens in the chicken coop!
Attach thumb to end of fingerboard
Pluck songs with fingers.
TAKE YOUR TIME TO GO OVER THE POSTURE CHECKLIST BEFORE STARTING! DO IT RIGHT!!

Songs: Hot Cross Buns
F# E D - F# E D - DDDDEEEE F# E D –

Mary Had a Little Lamb
F# E D E F# F# F# - E E E - F# F# F# - F# E D E F# F# F# F# E E F# E D –

Twinkle
DDAABBA- GGF#F#EED-
AAGGF#F#E– AAGGF#F#E-
DDAABBA- GGF#F#EED-

Parts of the instrument:
Identify: Scroll, pegs, peg box. Nut, fingerboard, strings, fine tuners, tailpiece, button, chin rest, f-holes, sound post, ribs, neck, shoulders, front, back, purfling, bridge.
Bow: Tip or point, stick, winding, grip, adjusting screw, frog, ferrule, hair

Notes: What are the names of the notes on the lines? What are the names of the notes in the spaces?

Welcome BACK!

Greetings, and welcome to the 2008-09 school year and blog notes. In brief, this is what is happening this week:

7th and 8th Graders: Practice Cards DUE - Monday, August 25
Song of the Week is 7th grade - Calypso, measures 1-16; 8th grade - Night Shift, measures 1-14

6th graders can take instruments home on Friday, August 22. Students should bring instruments back to school for class on Monday. Please help your student find a safe place to leave the instrument at home. It should not be near heaters or air conditioner vents. It should not be left in a hot car. Please make sure that no pets can tear it apart. No one else should be allowed to touch the student's instrument, especially siblings and other small children; the instrument is the sole responsibility of the student. Please help protect this valuable resource.

Parents: Check out Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 26 from 7-9 at Northview. Hope to see you there!