Friday, February 26, 2010

Black History Month Musicians

Happy Black History Month!

This month we are studying 7 VERY important black musicians who have made a huge impact on the world of music. They are:

1. Ella Fitzgerald












2. Louis Armstrong













3. James Brown













4. Billie Holiday













5. Aretha Franklin














6. Duke Ellington













7. Stevie Wonder









Please take a moment and click on the music player to the right to listen to a song performed by each of these influential musicians!
Who is your favorite? Why?

I look forward to learning more about each of these musicians and hope that we can be inspired by their incredible talents!

-Ms. Ginger

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Mrs. Seilheimer's Second Grade Singers!

Even as they learn tonal patterns (do-mi-so), Mrs. Seilheimer's Second Grade Students want to wish you a very happy Valentine's Day!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

More Field Trips!

Our students were fortunate enough to have two music field trips this week!

Friday, January 29, 2010
Thanks to a fantastic organization called the Great Lakes Caravan, our Fifth Grade Students got to be a part of an interactive performance by the Carpe Diem String Quartet. From Columbus, Ohio, Carpe Diem is a world class quartet that performs in a surprising variety of styles and genres. All Fifth Graders walked to the High School black box theatre to hear them, ask questions and interact. We heard classical, jazz, blues, a composition written by the violist and even the theme from the Simpsons. Fifth grade students, what was your favorite part of the performance?

Monday, February 1, 2010
All second through fifth graders took the long bus trip to Ann Arbor to see the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo perform at Hill Auditorium. From South Africa, this powerful acapella singing group has been in existence for over 50 years. They were brought into the international spotlight through Paul Simon's "Graceland" album and continue to travel around the world today. Though I didn't get to go along, I have been enjoying hearing students' reactions and reflections on the music. I have included some Ladysmith Black Mambazo songs on the side bar. Enjoy!