September 18, 2026
Students in Grades 1 and 2 have been working on singing in-tune while playing steady beat on a wider variety of instruments to accompany the country song, Ridin' That New River Train. So far, we've used djembe drums, jingle taps and Boomwhackers.
Our Kindergarten classes have been learning about following conductor cues, reading music left to right, and starting to name the basic rhythm notes of 'ta' ("bear") and 'ti-ti' ("honey"). The biggest challenge is staying quiet for a beat during the rests!
Grade 3 students have been working on singing the tones in a C-major scale (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do'). We've recently started practicing the song, Plainsies Clapsies using the pitches: so, la and mi. There's a bean bag challenge to add a bit of movement and coordination while singing. We'll keep working on the movements next week, because some of them are pretty difficult!
Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 have all moved the melody from the song, Pizza, Pizza on to barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels) this week. Most students are very comfortable playing the response melody, and are working on the more challenging task of learning the call melodies (which change almost every verse). At this point in the school year, most of our focus is on playing with good technique. I will begin assessing volunteers who feel ready to show me next week, then eventually assess every student on their technique and performance.
Today was "Friday Funday" on Boomwhackers for Division 2 (Grade 4, 5, 6). Students reviewed proper Boomwhacker technique, then played some major scale warm-ups before attempting a variety of pop songs as an ensemble. It was lots of fun, and they sounded great!
September 11, 2026
Students in Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 have been practicing planned body movements and tempo changes with the traditional song, The Grand Old Duke of York. Ask your child what the silly duke in the painting above did to have a song written about him!
Younger students have also been practicing rhythms and keeping a steady beat using one of the simpler instruments available to us: lummi sticks! Ask your child about the THREE ways you can play lummi sticks and how to be safe and follow the rules for each way.
Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 learned a new song using a call-response style called, Pizza Pizza. After learning how to sing the melodies correctly, volunteer students took turns leading the group as the 'caller.' After this week, most classes are comfortable enough with the melody to move the song on to our pitched percussion instruments (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels) next week.
Older students have been using our djembe drums during daily rhythm warm-ups to practice good technique, steady beat, and rhythm playing. We've also been reviewing how to read rhythm notes, play in large and small groups, and follow conductor cues.
September 4, 2026
Welcome to Music at Glenbrook School! It's been great catching up with all the returning students and meeting the newcomers to our community this week. We're so fortunate to have a wide range of instruments and space to play them, and I am always impressed with how much talent and skill Glenbrook students showcase each year!
We have spent the first days going over expectations for how to keep our Music room clean, prevent damage to instruments, and show respect for one another while learning.
With our new rotating schedule, homerooms will have Music class 3-4 times per week. Please review the expectations above so that you can support your child to make the most out of each learning experience.
Scientific research has consistently shown that high-quality music education enhances memory, language, spatial reasoning, self-esteem, perseverance, social and emotional development! We will be following Alberta's music curriculum and learning the musical concepts of rhythm, melody, harmony, form and expression using the musical skills listed in the image above.
Stay tuned each week for a short update on what your child has been working on in Music class!
-Mr. Brett Kowalchuk