Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing.
-Kindergarteners clapped (and sang) Loose Tooth, You Are My Sunshine and Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar. We also added 4 sixteenth notes to their rhythmic-clapping complexity.
-1st and 2nd graders added whole notes (and rests) and half notes (and rests) to their rhythmic clapping complexity. They formed words on a treble clef staff using letters from the musical alphabet. They also took a post test over material we've discussed up to now. They reviewed all concert songs and practiced text reading parts and percussion instrument parts on Jack and the Beanstalk. Instrumental accompaniment opportunities for all concert songs will be made available for students who wish to have the added challenge.
-3rd and 4th graders added quarter rests to their rhythmic clapping complexity. We discussed syncopation with single eighth (notes and rests) and dotted quarter notes in 3/4 and 4/4 time. They reviewed their concert songs. Instrumental accompaniment opportunities will be made available for studnets who wish to have the added challenge. They also formed words on a bass clef staf using letters from the musical alphabet in an activity entitled "How Well Do You Spell."
-5th and 6th graders (Westdyke and Embry) are continuiing to learn terminology and penmanship necessary in the construction of major scales. We also discussed monophony, polyphony and homophony and sang Rose, Rose, Time of Your Life and Battle Hymn of the Republic.
-7-8 Guitar students are working on a 12-bar blues progression in E and an open position pentatonic scale in E.
-7-8 TTJ students are beginning to do their presentations on a TTJ topic.
Sincerely,
Mr. Osburn

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing.
-Kindergarteners clapped rhythms with quarter notes quarter rests and 2 eighth notes. We discussed patterns in rhythm. They sang songs they've learned up to now and John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt (we discussed dynamics in this song). They also learned the games of Rattlesnake and Fox and Rabbit.
-1st and 2nd graders did a musical version of Jack and the Beanstalk. They used percussion instruments and took turns reading parts of the story.
-3rd and 4th graders reviewed the clapping of rhythms with all variations of quarter, dotted quarter and single eighth notes in 2/4 time. We added quarter rests to their rhythmic clapping complexity. We reviewed all concert songs and sang a round called Hey Ho Nobody Home. We also did some pitch exploration exercises.
-5th and 6th graders (Westdyke and Embry) are learning terminology and penmanship necessary in the construction of major scales.
-7-8 Guitar students learned the pentatonic scale, pitch bends and some strumming techniques.
-7-8 TTJ students made several balloon creations including: dogs, swans, and swords. They also learned the rudiments of juggling.
Sincerely,
Mr. Osburn
P.S. Congratulations to all students who participated in the 5-6 General Music holiday concert on December 5. You did an amazing job!!

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing.

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!! Students in Embry's and Westdyke's 5-6 classes who are currently in General Music will be performing 9 holiday songs at the sock hop on December 5 at 7:00PM in the multipurpose room. Please have them check in to the music room (123) at 6:30PM. Students should dress in green, white and red attire. If you don't have any of these colors, just dress nice.

-Kindergarteners clapped rhythms with quarter notes, quarter rests and 2 eighth notes. They played the games: 5 Little Monkeys, Alakashie, and London Bridge. We also sang This Little Light of Mine, I Am a Person and All About Me.
-1st and 2nd graders clapped rhythms with quarter notes, quarter rests, 2 eighth notes and 4 sixteenth notes. They simultaneously sang the melody and clapped an ostinato to Erie Canal. We talked about AB form with Erie Canal and Buffalo Gals. We sang (and clapped an ostinato to) The Eagle. We also re

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing.

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!! Students in Embry's and Westdyke's 5-6 classes who are currently in General Music will be performing 9 holiday songs at the sock hop on December 5 at 7:00PM in the multipurpose room. Please have them check in to the music room (123) at 6:30PM. More details will follow in next week's Monday letter.

-Kindergarteners went over classroom rules and introductions. They sang This Little Light of Mine, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and This Old Man. They learned the Snoopy Dance and played Grizzly Bear.
-1st and 2nd graders went over classroom rules and took a music theory pretest. They sang This Land Is Your Land and reviewed 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures with quarter notes and quarter rests.
-3rd and 4th graders went over classroom rules and took a music theory pretest. They sang I Love the Mountains (round), Caissons Go Rolling Along and Marines

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!! Embry's and Westdyke's General Music concert date has been moved from February 24 to December 5. The 5th and 6th grade students in Embry's and Westdyke's classes will perform 9-10 holiday songs at the Stargate Community Sock Hop.

Hello, and welcome to a great year here at Stargate! My name is Rodney Osburn and I'm the General Music, Guitar and TTJ teacher for grades K-8. Enclosed in this letter is a copy of my classroom rules, which helps to insure that all children who participate in Music have an enjoyable and enlightening experience. Please look these over with your child, making sure they understand the reason for having such rules. I, too, will be going over the rules with them during the first week of this new trimester. You should get a communication from me weekly.

General Music, Guitar* and TTJ* will be fun and exciting subjects for all students. In addition to the day-to-day activities,

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,

Congratulations to all students who participated in the fall concert on November 6. You did an amazing job!!

For the remaining days in the trimester, all classes will either be wathcing a video of their concert or finishing up trimester grades.

Sincerely,
Mr. Osburn

P.S. If anyone has pictures of the concert they would like to share, please email them to me at:
rod.osburn@adams12.org

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here are a few extra details to help make the general music concerts run smoothly:

November 6
at 6:30 PM Huey & Kuhn 1st & 2nd grade perform
at 7:00 PM McLeod & Singer 3rd & 4th grade perform
at 7:30 PM Middle School Choir 7th & 8th grade perform

-Students should check in to their homerooms 15 minutes before they perform.

*Grades 1/2 6:15 PM (check in to homeroom) 6:30 PM (perform)
*Grades 3/4 6:45 PM (check in to homeroom) 7:00 PM (perform)
*Grades 7/8 7:15 PM (check in to homeroom) 7:30 PM (perform)

-There is no need to arrive earlier than check in time, unless you want to help with set up or see more than one part of the show.
-When in the multipurpose room, students who are not performing should stay with their parents.
-Students should leave all personal belongings with their parents.&

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing. ATTENTION!! ATTENTION! Please put these dates on your calendar. This is the '08-'09 concert itinerary for General Music students in grades K-8. _________________________________________________________________________________
November 6
at 6:30 PM Huey & Kuhn 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM McLeod & Singer 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Middle School Choir 7th & 8th grade

February 24
at 6:30 PM Powers & Simmons 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM Vaughan & Zellinger 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Embry* & Westdyke* 5th & 6th grade *You will get a
hard copy list of the students I am seeing for these classes.

May 19
at 6:30 PM Bryant & Heilbron 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM Burns & Bustamante 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Ball* & Leider* 5th & 6th gr

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing. ATTENTION!! ATTENTION! Please put these dates on your calendar. This is the '08-'09 concert itinerary for General Music students in grades K-8. _________________________________________________________________________________
November 6
at 6:30 PM Huey & Kuhn 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM McLeod & Singer 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Middle School Choir 7th & 8th grade

February 24
at 6:30 PM Powers & Simmons 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM Vaughan & Zellinger 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Embry* & Westdyke* 5th & 6th grade *You will get a
hard copy list of the students I am seeing for these classes.

May 19
at 6:30 PM Bryant & Heilbron 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM Burns & Bustamante 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Ball* & Leider* 5th & 6th gr

Read More »

Dear Stargate Parents,
Here's what we're doing. ATTENTION!! ATTENTION! Please put these dates on your calendar. This is the '08-'09 concert itinerary for General Music students in grades K-8. _________________________________________________________________________________
-November 6
at 6:30 PM Huey & Kuhn 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM McLeod & Singer 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Middle School Choir 7th & 8th grade

February 24
at 6:30 PM Powers & Simmons 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM Vaughan & Zellinger 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Embry* & Westdyke* 5th & 6th grade *You will get a
hard copy list of the students I am seeing for these classes.

May 19
at 6:30 PM Bryant & Heilbron 1st & 2nd grade
at 7:00 PM Burns & Bustamante 3rd & 4th grade
at 7:30 PM Ball* & Leider* 5th & 6th g

Read More »