Fall Newsletter

Welcome back to a great new year in music! This year, my newsletters will be here online at Music With Mr. Barrett. For anyone who is not able to access this newsletter, I will be happy to print out and send home a copy of it with your child(ren). I'm trying to become more tech savvy, and I'd also like to save a few trees, as well. ;-)

All of the students at Jefferson Elementary School (and students in grades 2, 4 and 5 at Davis Thayer Elementary School) have been reviewing the Music Class Rules (through the song of the same name!): 1) Listen Quietly, 2) Sit Correctly, 3) Sing Nicely, 4) Raise Your Hand, and 5) Keep Your Hands And Feet To Yourself. The students know that in order to have a great musical experience in music each week, everyone needs to respect the rules, the teacher, and each other. We need everyone to think of themselves as part of a team where we're only going to be great if everyone is focused on the task at hand and trying and giving their very best.

All of the students have been focusing on the musical concept of beat in the basement of our Music House so that we will have a strong foundation for the rest of the floors (rhythm, melody, harmony and form, as well as a few others). The students have also been singing a lot of fun songs in (and out) of class (I typically hold a lot of sing-alongs outside of the Music Room!)! Kindergarten and first grade students will soon be using non-pitched percussion in some of their music lessons, while second and third grade students will be using pitched percussion (such as xylophones, metalophones and glockenspiels). Fourth grade students will be embarking on a Rockin' Recorder adventure, while fifth grade students will begin one of many different types of music composition projects.

In addition to general music, fourth and fifth grade students will also be involved with an exciting new chorus that is during the school day this year! This is a wonderful new class that all fourth and fifth grade students will be participating in and we will let you know about our upcoming concerts as soon as we are ready to perform!

Hope you are having a great start to the new school year! I hope you will also consider following this website (blog) so that you can be up on all of the latest music news! I have new postings nearly every day! Some of these posting are songs we've enjoyed singing, some are clips that we've seen that have tied into our music lessons, and others are my thoughts and/or reflections on what's going on musically in and out of the Music Room, so... be sure to sign up so that you will be able to check it out!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at barrettj@franklin.k12.ma.us or (508) 541-2120 ext. 1029. I'm really excited for a fantastic new year in music and I hope you are, too!

Mr. Barrett ;-)