Woody Guthrie Follow Up

Thanks to all of the students who commented appropriately on this blog. I enjoyed reading your impressions of the life of Woody Guthrie. It was clear that most of you read and understood what was required of you. I even laughed at some of the things you wrote. Many of you asked to have another assignment similar to this one. While I agree that an activity like this is enjoyable and worthwhile, I find it difficult to proceed when individuals decide to use this blog as a forum for "toilet humor" and arguably offensive material. Have the guts to put your name on your post and be accountable for what you add. If what you have to say does not add to the discussion, keep it to yourself.

COTM March - Woody Guthrie

Time to show that you have learned something about Woody Guthrie. After you have completed the Woody Guthrie scavenger hunt, post to the blog at least 2 complete sentences talking about something (or a couple of things) that you have learned about his music or his life.

Virtual Field Trip

Hey 6th grade music students, once you have completed your Virtual Field Trip to visit the San Francisco Symphony, post to the blog your favorite part of the website using at least two (2) complete sentences. Don't forget to tell your families about Yo-Yo Ma the world famous cellist. Two additional unique things to remember are: Osmo Vanska is the conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, and (I'm not making this up) Iccolo Miccolo played the piccolo in the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Sleigh Ride

I hope that you enjoyed the trip to Orchestra Hall to hear the Minnesota Orchestra perform their concert Sleigh Ride. Which version of Sleigh Ride to you enjoy the most? It's tough, but I think my favorite was Prokofiev's Troika. Choose your favorite in the poll at left and post your comments on the concert here. The Minnesota Orchestra is one of the best orchestras in the country. They were recently nominated for a Grammy Award for their recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. If you get a chance to hear them again, take it.

Great Concert!

6th grade band members...thanks for a great concert last night! Your hard work and consistent practice paid off. The jazz band also did a good job with some outstanding soloists. I look forward to the continued growth of all 6th grade instrumentalists as the year continues and we encounter new and more challenging music. Keep up the fine work.

Band Stuff

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day! There is a lot of 6th grade band stuff happening in the next two weeks. First of all, 6th grade jazz band will rehearse the next two Tuesday mornings for our performance at the band concert on Tuesday, December 4th. We will be playing "Lunch Detention Blues," "Rock the House," and "Holiday Jam" Please ask Mr. P if you will be a soloist. For all 6th grade band kids, the November practice calendar is due Thursday, November 29. Please make sure that your name is on it, your minutes are totaled, and it is signed by a parent/guardian. The band concert is Tuesday, December 4th at 7:30 p.m. Remember to meet at 7:00 wearing black on the bottom and white on the top. Mid term grades will come out that same week so please make sure that all of your band lessons are made up. Finally (at least for this post) all 6th grade students from West will be attending a Minnesota Orchestra concert on Thursday, December 6th. Please be sure to bring back your signed permission form and $9. All right, all right...enough already! Go back and enjoy some more leftovers!

Falcon Music VFT Final Question

6th hour Purple Falcon music class...this message is for you! Today when you have completed all of the questions on your Virtual Field Trip (VFT) to San Francisco (or Dallas or Baltimore), please respond to the following question by posting comments to the blog. Are you ready? Okay here is the question: What two musical things did you learn on this VFT? Please answer in at least two complete sentences. Thanks. By the way, did you play Beethoven Baseball?