October 31, 2025
It was nice to see the students back this week and jump right into music fun with some spooky themed activities! The younger students reviewed rhythm reading and played some games and songs about skeletons while using 'lummi sticks' which have a clickety-clackety sound like bones jangling around!
The older students worked on the barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels) to play the spooky melody from the song, 'Skin & Bones.' There were three levels the students could attempt: easy, medium, and difficult! Most students managed the medium level after one period of practice and feedback. After our instrument work, we played fun games with spooky themes including, 'Pass the Witch's Broom' and 'Trick or Treat.'
Next week, we will get back into our focus on learning about the orchestra, singing melodically and reading/writing rhythms.
October 3, 2025
This has been a short and sweet week at Glenbrook School for Music class. Since there were only classes on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, some homerooms only came to Music once. Younger students have been learning about different classroom instruments (e.g., lummi sticks) and how to play them with proper technique while following conductor hand signals (e.g., stop). For older students, we assessed some of their rhythm reading and movement to music skills, then enjoyed singing their songs of choice these last couple of days.
I sincerely hope that Alberta Teachers and the Alberta Government come to an agreement soon so that all our students can continue to learn and grow as young musicians. Best wishes until we meet again (hopefully sooner than later).
-Mr. Kowalchuk
September 26, 2025
Students in Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2/3 classrooms have been continuing their musical routines involving singing, reading rhythm notes and analyzing music for high and low, ascending and descending, happy and sad. In addition, we have been learning using resources shared with permission from the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation to learn basic steps for powwow dancing. Grade 2/3 classes have begun to work on playing "spooky" 2-part melodies on barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels) as well.
Grades 4/5 and 6 classes have been listening to contemporary Indigenous musicians this week and analyzing the melodies, lyrics and themes through the lens of Truth & Reconciliation. Some excellent discussions have been had regarding the video for the song, 'We Were Here' by Aysanabee (shown above). The classes have also been demonstrating their movement to music skills by sharing their 'Chester' dance choreography, and have continued to work on playing barred instruments with good technique.
September 19, 2025
Kindergarten - As the students become more familiar with the routines of the Music class, they are spending more time singing and particpating with less redirection - hooray! They come in quickly and quietly to sit at the carpet, sing our 'Welcome to Music' song, then practice solo singing with either Bobo the tennis ball or Willoughby the elephant. This week, we've had more time to experiment with musical rhythms, listen to identify high and low sounds, happy and sad chords, and practice listening skills by playing Freeze Dance!
Grade 1/2/3 - Students have continued playing a variety of songs using the boomwhackers, while reinforcing proper mallet technique and grip. We've been learning about the traditional Indigienous dance styles of Chicken Dance and Jingle Dress Dance using videos with permission from Chris Pegram (a knowledge-keeper from the Îyârhe Nakoda Nation). The Grade 2/3 classes have also been learning a slowed-down version of the 'Chester' action song that the older students have been working on over the past week.
Grade 4/5/6 - The older grades have continued to enjoy warming up with listening, singing and dancing activities comprised of their own song requests (pre-checked for appropriateness). They are beginning to show increased vocal control by following their warm-ups with solfege activities that train the ear, voice and body to pitch-match using hand symbols while echo singing. The students have also been learning about the Chicken and Jingle Dress dances leading up to Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the end of the month. We've also continued our work on barred instruments, and had some fun with boomwhacker play-alongs on Friday!
September 12, 2025
Kindergarten - Students have been practicing coming into the Music room calmly and singing our 'Welcome to Music' song with their singing voices. We sang the action song, 'Johnny One Hammer' to practice keeping a steady beat with our hands and feet. Students began learning the basics of counting rhythm by playing the 'Honey Bear' game with me!
Grade 1 - In addition to the 'Welcome to Music' song, Grade 1s have been playing solo singing games using my "friends" Bobo the tennis ball and Willoughby the elephant. We have begun to play songs in ensemble using boomwhackers to create a variety of pitches and harmonies.
We have also started practicing proper mallet technique and hand position by playing a teamwork game called 'Tap Gently' with a balloon!
Grade 2/3 - The students have been warming up their singing voices and musical movement in their bodies choosing from a list of energetic songs each class, then working through singing and rhythmic activities before playing a 'Jurassic Park Adventure' using the boomwhackers.
Grade 4/5 & 6 - Students in Grade 4/5 are learning to keep a steady beat while performing challenging choreography in the song 'Chester' and have begun practicing good technique and ensemble playing on barred instruments. The Grade 6 students have extended upon their barred instrument technique and have been focusing on playing traditional cumbia music from Colombia.
September 5, 2025
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, classes 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
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June 20, 2025
Students in Grades 4-6 have continued to play in ensembles this month, choosing from any of the instruments we have previously learned skills on. Some students have earned "bonus" instrument choices (e.g., alto recorders, electric guitars or drum kit) by demonstrating excellent abilities on the precursor instruments we've been practicing (i.e., soprano recorder, ukulele and djembe drums, respectively).
As the final days of school wind down, students in multiple classrooms across grade levels have responded well to the game, 'Pass the Silent Instrument.' This game teaches students the names and sounds of various classroom instruments while also emphasizing teamwork, focus and self-control to pass the instrument around the entire group without shaking/wiggling it. The classes enjoyed competing against each other - though nobody has been able to reach the final level yet!
Students in Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 have been reviewing some common musical tempos (largo, andante, moderato, allegro, presto and prestissimo) using visuals and the song, 'When I Was One.' Ask your child to sing it for you and show you the actions!
To keep everyone interested, we've been mixing in some fun competitions and highly engaging activities during the final days of Music class. The students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 have been learning the body percussion pattern 'Sevens' for a couple weeks, and they faced off with their classmates in a competition for some prizes this past Thursday. The highest tempo achieved without any mistakes was 400bpm! (I don't think I can even pull that off) ;D
Students across grades have been playing the Boomwhackers with online play-along videos of many of their favourite songs, and even competing in a 'Guess the Movie Theme Song' challenge where their own playing gives them melodic clues to guess movie themes from animated family films.
It's been a pleasure seeing and hearing the growth in all students' musical skills throughout this school year. I wish everyone a safe and relaxing summer vacation and look forward to seeing all our returning students in September. To those moving on to new places, I wish you the very best and hope you always keep a song in your hearts!
May 30, 2025
Glenbrook School has been so fortunate this month to have three different musical performances at our school! Evergreen Theatre, Mary Lambert, and CADME all put on incredible showcases of singing, acting, and instrumental skill to entertain, engage and inspire our students. Ask your child which performance this month was their favourite and why!
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 have been working on moving their bodies to rhythmic patterns that they can move on to instruments using songs like Double, Double and Swedish March as well as playing spooky melodies in the key of D minor for Woodland Freeze and A minor for Grumpy Grizzly. We've also been enjoying some singing and chasing games outside when the weather is right!
Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 have been working on the song, I Let Her Go from Trinidad and Tobago. First, students learned the circle dance and body percussion and were assessed on their movement to music and timing of the choreographed moves. After studying and practicing all the instruments in the music room this year, the students were able to choose which instrumental part they wanted to learn for the song before playing a multi-layered ensemble version together! We've also been playing games to reinforce coordination and steady beat including, Concentration, Clap Elimination, Sorcerer's Apprentice and Can You Keep a Steady Beat?
April 30, 2025
Our school was saddened to say goodbye to our amazing student teacher, Mr. G this month. He did an incredible job engaging the students in musical learning, and we wish him the very best in his future teaching career!
April was busy with moving and dancing to music using planned choreography, singing more complex melodies and focused instrumentation with xylophones. Grades 1 and 2 learned the Dutch folk song, Sarasponda and how to perform both the partner body percussion and xylophone melodies for the 'A section' of the song. Grade 3s learned about a funny Australian bird called a Kookaburra, and sang a song about it in a round before transferring the melody to boomwhackers and finally xylophones.
Our Singing Grizzlies choir also performed an amazing jazzy version of the song, 'Minnie the Moocher' on stage during our recent assembly!
Students in Grades 4-6 have been working hard all month to learn how to read musical notation on the treble staff and play the soprano recorder with good tone and technique. After some direct teaching on techniques and note fingerings, each class has had student leaders emerge during their classroom practice time. It's amazing to watch these young players develop their skills and pass them on to classmates. They have been so kind to one another by coaching and cheering each other on as they play progressively harder songs including 'Ode to Joy,' 'The Wellerman' and 'O Canada.'
Starting in May, students will have the option to continue developing their skills on the recorder or return back to xylophones, ukuleles, djembe drums or voice to create full, layered compositions of songs using multiple parts and instrument families. Those looking for an additional challenge have had the opportunity to join the 'Grizzlies Ukulele Band' for the months of May and June. We hope to put on a great show for families and students at the end of the school year!
March 31, 2025
A highlight for our whole school was getting to enjoy a fun-filled performance from the AE Cross Senior Band on March 18th. The junior high students played a variety of music for us including several pop and hip-hop songs! The performance was a great inspiration for our students in Grades 4-6 who will soon begin reading music and playing recorders in ensemble.
Students in K-3 continued working on their musical coordination by dancing the choreographed movements to the song, 'Despicable Me' by Pharrell Williams, and Grade 3 students worked on playing in ensemble using their choice of drums, xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels or ukuleles. Students in K-2 continued learning how to read, clap and sing rhythms while maintaining a steady beat by playing games including 'A Hunting We Will Go', 'Apple Tree' and 'London Bridge.'
Students in Grades 4-6 completed their aria project just before Spring Break as a final assessment of using their expressive singing voices. Students wrote their own short musical piece and created a melody within their vocal range to perform either to the teacher or in front of the class. We watched and critiqued several famous arias performed in operas including 'The Magic Flute,' 'Turandot,' and 'The Barber of Seville.'
February 28, 2025
Students in Kindergarten through Grade 6 have been learning about some important musicians in the world of Jazz and Blues Music, including Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald. In K-3, the students have used the song, 'A Tisket, A Tasket' to study form, rhythm and musical expression. In Grades 4-6, students have focused on the song, 'Minnie the Moocher' to learn form, musical expression, as well as melody and improvisation on ukulele and xylophones.
Students in Grade 3 have begun learning simple chords and proper technique for holding and playing ukuleles and will continue their learning in March. Students in Grades 4-6 have continued to develop their ability to play chords and melodies using ukuleles. Two of our classrooms hosted an assembly yesterday, where several students played a very difficult chord progression along with their singing counterparts for the song, 'Die with a Smile' by Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga.
Our University of Calgary student teacher, Mr. G has returned this week and has begun teaching the students in Grades 4-6 about the opera. Students have been learning about the history of opera, different voice types (Bass, Baritone, Tenor, Contralto, Alto, Mezzo Soprano and Soprano) and experimenting with their own voices to find and challenge their vocal range.
January 30, 2025
K-3
Students have learned to sing several fun action songs this month: My Auntie Anna (Australia), A Pizza Hut (American Camp Song), and Guess Whose Roosters are Those (Hong Kong). For each song, we've learned to sing, hum, and audiate (think in musical sounds) while performing the choreography. We've been moving the songs on to pitched percussion instruments (e.g., xylophones) as well as unpitched percussion (e.g., djembe drums) and playing dyads (2-notes) and borduns (1st and 5th notes of a scale). We've also been practicing how to write the notation for different words using musical rhythm symbols.
4-6
Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 started the month by learning the same songs as the younger classes and were assessed on their movement timing and accuracy for following the choreography for the action songs. Later, we moved on to playing the songs on ukuleles by learning simple chords (F, C7 and C major). The Grade 4/5 groups learned to sing and play ukuleles and other accompanying instruments (i.e., chimes, drum-kit and bass guitar) to perform the song 'Lean on Me' at their recent assembly. All classes have recently been working on learning a wider variety of ukulele chords (e.g., minor chords, 7th chords) as well as how to play the C-major scale and simple melodies on ukulele.
November 29, 2024
K-3
The younger students have continued developing their singing voices by learning lots of fun songs and singing games. Some favourites this month have been: 'Who Has the Button?' and 'Missie Lass' (a song from Suriname). Our student teacher, Mr. G has taught the students several fun freeze dances that help build a variety of musical movement skills. We've been working on playing the Scottish hand-clapping game, 'Hi-Lo Chickalo' and recently learned how to move the melody of the song from our voices to the xylophones. Students were assessed on using proper technique (e.g., no 'finger worms') and following the conductor's signals (e.g., stop, start, slower, faster). Ask your children in Grade 1 and 2 to explain "Tempo Mountain" and what the words: largo, moderato, allegro and presto mean!
4-6
There was overwhelming interest from the older students in joining the Remembrance Day musical group. I planned for a performance including about 20 students, but we ended up with nearly 50 volunteers! Students spent multiple lunch hours rehearsing our song, poems and speaking roles over the first weeks of November and hosted an excellent, respectful ceremony just before the Fall Break. During class time, the students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 have been learning how to read rhythms involving a wide variety of notes up to and including sixteenth-note variations (e.g., "tika-ti, ti-tika, and tika-tika"). We have also started learning to recognize the different genres of music.
Our student teacher, Mr. G helped students to learn and memorize multiple percussion instrument parts for the rhythmic song, 'Pizza' and we recorded each homeroom using our Garageband software. The classes are now getting a chance to listen to each other's performances and critique the pros and cons of each group.
In December, students will be learning to recognize the timbre (unique sound quality) of a variety of instruments and different voices. Students will learn about the four instrument families of the orchestra, and older students will have the opportunity to play challenging ensemble pieces arranged for handbells!
October 31, 2024
K-3
Students in Kindergarten up to Grade 3 have been singing lots of action songs this month. Action songs are a great way to engage students in learning new lyrics, performing choreographed movements, feeling the beat with their bodies, and (of course) getting their wiggles out! Ask your child to show you the dance for 'Shake it!' and you'll see what I mean. :)
A lovely Finnish song called, Hirsilaulu ("Timber Song") has been keeping the students busy in their line-ups at the end of Music time, while building their vocal range to jump up an octave while singing.
Leading up to Halloween, the students all got to read the book, 'Bedtime for Monster' and create their own disgusting bedtime routines to help put their monsters to bed. This project focused students on singing in small groups, writing their own rhythmic chants, and beginning to play simple patterns on xylophones.
Students in Grades 4-6 have been warming up their singing voices this month by singing O Canada in the Blackfoot language. Tsuaki Marule of the Kainai Nation has shared this version ('O Kanata') with CBE students. We plan to sing it during our Remembrance Day ceremony in early November.
The older students have been working on following notation while playing barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels) and will be assessed on their technique and playing accuracy in November. We've also been having some fun, playing steady-beat games such as 'Hanky Panky' and 'Pass the Witch's Broomstick.'
Just before Halloween, we welcomed our new student teacher, Mr. G from the University of Calgary. Mr. G has been joining in our songs and games, and will start teaching some of his own lessons during the next couple of months. He's a great musician, and it's been a lot of fun to have two music teachers in the room!
September 27, 2024
Kindergarten
Students have been working on using their singing voices and differentiating it from their speaking, whisper or "angry" voices by playing echo-singing games with my singing tennis ball, Bobo. We've also been moving our bodies to a steady beat to sing songs like, "Johnny One Hammer" and "Grumpy Gorilla." We are learning how musical sounds can be short or long by practicing with my 'Honey Bear' slides, and practicing moving our bodies to music in a planned, organized way by dancing and singing along to 'Sam the Robot Man' and playing the game, 'Apple Tree.'
Grades 1/2
We've been singing some simple melody songs with body percussion and basic choreography each class to practice using our singing voices and moving our bodies in a controlled, planned manner. You could ask your child to sing/show you: "Hello Song", "Johnny One Hammer" or "Apple Tree" for an example.
The students have been learning the names and locations of a variety of unpitched percussion instruments in the classroom (e.g., lummi sticks, shaker eggs, triangles), and how to use body percussion or the instruments to play simple rhythm patterns (e.g., "ta, ti-ti, two-oo"). Ask your child to tell/show you the difference between a beat and a rhythm.
Grade 3
Students have been learning the names of various classroom instruments, and playing a variety of rhythms using unpitched percussion designed for short or long sounds. Recently, the class has divided up to play 8-beat rhythm patterns in parts, depending upon their chosen instrument. This has required focus, understanding the rhythm symbols used in music, and listening for the beat to stay together with the group when playing.
We've been challenging ourselves to move our bodies while chanting off-beat or 'syncopated' rhythms during the song, 'Button Factory' and broaden our singing range while playing the search & find game, 'Button You Must Wander.'
Grade 4/5/6
All students in the school have been learning to sing our national anthem, 'O Canada' in both English and Cree, and many volunteers from Grades 4, 5 and 6 led the school in singing the Cree version during our Orange Shirt Day assembly on September 26th. We also learned about Inuit Throat Singing, Metis Jigging and Grass Dancing during our Truth & Reconciliation Week lessons.
Students have been learning to recognize, find and play a wide variety of the unpitched percussion instruments in the classroom. We have been using the instruments to play increasingly complex rhythm patterns, while learning to read various rhythm symbols over the past weeks. In October, the students will begin learning to play simple melodic patterns, harmonies and chords using barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels).
We have watched videos of different musical performances in order to learn the differences between the following musical vocabulary words: beat, rhythm, melody, harmony and counterpoint or polyphony.
Students have also practiced using singing voices and maintaining a steady beat during games like, 'Concentration', 'Pass the Stick' and 'Can You Keep a Steady Beat?'
September 6, 2024
Welcome Back to Music!
We began our first full week of Music classes this week, and it's been great to meet all the new Glenbrook students and reconnect with all of those returning from previous years.
Kindergarten/Grade 1/Grade 2
We began by learning the 'Hello, Hello!' song that works on following basic choreography, singing voice and body percussion (e.g., patting knees or clapping hands to the beat). Students have gotten to meet my two little friends, Willoughby the Elephant and Bobo the tennis ball. Each character helps students teach me how to say their names and use their singing voices.
Grade 3
Students in Grade 3 have learned the 'walking' version of the 'Hello, Hello!' song as well as a name song called, 'Let's Make a New Friend' this week. We are currently working on a challenging teamwork activity called the 'Yankee Doodle Cup Song' where we sit in a circle and follow basic choreography to tap, clap and pass plastic cups to the beat of the song.
Grade 4/5/6
Our division two students spent the week working on a challenging body percussion name game called the 'Snap Clap Rap.' They've also been working on choreography with passing plastic cups, starting with the 'Yankee Doodle Cup Song' and working up towards the more challenging 'Coffee Cups' activity with the song 'Keep That Coffee Hot' by Scatman Crothers.