Hi All!

So here's my update on yesterday's classes at North Kipling JMS:

In Amanda and Mubeen's class, we split into three groups. Sedina polled the class about musical styles they wanted to work with, and came up with Rock, Hip-hop and R&B. I took the group of students who wanted to work on music, and we talked a bit about song-writing (rhythm and rhyme scheme, etc.) and character introductions through song. I split my group further into six groups of two, assigned each group a character and assigned them the work of writing a four to eight line song about their character. There were only five main characters, so the last group is going to write a 'challenge' song, to be sung when Aries challenges Zeus to a duel. As well as a few lines of lyrics, they have to write a few words describing the mood and character of the song, and jot down any ideas they have as far as the musical quality of the song. Hopefully, they can get that to their teachers by Friday, and I'll have the weekend to set their songs to music, since it's getting down to crunch time.

Sona's class presented their songs, which are fantastic:

Anansi only wants to help,
The others turn their heads away.
Dulayha makes a strong command,
"Out you go...go today!"
All alone, he leaves his home,
Sadness fills his heart.
To a new land he sadly goes,
Forced to make a brand new start.

Anansi arrives in Sierra Leone.
He is feeling low.
Very soon he meets a stranger,
A man he does not know.
A potion given
Brings new hope.
His tiny size
makes it hard to cope.

Conflict and anger are in the air.
King and traders are head to head.
Anansi has an idea to share.
"Listen to me," he firmly said.
Such a small spider,
No one believed.
When the truth came out
All were relieved.
Happiness was felt by all,
Anansi saved the day.
Judging other is not right
And often gets in the way.

I'll set these songs to West-African inspired melodies...I'm thinking to keep it mostly a capella. Sedina then split the class into three, and I worked again with the group of students interested in making music. We came up with points in the story where we would like to use the Guinean drumming they know, and I split them into two groups. Each group will have to come up with two differnt rhythm patterns for next week and present them on the Djembe, Kashishi, Ahache and Gankoqui. We'll use those patterns to accompany the movement parts of the story, when Anansi travels between countries, etc.

Well, that's all for now...next Tuesday should be interesting, putting it all together!