Masters in Theatre

I've been feeling very reminiscent about teaching this week. We started this new book in one of my grad classes "Master Teachers of Theatre" and it stirred up a myriad of emotions hidden inside of me. I love teaching. I love directing. I love acting. I love making music. But there is something about teaching that is built in me, as if my insides are hard-wired to "assume the teacher identity," in some capacity.

Teaching, for me, is about being forthright and sharing myself with the people in the room. Being humble enough, on the daily, to ask inner-Abigail "did that work for the people or just sound good in your head?" Teaching is about creating a safe haven for my students to feel freedom in their own skin, allowing for mistakes to be made, while demonstrating strong character and encouraging them to be the best version of themselves. It's about classroom management- yes, I actually like classroom management!- the challenge of being better because students want to be in that room, in that moment, learning about what I'm passionate about. Being a teacher forces me to grow up. I have to be in charge. I have to constantly be learning new things, but I'm also constantly learning from other people- which is awesome. Growing up is where it's at, without those four years in public education, I don't know where who I'd be right now!

Anyway...Graduate School is a whole different kind of growing and stretching. It's a whole new ballgame over here. I'm so happy for this change, I know 100% that it's the right one. While I loved teaching, classroom wasn't the right fit for me, this is EXACTLY where I'm supposed to be right now. BUT I'm completely out of my comfort zone right now, WHICH IS GREAT, because that's where I like to live life- makes for SO much more growing up. (Even if it means I'm scared out of my mind half of the time.)

New Year: Lessons

Hello!

I have been getting a lot of e-mails about private lessons. I am still teaching!  My schedule is very tight this fall because of graduate school, but I still have openings. If you are interested in taking a private voice lesson e-mail me at abigail.vanpatter@gmail.com and I'll set you up.

If you are interested in Wizard of Oz audition prep lessons- I have a few openings left, please contact me ASAP.

If you are interested in WORKSHOPS with ATA we are listing them this week the website and I will update them on here...

If you are interested in the THEORY WORKSHOP. That will be offered every other week on Saturday mornings.

Thank you,
Abigail.

Music Listening Bee

If you want to come see a Sweeeet Music Listening Competition, you have three opportunities to come out and see! Guilford Elementary School-Check in at the office and get a Visitor's pass, be sure to do so a little early, since the compeition is only 45 minutes long we have to start on time :) Hope to see you there:)

May 27 (Tuesday) 11:05, GYM. Ms Jolly's Class and Mr. Isley's Class

May 28 (Wednesday) 11:05 GYM. Ms.Adams Class and Mr. Cotterman's Class

May 29 (Thursday) 11:10 In my classroom (this will be tight, but we'll make it work), Ms. Foster's Class

 

Music Listening Bee

Oh my word Y'all. 

I can't even tell you how proud I am of my 3rd graders at Guilford Elementary School. They are the Smartest, Cutest, Coolest kids in town- and they are gonna stinking ROCK this Music Listening Bee's SOCKS off. They have worked their little behinds off in class and let me tell you, it is paying off because they know this stuff so well. I am BEAMING in class when I play a piece and say, " Name this musical Era" and Student X says, "BAROQUE!" I want to burst at the seams it's just the best feeling in the world. So if you are a third grader and you are reading this right now, know that I am one PROUD MUSIC TEACHER. Y'all have worked hard and well and I am very pleased :)

Working in teams to find the answers to the questions. Team three was KILLING it. This was a Musical CandyLand game that I made up- simple concept. Team draws a card, they can progress to that color is they can answer the music questions. I play a piece, they have to answer one of the three questions, "Composer, Title, Era" of the piece. If they get it correct they progress. If they get it wrong, the next team takes the color.... only one person from each team can answer, they really have to work together, and know the answers. It's a great game. SUPER proud of them.

Three Piggy Opera

We are working on our own Three Piggy Opera (First Grade), which I think it just the cutest little mini musical.
This is the best little montage I found online to show my kids what it will be like to get them excited :) They are going to perform in class in front on their parents as a sharing for the end of the year. This is a great way for me to say goodbye to teaching for a while too, since I'm leaving GES for a full time Graduate School Program.

 

Silly Symphony fun

 

Love these oldies

DIY Mini Erasers

I have been on a student whiteboard kick, using them for informal assessments and loving it. The only thing that was annoying me about them is that I was having the kids use paper towels as erasers and they were leaving them on the floor and I hate when my room is messy. So I decided to make some student erasers today. I cut up an old cardboard box and some left over bed foam I had from making crate seats, and hot glued them and decorated. Then I place one in each of the "under the chair" boxes I made out of paint liners. SO easy and convenient. 

First just cut up some old cardboard and foam.

I put glue on the "messy side" so the other side I could sharpie decorate

Attach the foam.

Cut off the extra pieces

Press down to make sure it's stuck for realz.

Then I added their seat numbers and just scribbled on the edges for decoration.

And Voila. Done. I'm very pleased with the outcome.

  

Recorder Notation

While I do have my recorder students always mark their music with the note letter names, just so I can get a quick informal assessment of whether they understand the lines and spaces or not; I also have them mark their music with the recorder hole numbers.

I took a song from the 2nd grade curriculum (Making Music, Silver/Burdett), a Puerto Rico song (which is great cross-curricular and can tie in with the Spanish teacher's lessons) and decided to use it on the recorder. My first group to attempt the little diddy was my most advanced group. They loved it, and the students who forgot their recorders (there are always a few) sang along with them. I accompanied on the ukulele and it was a really fun class.

The was a great break from Recorder Karate and individual testing. It gave them a sense of "band practice" which is what I'm trying to get them excited about-leading into middle school.

The next group I tried was my lowest group. They were...challenged to say the least. They just don't practice or really care about improving so they kinda got stuck because they realized they can't play together as a "band" if they never work on it individually. It was a rude awakening for some of the kids. But, even with these challenges they found a way to have fun.

Here are some pictures of the song and markings.

This is our "recorder cheat sheet" where I have labeled all the recorder hole markings.
This way they can identify and label both numbers and letters in their music. 

We really worked on rests and counting on this piece. The meter is 3/4 which is different for them, so it proved to be a little challenging. I have them highlight all rests and notes they will have to "hold out" like half notes etc.

Just close ups of the piece above. I inserted these pictures into a slide show and used that on my large TV screen because I don't have a projector or an elmo. It proved to be quite successful.