The advanced guitar class did a great job with the combined 7th and 8th grade ensembles concert last week! This group has grown by a couple of members since last year, and the new students have blended in seamlessly. They performed “Stop This Train” by John Mayer, which has many challenging harmonies that are played with fingerstyle technique. They have also been working on improvising and created a new section in the song “No Rain” by Blind Melon. They learned about the importance of listening to each other and ways in which visual cues can be used to communicate during an improvisation. This group continues to improve with each performance-it is amazing how far they have come since last year!
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The intermediate guitar class did a nice job with the combined 7th & 8th grade ensembles concert last week. A definite highlight was “Cleopatra”, where they accompanied Peyton Hunter, who is a member of the 7th and 8th grade Chorus. They learned about phrasing, and the importance of following a singer by listening to where they take breaths and how they phrase music. They have started choosing new songs to learn in addition to improving their music reading skills.
6th grade had a good concert last week in conjunction with the 5th and 6th grade guitar and orchestra classes. They played the songs “Despacito” and “Smoke on the Water”. I was excited to have some students improvising during “Smoke on the Water”-it takes courage to do that on stage in front of a crowd. The class has recently started learning “Another Brick In The Wall” and will start learning to read music notation for guitar soon.
The 5th grade guitar ensemble had a successful concert last week as part of the Wonderful Wednesday concert series. They played “Blues in G” and “Sweet Home Alabama”. They have learned basic open chords, strumming patterns, and guitar tablature. We have started learning “Castle On The Hill” by Ed Sheeran as well as “Happy Birthday”. I’m pleased with how the students have been doing so far, they have come a long way!
I am looking forward to working with the 5th grade students in their first year of guitar ensemble! We are entering the second year of guitar being offered at Galloway and interest is building! 24
5th grade students indicated guitar was their first choice, so we are creating a rotation where these students will have the opportunity to learn guitar this year. I am excited to find out about their musical interests and see where this year takes us as a group. I am excited for another year of learning and performing in guitar ensemble! There are many students returning from 5th grade ensemble(as well as some new, experienced students). I am looking forward to building upon what we learned last year and expanding the musical skills of this ensemble. Stay tuned!
I am looking forward to a great year of music learning and music making! The ensemble has grown considerably since last year- from 4 to 13! I am excited for the opportunities and challenges this growth presents. There is a wide array of interests and abilities in this group which offers possibilities for a variety of different learning experiences for the students. Stay tuned!
The ensemble presented their spring concert with the UL guitar ensemble at the end of April. I am so pleased with the way that they played and the professional manner in which they presented their program. I especially enjoyed their arrangement of “Clocks” by Coldplay. Anytime I give them an idea or introduce them to a new technique, they always take it and run with it-I never have to coax or cajole this class. They have been very self-directed all year long and it has been heartening to see how well they work together. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all of them and look forward to next year. Have a great summer!
The 5th and 6th grade students just gave their spring concert for Wonderful Wednesday last week. They played “House of the Rising Sun”, “Send My Love” by Adele, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, and “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors. The students did a really good job and I am proud of all of them. Recently, the 4th graders have begun visiting the music department to learn about the different ensembles and the choices they have for next year. It was great seeing the excited faces and hearing the eager conversations about which instruments they are going to choose. I feel lucky to be teaching guitar here at Galloway and have thoroughly enjoyed working with your children. I hope they plan to continue with guitar, and if not, that they will continue with music in some fashion whether it is as an instrumentalist, a singer, a composer or a listener. Have a great summer!
The students are continuing to work on reading and counting rhythms for the melody of “Send My Love”. They have nearly mastered the counting for the verse and bridge so they will be learning the chorus shortly. They also recently started learning “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. The students are really excited about this song!
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AuthorBrian Mitchell, Middle and Upper Learning Music and Guitar Archives
November 2017
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