MUSIC
With January being the birth month of Martin Luther King Jr. and February being African-American history month, the 5th and 6th graders have been diving into some deep, rich and thought-provoking musical material. We are exploring the realities of life as a slave, and exploring how this eventually led to some of the feelings of racism that plagued our country at a time when segregation was the norm. We started out the year by reading a book called "Henry's Freedom Box" which is the true story of Henry "Box" Brown who mailed himself to freedom with the aid of the Underground Railroad. We have been learning about the secret "code" songs that slaves used to communicate with each other. They would sing songs to pass along important information, secure a "ride" on the "Underground Railroad" or help navigate their way to freedom by following the stars. We are currently working on "partner songs" - completely different songs that can be sung simultaneously that work together. We are currently singing "This Train," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "When the Saints go Marching In" as partner songs. The kids are sounding fantastic!! It is a delightful challenge for them to have 3 different groups singing completely different songs at the same exact time! I can see their brains working diligently as they listen to their own group, trying not to lose their place while simultaneously perceiving the other groups, being amazed at how they can all sound so good together! Students are also learning "Free at Last," the old spiritual that Martin Luther King Jr. so famously quoted at the very end of his "I Have a Dream" speech (which we plan on listening to next week). We also read a book called "Moses" that explores the life and important work of Harriet Tubman. We have read "I Have a Dream" which explores what life was like when Martin Luther King Jr. was just a boy.
I am having a wonderful time exploring this potent subject with the children, using music as a vehicle of understanding. We have been doing some singing games as well, such as "Down in the Valley" and "Pour me a Bucket of Water."
Students are continuing their work with the swing song "Sing, Sing." They are developing proficiency with the song and working on getting their sound together as an ensemble to gel.