Here are some songs I am sneaking here an Earth day gift to you:
Category Archives: music
Happy Earth Day Songs……yep….written and sung by someone named Puglisi
Filed under 1st grade, Joy, Kid Voices, music, songs
Barefoot, No Bearfoot BlueGrass Fiddles A Path Into Hathaway
Friday, relax. Two days to rest are soon here.
We are learning this tune right now in school. John Denver, Thank God I’m A Country Boy.
In our room on Fridays we also have morning spelling and math tests to take. Workbooks to complete.
A theme that announces it is over. A new theme to meet Monday ( Animals, Animals, Animals). By afternoon as we watched Happy Feet to close our unit on Penguins, did a little Happy Dance and wrote eight sentences about penguins into paragraphs with third grade partners we were ready for a break. A fiddling afternoon.
So we were delighted to go see another Performances To Grow On Brian Bemel assembly brought to Hathaway School all the way from Alaska. A bluegrass afternoon (how perfect for a teacher from Appalachia in a hood.)
And so We’d like to introduce to you
Bearfoot Bluegrass….
An excerpt from their blog says… Bearfoot is a contemporary acoustic band from Alaska , featuring twin fiddles, fast picking mandolin and guitar, acoustic bass and incredible vocals. Likened to groups such as Nickel Creek in their fresh approach to bluegrass and acoustic music, their repertoire ranges from three-part harmonies evoking the high-lonesome sound of Bill Monroe, to original tunes, to bluesy covers of songs by Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin. In 2001 they won the Telluride Band Competition joining Nickel Creek and Dixie Chicks, among others.
A brand new sound to hear, a new style and a way to understand the American experience.
The band asked us to remember Bill Monroe. Well it turns out Bill Monroe is a father of Blugrass. You can read of him here. and listen to him right now if you aren’t blocked as we are…
Here they are….
Now we go to You Tube playing a piece we heard too, just in a very different way…
Taken in (See more photos here)
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Look at the joy in the faces. It was amazing to experience together.
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The children had great questions they got to ask, questions about the pick-ups on the instruments, first performances, years playing, how instruments were made.
Elephanturez is back!
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The ladies were remarkable players and singers explaining three part harmony with a wonderful song they composed in a car ride about never wearing a white dress.
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We are very lucky to have the gift of music at our school.
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Look. They asked the children to point to the soloists, also introducing the instruments of a bluegrass band.
What is the difference between a fiddle and violin, well,
“It’s all in how you play it.”
Taken in (See more photos here)
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I grew up with The Seldom Scene for Bluegrass. Try this one:
Music takes me to the joy of responding to life in Appalachia in music.
Fantastic lesson plan here.
If you would like to learn about Appalachia try going here.
Happy Friday, thank you Bearfoot Bluegrass!
Filed under Class Daily News, General, Joy, music
Snow People Gallery
Here is a slide show of student work…
Filed under Art, Class Daily News, Funny things, Joy, music
Baby Fish
One of the interesting parts of having and aquarium in a classroom or home is it really challenges you.
Fish seem fine and then they are not. Kids enjoy looking at all the interesting things that go on. My favorite memory in November was the shrill voice in the middle of the BIG MATH TEST calling out, “I think a fish is dead.” And it was.
But we got a little brighter news in my home tank. A school of 15 fry. Little babies we are not sure yet what they really are but maybe guppies.
One think I’m trying to do constantly is learn how to use the iMac I own and this weekend for an entire day I struggled to make this ridiculously dumb fish counting song hooking in some help on lyrics and tune. I get the silly parts. I hope it loads!
And that the District doesn’t block it so kids see it Monday.
Filed under Class Daily News, music, Observation, Pink Aquarium, Science
