Negus Notes

When I am not at school, this is my favorite activity!! Yay for grand babies!!! This is one of my grand daughters, Hazel Rose.

Fifth grade is nearly ready to perform Lewis and Clark!!

Sixth grade is working diligently to prepare Dear Edwina! Here are some  students warming up for class and rehearsing.

Seventh graders are working on sight reading and ensemble skills by playing tone chimes. They are also composing in Noteflight.

Eighth grade just (FINALLY) finished the nursery rhyme operas and are excited about their work for Chitty.

IS this supposed to be the slow season??  NEVER at Quest Academy!!! ‘Tis the season for MUSICALS and three of my four levels are at work preparing one.

The fifth graders are working on a production of Lewis and Clark.  Although we are not yet sure of the performance (INFORMANCE) date, we will give parents plenty of notice since this will be an in-school event. We also have choir on Wednesdays.  We have begun our preparation for spring concert.  The fifth grade will be a part of the middle school spring concert which occurs on Friday, May 19.

The sixth graders have been cast in their roles for Dear Edwina.  6-1 will be performing the first act and 6-2 the second. During this trimester, the sixth grade will be experiencing all aspects of musical theater through historical perspectives.

Seventh grade has just completed their unit on jazz musicians.  They will now embark on another music theory journey focusing on musical form, specifically theme and variations. Each student is choosing a piece of music and creating or finding (re-make) 2/3 variations of that same song. As they present these pieces to the class they will also show a 3D object that represents their theme and 2/3 more objects representing the variations of that theme. Fun with music theory!!!! Lots of creative ideas formulating here!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!!  We are off and running on the eighth grade musical.  Currently we are in the midst of call-backs for casting. Due to the difficulty of this show, we will announce crews next week and begin designing and creating immediately! The eighth graders have done an excellent job in their auditions for the show. Kudos to all!!!!  After having seen a marvelous performance of Mozart’s “Magic Flute” at the Lyric Opera House last week, the kids are filled with ideas for their own show!

Choirs are preparing for contest and the competitional in NOLA. Never a dull moment!!!!

Busy, busy, busy!!!!  Mad Fest was a success as was the fifth grade performance for the winter concert.  Many thanks to all for such hard work!! Soon it will be time for all of us to relax during winter vacation.

All classes have been working on extended projects. The current ones include:

Eighth grade – Nursery Rhyme Operas!! With our upcoming trip on January 12 to the Lyric Opera to see Mozart’s “Magic Flute,” we are producing our own operas complete with all of the criteria of a real one.  This fun project not only allows students to experience the components of real opera, it prepares them for the upcoming musical by working in teams, creating costumes, props, and set as well as rehearsing lines and vocal pieces. In January, we will begin full effort on the musical.

Seventh grade – Jazz unit! – Each student prepared a documentary on one jazz artist. Working together in teams, the students are now discovering many more exciting facts about the lives and music of our great American jazz artists.  In January, they will begin a project on theme and variations as we return to our overarching emphasis on form in music.

Sixth grade – Musical theater! The students have just completed individual reports on a Broadway musical of their choice as well as discovering the roots of this American music art form. We now begin rehearsals on the musical “Dear Edwina.”

Fifth grade – In conjunction with the classroom social studies unit on Lewis and Clark, the fifth graders will be presenting a mini- musical on the same subject. Dates for this informance will be scheduled when we return to school in January.

Happy Holidays!!

SInce I had an assignment due for Mrs. Wallace, I decided to share it on my blog.

I did not choose teaching; it chose me.  I began college as a nursing major but I could not stay out of the music building. As a female student in the 1960’s, options for career paths were limited. One could be a nurse, a secretary, or a teacher. Chemistry was not my friend and I changed my major to music education. It seemed the only choice when I was happiest when performing music. Upon graduation, I had to get a job. Performance was much too risky a livelihood. My university sent me to a school with an opening and I began to get a paycheck. Three months later, I was hooked.  Teaching in a 7-8-9 grade school in a city suburb where bussing was the innovative thing gave me a chance to know that I was doing exactly what I loved and was meant to do. It was TOUGH but wonderful – rather like mowing a field of ten foot weeds with a hand mower.  Once I finally moved ahead, I could really see the path from whence I came! I found that I could use music as my means to teach children about being confident, being kind, being tolerant, deciding what is “right” and standing up for it, finding a voice – in more ways than one. In essence, teaching has given me a place to make a positive difference for others.  It has been a place to model and foster traits of self discipline and collaboration.  It has given me the opportunity to help students fly.  I am pleased when my students “perform” well but I am happiest when I watch a child experience a metamorphosis from an unsure, reticent child to a strong, happy, healthy (and musical!) human being. Due to my fortune in keeping students over several grade levels, I am privileged to plant seeds and witness growth. It’s been a great forty-two years.

Hi Parents!

Your children are busy in the music room.  Choirs are already singing winter/holiday songs in preparation for Madrigal Fest.  Don’t forget to attend the Palatine Oktoberfest on September 17 (1:40PM) to sing and hear the Chamber Choir.  It’s always a fun and pretty crazy event!!

The fifth grade students are LOVING the ocarina.  In preparation for Veterans Day, they are singing AND playing the theme songs for the different branches of the armed forces. They are also working on note reading both vocally and instrumentally.

Sixth graders are composing – just like Mozart!  Well, kind of like Mozart.  They may not be writing symphonies but they ARE creating a composition on the xylophone and notating it long-hand. (I don’t allow computers for this work because the computer corrects mistakes.)  Next week they will be adding tempo markings and dynamics. They are dancing their little feet off at the beginning of class and demonstrating excellent rhythmic skill.

Our seventh grade classes have jumped into the world of Bach – one of my favorites.  I am so proud of them for diligently working on Bach’s Little Fugue in g minor – singing too!!  (Bach didn’t write the lyrics but Mrs. Negus did!!) They are working on theory – scales and triads – and exploring the different sounds in the keyboards.

Our eighth graders are starting an extended project.  Each one of them chose a music career (out of the drum) and have begun research. They are required to write a narrative becoming first person and will perform in front of the class. Students will be assigned a partner to critique and help each other prepare in advance of the performance. This should be a fun and informative project, preparing them for musical auditions.

NEXT WEEK IS OUTDOOR ED!  We will sing in the woods!

Hi Everyone!  If you want to check out the overview, just go to blogroll at the right and click on the link!!

The students have come back to school with smiling faces and lots of energy!!  It is going to be a great year!  Fifth grade is beginning a composition unit with Beethoven as the composer of choice while the sixth graders follow the footsteps of Mozart and see if they can create a symphony by age twelve!  Our seventh grade classes begin with keyboards, studying and playing a Bach fugue while the eighth grade embarks on a philosophical unit about the importance of music in all cultures.

Our choirs are gearing up for a touring year – but Mad Fest comes first!!!  Our music room is already alive with fa la la s!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Meet the Teacher night!         See you soon!!!!

Whew!!!!!!  Everything is running at top speed!  Twenty of the eighth graders just finished a four hour rehearsal and got LOTS of work finished.  Planning is complete and tomorrow we begin to execute all of the plans.  Lots to do!  The eight grade class had an enjoyable trip to the opera last Thursday.  Although the opera was long and slow, the music was beautiful and our students were respectful! They were able to see costumes, lighting, stage set, etc. and compare the elements of this opera with the musical they are preparing.

Seventh graders are becoming experts on the music and life of George Gershwin – just ask them!  We are having fun singing “Summertime,” a soprano aria from Gershwin’s opera, “Porgy and Bess.” The instrumental classes have begun to create a pop song.  They have chosen the subject for their lyrics and have begun writing in metered poetry.

Sixth grade classes are in the midst of learning about music in the civil rights era – the importance and use. A wonderful documentary is being shown in class as the students take notes.  We frequently stop the video so that I can make a point or they can ask questions. We are singing freedom songs and learning about specific people who made a big difference in this era.

The fifth grade classes are working diligently on the LANGUAGE of music.  Although most of this is review, we are making certain that every student is knowledgeable about the written requirements for notation, articulation, tempo, dynamics, and timbre.

The middle school choir received a division I rating at contest yesterday – the highest rating possible.  Good work everyone!!

The Little Mermaid is in full swing in the eighth grade music classes!!!!  We FINALLY got the rights. YAY!!!!  The cast list is posted and we are so excited about this show.  Mrs. Dotoli and I had MAJOR discussions about the cast list because our students are so talented.  We could have gone many directions with this and I am so proud of all of them for being prepared and doing their best.

The seventh graders are embarking on a unit about George Gershwin.  We began with “storytime” – a favorite activity in the music room and will watch various segments about Gershwin’s background in a video documentary.  A highlight of this week’s class was singing “Summertime” from Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess in our best operatic soprano voices. The instrumental class is working on a review of the language of music (notation) while working on their compositions in Noteflight.

Sixth graders have the wonderful opportunity to hear Quest parent Jun Mhoon talk about his musical experiences during the Civil Rights Era.  As the drummer for the Staples Singers, he has a wealth of information to share.  We will be studying the music of the 1960s in preparation for their Civil Rights unit in LASS. The guitar classes continue to learn and be tested on various pieces of music.  Practice time at home is crucial to being able to play!

Fifth grader ocarina classes are composing and notating their own compositions.  Many wonderful sounds are now coming out of those little pipes! The music class is working on making notation cards – 3X5 cards with music symbols on them. Parents, do you know the sign for a coda?  🙂 Fifth grade choir is singing music for the spring concert which is entitled, Traveling Along With a Song.

Bella Voce and Benton Street Boys are working diligently to prepare for contest on March 12. Things are going well and we will be ready for our joint rehearsal on Saturday, Feb. 28. This is a VERY IMPORTANT rehearsal in order to get places and balance the voices.

Have a happy, safe and MUSICAL Valentine’s Day and President’s Day!

The music room is buzzing and humming along!

The fifth grade students will present “Lewis and Clark” tomorrow as a part of the extended Informance Week.  The kids are ready to demonstrate all that they have been working on in class. At the end of the week we will begin rehearsals for the Middle School Spring Concert which occurs on May 20. It may seem early but the 25 minute per week rehearsal – which sometimes gets omitted – goes quickly!! The ocarina players are working on a composition written by hand.

Sixth graders are beginning a unit on music in the Civil Rights Era. It fits in well with the guitar sessions since voice and guitar were the instruments of choice during that time period.

The seventh graders are continuing to build their composition in Noteflight by adding more voices, dynamics, articulations. What a creative group!!  They are also becoming much more focused while playing the tone chimes – possibly becasue they know they are being graded???

Our eighth graders are singing lustily and having a fun time with “The Little Mermaid” musical rehearsals  it is going to be great!!!!  Call backs are tomorrow!!!