Culmination 2016 -- "Wonderland"

Wonderland Avenue School Culmination 2016 - "Wonderland" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

And here's our finale -- another great job!

It's been a real privilege being your teacher. Have a great summer and good luck in middle school!

Culmination 2016 -- "Heroes/In My Life"

Wonderland Avenue School Culmination 2016 - "Heroes/In My Life" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Your mash up of the David Bowie/Beatles was so inspiring to me that I plan to share it with some of my music teacher pals this summer. Well done!

Culmination 2016 -- "Good To Be Alive Right About Now"

Hello 5th Graders -- yesterday's performance at culmination was fantastic! All three songs were great, as were the speeches.

I am posting some video here for you to enjoy and to share with your families.

Culmination Song #1 Extended -- Body Percussion for "Good to be Alive Right About Now'

Last thing I will ask you to do, fifth graders, is to work on the body percussion part to accompany the chorus of the Andy Grammer song. Work a few minutes a day and by Thursday it should rock!

Culmination Song #2 Extended - Ukulele Tutorial for "Wonderland'

Wonderland Avenue Music - "Wonderland" - Uke Tutorial from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hello fifth grade ukulele players -- her are some resources to help you practice "Wonderland" this weekend. The lyric sheet will show you how to make the chords and the video will show you what strum pattern to use. The one thing you won't be able to do is strum along with Taylor Swift. We're doing our version is a different key from the original.

Culmination Song #3 -- Mash up of "Heroes" and "In My Life"

Hi Fifth Graders -- here is the mash up on the David Bowie and Beatles song that will be our second number in the show. I do not have a recording the "Heroes" in A, but here is "In My Life," sung in the correct key. Just click on the play button below the lyric sheet. Particularly if you are part of the "stairs side," you will need to have the words to "In My Life" memorized.

Coyote String Band - Wayfaring Stranger - Special Theo Solo Addition

As discussed with our fiddle section (and you know who you are), the recording below shows how to play the solo for wayfaring stranger. Note that I am only playing the top note of the music. If you wish to drone on both notes, go ahead. The most important thing is that you get the counting right.

Culmination Song #2 - "Wonderland"

Okay, so technically this is the 3rd or 4th song, but I don't have a good recording on the mash up, so let's get started practicing this Taylor Swift song. We will be doing it in the key F, not in Eb as it is recorded here. Here are the lyrics. Culmination is three weeks from today, so get busy!

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Ungaresca" - Third Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Ungaresca" - Third Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

"Ungaresca" is the oldest part of our Ren Faire presentation, and might be the most authentic Renaissance pieces we do. The third graders developed the choreography in the triple meter section which follows the form -- 8 measure A section 12 measure B section -- of the song. I've done this piece every year I've been at Wonderland, but I can't ever recall better dancing or recorder playing! Bravo, Third Grade!

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Tideo" - Second Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Tideo" - Second Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

There are so many things that I like about this piece, from the idea of students folk dancing to live folk music performed by other students, to the lager phones, to the fact that Tideo is one of those pieces that every music teacher does eventually, and I love the way ours turned out. I have a feeling we'll be doing this every year from now on.

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Khorovod" - Second Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Khorovod" - Second Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

This year we included a 2nd grade dance performance and I am very please with the results. The second grades did two dances, including this one - "Khorovod" - a spring garden song from Russia, which they performed to fixed choreography. Well done (nice straight lines!)

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Greensleeves" - First Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Greensleeves" - First Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Good morning! Great performances from everybody yesterday and this year we have some video, thanks to some helpful last minute videographers. This first piece is one we have been doing for several years and uses the famous song by Henry the VIII about his mysterious lady friend. The kids developed the gestures that accompany the lyrics. Wonderful job first grade!

Culmination Song #1 -- "Good To Be Alive"

Hi 5th Graders -- here is a recording of the Andy Grammar song we have been working on in class. Remember that we will be performing it with body percussion so you want to work on that a bit while you learn the words to the song.

"Ungaresca" for Third Grade

Hello Third Graders -- here is a video tutorial on how to play Ungaresca, the song we will be performing for the Renaissance Faire in a few weeks. Remember that practicing five minutes a day will really improve your playing. We will begin working on the choreography in class this week.

Three Minute Recorder - Ungaresca from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.