The students have been hard at work learning to play the piano keyboards!  From Preschool to 4th Grade, every student is learning to play the notes on the piano keyboard and the older students are preparing for a class piano recital in February.  The students are learning to play the notes C, D, E, F, and G in the right and left hand.  They are also learning to read the treble and bass clef!

 

The Preschool and Prek students read the story Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  They loved adding instruments sounds to this story and acting out the different scenes!

  

Join us for the Open House at Quest Academy on Saturday, February 9 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.  Tour our school and meet teachers at this exciting event!

The next Little Knights: Music in Motion will take place on Wednesday, January 23 from 9:00-9:45 a.m.  We will be exploring Jan Brett’s book, “The Mitten.”  The Lower School Art Teacher, Gary Mann and the Lower School Music Teacher, Annabel Hasty will work together to on this Little Knights event.  All children ages 2-5 are welcome to attend!

On the evening of Thursday, Feb. 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, we want you to experience The Quest Academy Odyssey – A Journey of Information and Inspiration! This evening was formerly referred to as the State of the School. We are planning an evening for you filled with surprises and adventures while making certain that you acquire concrete facts about our school. We hope you can join us!

The 2nd-4th Grade Concert was a huge success.  The Harmonizers also performed at this concert and helped to get everyone in the holiday spirit!

The Second Grade students from the Tigers Class performed “December Nights, December Lights” with holiday lights.  They also played their recorders to the Spanish song “Fum, Fum, Fum.”  The students also sang a Japanese folk song “Hotaru Koi” and a festive “Winter Wonderland.”   The students also displayed their constellation art projects with flashing lights.

The Third Grade students in the Tree Frogs and Llamas classes did a wonderful job singing a Hindi song about Diwali called “Deepawali.” They also played hand chimes to “Olde English Carol” and sang a moving spiritual “Keep Your Lamps.”  The students also displayed their Northern Lights project with laser cuts trees and mountains.

The Fourth Grade students in the Lions and Geckos performed the Hebrew folk song “S’ViVon” in a canon.  The students also sang “Holiday Lights” with lighted flags.  They used Solfege hand symbols with the song “‘Tis the Gift.”  The students enjoyed playing their flutes to the song “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.” The students also displayed their collaborative art project based on “The Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh.

The Harmonizers did a great job entering the gym in a procession with their candles to the song “Keep the Candles Going.”  Then they sang “Siyahamba” a Zulu folk song with drum accompaniment.  They also expressively sang “Shining Star” with beautiful harmonies.  The students finished their performance with a festive “We Wish You a Swingin’ Holiday!”

The Preschool-First Grade students did a wonderful job at the Winter Concert!  The students sang with enthusiasm and danced to songs from the Nutcracker.  They also played a variety of instruments to accompany their songs.

First Grade (Beluga Whales & Dolphins): The students sang a beautiful song called “A Song of Peace” and each of the students sang a line on the microphone.  The First Grade students also danced the Trepak Russian Dance from the Nutcracker and sang a French folk song called “Pat-a-Pan.”  They played the cymbals and triangles to the holiday song “Silver Bells.”

   

Kindergarten (Sea Turtles & Starfish): The students used candy canes to Dance to the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker.  They sang a Japanese folk song called “Sakura” and added xylophone instruments.  They also sang “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” with motions and enthusiastically performed “Frosty the Snowman!”

Junior Kindergarten (Lemurs): The Lemurs used ribbon wands to dance to the Chinese Dance from the Nutcracker.  They also sang an upbeat song “My Body Makes Music” and a festive “Deck the Halls.” The students also played finger drums in an eighth and quarter note pattern to a Hindi song called “Chanda Hai Tu.”

  

Preschool (Otters):  The Otters used red and green patterns to dance to the March from the Nutcracker.  They also sang “Go Tell it on the Mountain” and an Israeli Folk Song called “Zum Gali Gali.”  Finally, the students used jingle bells to sing “Jingle Bells” with the whole audience!  Thanks to all for a fantastic Winter Concert!

  

The Winter Concerts are fast approaching!

On December 11 at 6:30 p.m. the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade Students will perform the Winter Concert: Holiday Lights!  Each grade will play challenging instruments and sing songs from around the world.  We look forward to having our parents and families attend this event at Quest Academy.  The Harmonizers will also perform at this exciting event.

On December 14 at 8:45 a.m. the Preschool-1st Grade Students will perform the Winter Concert: The Nutcracker.  The Otters, Lemurs, Sea Turtles, Starfish, Beluga Whales and Dolphins will participate in this concert.  Every class will perform movements to a work form the Nutcracker and all students will sing a variety of winter songs.  We welcome all to attend this concert!

Also, please note that the Book Fair will take place on Wednesday, December 5.  The Harmonizers will perform at 4:00 at the Barnes and Noble in Deer Park.  Come out and hear us sing!

   

The students have been playing the African drums in music class.  The Llamas and Tree Frogs enjoyed learning the difference between Presto and Largo and playing a drumming game called “What’s for Dinner?”

The Dolphins and Beluga Whales have also been playing the African drums.  The students played a Nigerian Folk Song called “Eh Soom Boo Kawaya” and enjoyed adding a variety of complex rhythms to their song.

   

The Otters have done a wonderful job learning to sing “Zum Gali Gali,” a Hebrew folk song and “Go Tell it On the Mountain.” The students are also enjoying learning a variety of dances and hand clapping games in class.

  

The Tigers, Tree Frogs, and Llamas are coding their music to their lights themed music projects for the Winter Concert.  The students can’t wait to share their projects at the upcoming concert.

   

  

The Harmonizers performed at the Veteran’s Day and did a wonderful job singing “Proud of Our Veterans.”  The Symphonic Band also performed at the school assembly and four Veterans attended this event as well.

 

In Makerspace, the Kindergarten students created shakers with eggs and tape.  They also created jingle bracelets with pipe cleaners and jingle bells.  The students used these instruments in music class to accompany their spooky songs.

   

  

In Makerspace, the third-grade students in created mini guitars using egg cartons and rubber bands.  Then the students composed their own minor melodies on the Soundtrap app on the iPad to accompany the poem “What’s that Noise?”   The students had so much fun adding in their sound effects with their handmade instruments.

   

Concert Dates to remember!

2nd-4th Grade Winter Concert – December 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Preschool-1st Grade Winter Concert – December 14 at 8:45 a.m.

Our Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students used the bat, kitten, and jack-o-lantern cutouts to practice their quarter, eighth, and sixteenth note rhythms.  The students loved clapping and playing their patterns for their friends.

 

  

The 3rd-5th grade students in Harmonizers have been working hard to learn the music for the upcoming concert!  They will perform at the Winter Concert, the Book Fair, and the Veteran’s Day assembly.  They are having fun learning challenging music together!

 

 

 

A reminder that the next Little Knights: Music in Motion will take place on Wednesday, November 28 from 9:00-9:45 a.m.  Please invite anyone you know with children ages 2-5 to join us for this interactive music class at Quest Academy!

The Harmonizers performed the National Anthem at the Family 4K Event.  The Family 4K and Picnic was a wonderful event for our Quest community, and the Harmonizers were glad to share their talents at this event.

In music class, the Lemurs and Otters are singing “I’m a Bell” while keeping a steady beat in 3/4 time with the triangle.  We also learned about musical form using the Star Wars theme song.  We used a parachute to visually see the different sections of this piece.  We also explored songs in AB and ABA form.

       

   

The Sea Turtles and Sea Stars are doing a wonderful job differentiating between major and minor modes.  They also learned to play quarter and eighth note rhythms on the drum and played the triangle.  The students are developing their voices and matching pitch using solfege syllables in the classroom.

 

 

Our fourth grade students are doing a fantastic job playing their flutes.  They are currently learning to play Frodo’s BAG, which is a challenging piece with an instrumental accompaniment.  The students are now able to read eighth and sixteenth note rhythms as well as syncopated rhythms.

 

Please spread the word about our upcoming Open House at Quest Academy on Saturday, November 3rd from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

The third grade students have begun playing their flutes!  The students are so excited about their new instrument and have learned about correct care of the instrument and accurate posture.  They have also learned to play the notes B, A, and G and love playing along to “B A Superhero.”  The students are so excited to play individually for the class on their instruments!

  

  

  

Harmonizers are doing an amazing job of learning songs like “Siyahamba” and “The Water is Wide.”  They are preparing to sing the National Anthem at the Family 4K run this weekend!  They have enjoyed singing partner songs and rounds in Harmonizers rehearsals as well.  Our violin and keyboard students have started to learn their part for our upcoming performances!

 

   

    

We are learning about Carribean Music with an emphasis on our musician, Tito Puente!  The students in the Otters, Lemurs, Sea Turtles, and Star Fish have worked hard to learn to play syncopated rhythms on the xylophone.  We also danced to the song Go Mango Walk and added rhythm shakers to “Fruit Salad Salsa,” an upbeat salsa song.  The students tried out the steel drums in class and learned how steel drums are made in Trinidad and Tobago.

  

  

Save the Date!
Winter Concert for Preschool-First Grade, December 14 at 8:45 a.m.

Winter Concert for 2nd-4th Grade, December 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Our Second Graders began playing their rockin’ recorders this week!  They have played “Hot Cross Buns” and “Peas Porridge Hot” and have learned the notes B, A, and G.  The students are working on using correct breath support and posture while playing.   They are very excited about their new instruments!

  

   

Our fourth grade students danced to “Circle Waltz Mixer,” a folk dance in 3/4 time.  The students enjoyed learning the moves and practiced until they could confidently dance this waltz without any instruction from me! I was very proud of the students’ accomplishment.

  

In third grade this week, we had a special visit from Simeon’s mom, Dr. Rachel Suntay Zahn!  She played her violin and viola for the class and explained the parts of the string instruments.  She also accompanied the students on “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and played a scale with her son.  We look forward to having many of our musical parents visit the classroom this year.

   

A reminder to join us for Knights on the Run this Sunday, September 30 at 9:00 a.m. at Quest Academy!!  The Harmonizers will be performing at this event.  Hope to see you there!

We are off to a great start in music class!  The students in all grade levels played the Boomwhackers at the beginning of the school year.  They sang songs like Frere Jacque and accompanied themselves using these multicolored tubes.  The students reviewed quarter and eighth notes and rests and practiced singing in a round.  The students also read the story Mortimer by Robert Munsch.  They enjoyed adding sound effects to the story with their Boomwhackers and xylophones.  If you haven’t read this entertaining story, I highly recommend it!

    

  

    

We also learned about the dynamics terms Forte and Piano, which mean loud and soft.  Click on the image below and have your child sing along with the song we learned in music class called Forte Piano!  We learned a variety of musical terms including crescendo, decrescendo, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, pianissimo, and fortissimo.  We are also singing in our loud forte voices to the Quest Fight Song!

The Harmonizers began their first rehearsal this week.  This music ensemble for 3rd-5th graders meets on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 a.m.  We are singing songs from around the world including Siyahamba, a Zulu folksong.  We will be singing the National Anthem at the Knights on the Run event on Sunday, September 30.

This year we are starting a new Little Knights: Music in Motion program at Quest Academy.  I will be teaching this interactive music class on September 12 from 9:00-9:45.  All parents with children ages 2-5 are welcome to join in the fun!

Welcome Bach to Music!  This year in music we will be learning about the life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach as well as many other famous composers.

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful summer. I enjoyed spending time with my family and traveling to Destin, Florida where we relaxed on the beach and St. Louis, Missouri where we visited the St. Louis Arch!

As the school year begins, I want to update you on all the news from Lower School Music.  We will be learning about music notation and we will compose our own musical inventions just like J.S Bach.  We will play instruments including xylophones, drums, recorders, Nuvo flutes and piano keyboards.  We will sing songs from around the world and explore ways to use our voices.  We will also move and respond to music in multiple ways. We will also incorporate STEAM activities and music technology projects in our music class.

The Harmonizers, a choir with keyboards and violins, meets on Wednesday mornings. All 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are welcome to join this performing group!

We have so many exciting things planned for this school year. My email address is annabel.hasty@questacademy.org if you would like to contact me with any questions you may have. Thank you!