2016 Bainbridge Carol Sing

This year Bainbridge Elementary has an ocean theme and as in years past, our 3rd graders made use of the school theme to share a holiday message during our annual Carol Sing.  This year I borrowed the text for our play from a picture book, something that I have not done before.

Act 1 of our Carol Sing was based on Deborah Diesen's book The Pout Pout Fish, a story about a glum fish who learns that he has the power inside himself to change how he feels.  Mrs. Stough's 3rd Grade Class opened the first act with the song My Friends in the Sea by Teresa Jennings.

Readers from Mrs. Stough's Class and Mrs. Hartranft's Class read The Pout Pout Fish in reader's theater style.  As the audience was introduced to the main character, Mr. Fish, Mrs. Stough's class performed a song with music written by myself and text taken from the story book.

All students learned the main Pout Pout Fish Song melody on orff instruments (xylophones).  We then added harmony parts on boomwhackers.  Students were selected to play the two different parts and then we rounded out the arrangement with a glockenspiel harmony, rain stick, ocean drum and cabasa.  Some students chose to focus on just singing the text.

Mrs. Stough's Class closed the first act with another Teresa Jenning's song: I'd Rather Be Happy.

Bainbridge students, faculty, staff and about 60 community members participated in a Christmas carol sing-a-long that acted as our intermission, before Mrs. Hartranft's Class took the stage.   Act 2 opened with Teresa Jenning's song Holiday of Music.
 

Next students from Mrs. Stough's class dramtically read  Deborah Diesen's book The Not Very Merry Pout Pout Fish.  In this story, Mr. Fish tries to find the perfect gift for his new found friends.  In the end he is encouraged to make is own gifts.

Much like Mrs. Stough's Class, Mrs. Hartranft's class first learned the melody to the song on orff instruments as an entire class.  We then added a bass metalophone ostinato and boomwhacker harmony and rounded out the arrangement with a glockenspiel harmony and finger cymbals.  The carol sing closed with song by Paul and Teresa Jennings called Reason for the Season.

Congratulations to both 3rd grade classes for the hard work they put in to our successful performance of "A Season with Mr. Fish."  A special 'thank you' goes out to our Carol Sing readers.  All 19 students volunteered their time during several lunch recesses to practice their parts.

Musical Pen Pals 2

The 2nd and 3rd grade students at Mill Road and Bainbridge were very excited to get their first video from our Musical Pen Pals at Donegal Primary School (DPS).  The first graders at DPS shared the song "Bingo" with Boomwhackers®.  My students enjoyed seeing students from another school and learning a new way to perform a familiar song.  The video also gave us a chance to discuss what makes a successful performance.

This week Mrs. Nein's 2nd Grade class at Mill Road finished their first pen pal video.  2nd Graders recently added the half note to their rhythmic knowledge.  The song "Deedle Deedle Dumpling" (Lois Choksy's Kodaly Method 1, pg. 204) was a great song to highlight this rhythm.  

  After learning the song, the students learned two different ostinati with body percussion.  They then transferred the harmonies to rhythm sticks and orff instruments.  After practicing the three parts, the students recorded their performance and discussed ways to improve their singing and instrument playing.  Below is the video we sent to our Musical Pen Pals at DPS.