The middle school band class began their morning with a rhythm activity on line 45 of their Band method books: 1, 2, 3-and, 4″ and “1, 2, 3, 4-and. Ms. Lien explained to the students, “Sometimes it helps to think of it as pie, pie, apple, pie” or in the case of 1, 2, 3, 4-and: pie, pie, pie, apple. “I’ve been teaching this lesson for twenty years and everyone plays this line the same for some reason. It’s ok we’re human,” she reminds the class while prompting them to play the phrase again with their syllable analogies in mind. Exploration and making mistakes are a part of the learning process. With rhythm, a key fundamental of music, students sharpen their musical communication skills gaining more nuance with each try at the lesson.
The high note of class was choosing the class band name. “It has to be something musical and relating to what we do,” said Ms. Lien. After some time brainstorming possible names, each student got two votes to use how they would like. Just one vote for “Jazzy Chickens.” “Funky Monkey” came in a close second with fourteen votes, but with an overwhelming twenty-one votes, the class band name is “AC/DCD.” Just announced at this morning’s Friday assembly, we welcome AC/DCD to the stage, and we look forward to seeing them rock at many events this year!
