KINDERGARTEN
Dear Durham Family,
Your child lives in a world of musical sounds. From toys that make sounds,
books that sing songs, and even furniture that plays tunes, they are
surrounded with music. You probably can already tell that your
kndergartener can sing back favorite melodies and, without even realizing
it, will unconciously sing children's songs while they play.
Now that they have entered school, we will begin to analyze, on their level
of course, what that is all about. This year I will introduce several
important musical concepts to your child. Steady beat, steady beat, steady
beat!! They will hear that from me all year. It's one of the main TEKS for
Kindergarten, and it means the difference in learning how to follow music or
not. You will be surprized at how they can identify and draw music symbols
after just a few weeks of coming to music class. Through listening
exercises, games, singing and performance, your child will learn about
melodic direction, and musical dynamics. These building blocks can provide
the foundation for a lifetime of love for music.
You can help reinforce the lessons your child is learning by drawing
attention to the rhythms and sounds you and your child experience in
everyday life. You can point out the steady beat of the windshield wipers
when you are driving through rain or help your child notice how the tone of
a siren goes up and then down. While reading a poem aloud, you might tap
out the strong beats of the poem. When singing a favorite song, try
demonstrating singing it first in a loud voice and then in a very soft
voice. Encourage your child to dance to the rhythm as she or he listens to
music on the radio or on a CD – and you dance along, too!
Here’s to a great year of musical fun and adventure.
Musically yours,
David Platt
Music Teacher
DES
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FIRST GRADE LETTER
Dear Durham Family,
Your child lives in a world full of musical sounds. From the steady ticking
of a clock to the whistle of a passing train, rhythms and tones surround
your first grader. Children are naturally drawn to the simple melodies of
familiar songs and the rhythmic beat of nursery rhymes.
This year I will introduce several important musical concepts to your
child. Through listening exercises, games, singing and performance, your
child will learn about steady beats, melodic direction, and musical
dynamics. These building blocks can provide the foundation for a lifetime
of music appreciation.
You can help reinforce the lessons your child is learning by drawing
attention to the rhythms and sounds you and your child experience in
everyday life. You can point out the steady beat of the windshield wipers
when you are driving through rain or help your child notice how the tone of
a siren goes up and then down. While reading a poem aloud, you might tap
out the strong beats of the poem. When singing a favorite song, try
demonstrating singing it first in a loud voice and then in a very soft
voice. Encourage your child to dance to the rhythm as she or he listens to
music on the radio or on a CD – and you dance along, too!
Here’s to a great year of musical fun and adventure.
Musically yours,
David Platt
Music Teacher
DES
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SECOND GRADE LETTER
Dear Durham Family,
What an exciting, musical year I have planned for your second grader! This
year your child will continue to learn new skills and concepts to form the
foundation for a lifetime of musical expression and enjoyment.
We will continue our path to musical excellence with beat, rhythm, and
melody, including singing with Solfege. This is the method of teaching
pitch matching using Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti. Most of our work this year
will be centered around Mi, So, and La. We will also continue our
exploration of loud, soft, high, low, and the tone colors of different
instruments. You can help your child discover these and other aspects of
music in many ways, from attending concerts or providing private lessons to
singing, dancing, or listening to your favorite music at home. If you know
me, you know that I believe performance is a HUGE part of the elementary
music experience. We will be doing my very favorite elementary musical this
year. Every other year or so, I just have to do "BUGZ"!!!! The costumes are
beautiful. The dancing is unbelievably entertaining. The singing is
awesome. The fun is endless. We will all be going to the picnic for some
good eats and a great time together. Uh Oh! The stink bug can't go. No one
is able to stand the smell. You'll need to be sure and be there to see how
the problem is solved by one of the very nice "bugs". Our performance will
be in late November or early December. You will not want to miss it!!
I have a great way to get most of the costumes done in one day. I'll be
contacting some of you moms to come and help us one day soon. You'll be
amazed at how my "assembly line" works to get all our lady bugs and butterfly
costumes taken care of in such a short time. The results will make you very
proud.
I am here to help you help your child find his or her place in a musical
world. Producing a music program at school is the joy of my life. Thank
you for whatever assistance you can offer this year – be it at home, at
school, or both. Together we can create a wonderful musical learning
experience for your child that will last a lifetime.
Here’s to a great year of musical fun and adventure.
Musically yours,
David Platt
Music Teacher
DES
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THIRD GRADE LETTER
Dear Durham Family,
What an exciting, musical year is in store for your third grader! This year
your child will continue to learn new skills and concepts to form the
foundation for a lifetime of musical expression and enjoyment.
We will continue our path to musical excellence with beat, rhythm, and
melody, including Solfege. This is the method of teaching pitch matching
using Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti. We will also continue our exploration of
loud, soft, high, low, and the tone colors of different instruments.
Through poetry they will begin to explore the concepts of rhythm and
beat, learning how rhythm is written in musical pieces by using a staff with
measures, notes, and rests. We have touched on this in the past, but this
year will move us to a new level. You can help your child discover these
and other aspects of music in many ways, from attending concerts or
providing private lessons in singing or dancing, or listening to your
favorite music at home.
If you know me, you know that I believe performance is a HUGE part of the
elementary music experience. In May, we will be doing a musical about outer
space. "SPACED OUT" will blast off with music, singing, dancing, speaking
parts, and loads of information about the planets. We’ll all look forward to
a great performance from our fantastically talented DES third graders. I
will be getting information to you as soon as dates are set. We will need a
little help with costumes, but, fear not! I try very hard to make it as easy
on you as possible.
I am here to help you help your child find his or her place in a musical
world. Producing a music program at school is the joy of my life. Thank
you for whatever assistance you can offer this year – be it at home, at
school, or both. Together we can create a wonderful musical learning
experience for your child that will last a lifetime.
Here’s to a great year of musical fun and adventure.
Musically yours,
David Platt
Music Teacher
DES
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FOURTH GRADE
Dear Parents,
What an exciting year of music I have planned for your child! As a fourth
grader, they will be expected to be the leaders of our music program at
DES. During the year, we will continue with the music fundamentals they
learned in third grade. We will be doing two major musical programs during
the year - our Veterans Day program and "I Need a Vacation", our ever-popular
send off into the summer.
One of the biggest things this year will be playing recorder. If you've not
experienced a recorder player in the house, watch out!!! I guarantee it can
drive your house pet crazy. Playing recorder is one of the most fun things
we do, and, as a music educator, I have found nothing else that teaches
children to read music any better. Playing recorder makes them independent
musicians and really makes them concentrate on a high level to understand
what music is all about. It also prepares them for instrumental and vocal
music in 5th and 6th grade.
During the year, you will be hearing from me about performances, costumes,
speaking parts, solos, and many other things as we travel through a fun year
of music. As I have stated so many times before, "I don't just teach
music. I teach the ENJOYMENT of music"!
I am again offering Music Academy to 4th graders this year. This will be a
class for interested 4th graders who may have a little background in music
or just a great interest in learning at a faster, more advanced level. And
I do mean advanced. We will be covering many elements of music at a fast
pace. There will be a small monthly charge for supplies. We will be
exploring music theory, rhythm, how to play percussion instruments, advanced
recorder, basic piano, solfege, composition, and performance. The year will
be filled with lots of information your 4th grader will carry on to higher
grades and put them way ahead of the general music curriculum. There is only
room for 24 in the class, so be sure and get your 4th grader signed up as
soon as the letter comes home.
So, here's to a great year. If you need to contact me, please feel free.
You are welcome in our music room at any time. Come by and just slip in the
back for a visit.(Just check in at the office first.) I guarantee it will
brighten up your day.
Musically yours,
David Platt
DES Music Teacher
