We’ve finally got into mallet instrument lessons (one of my fav. to teach) and are working on Hot Cross Buns, Star Wars, and Frere Jacques. I love when students exclaim, “I did it!” or when they transfer their knowledge to the keyboard, an instrument at home, or a friend.

My new Jean Lumb students continue to win my heart with their sincere, original, and confident music sharing.

All Gr.1-8 students (Ks soon) are learning and loving this amazing program. We are exploring composing, arranging, recording, different music genres, and DJing.

Jean Lumb students and staff have moved into our new school building! The students and I have been enjoying our (temporary) music room as we play and listen to our 25 new percussion instruments and ukuleles. 

Success! What a show we had last week! All 300 Jean Lumb students got up on the Nelson Mandela stage and performed to a huge crowd. The younger grade conducted us in a sing-along, the grade 2/3s showed off their ukulele skills as we taught the audience the chorus of our newly composed school song, and the grade 4-8 performed with Mr Nunez (and other wonderful JL staff members) on the Cuban/Brazilian drums! There was gorgeous art on the walls, students speaking about how they’ve learned to conduct themselves (get it?!?), and treats offered by our School Council. Thank you to everyone!!

My students decorated concert invitations by drawing themselves on stage – visualizing the upcoming performance helps them to prepare. I love that I’m the one in glasses saying, “I believe in you!”

I am so proud of my grade 7/8s. They chose “Scars to Your Beautiful” from the CBC Music Class competition list and we arranged it for voice, ukuleles, keyboard, and Cuban/Brazilian drums (thank you TDSB Arts Department!). We rehearsed until we became quite tired of the piece but the day of our video recording it was the students who said, “let’s do another take Ms Fraser, we can do better.”

I presented, with my esteemed colleagues Mary and Doug, at this year’s OMEA (Ontario Music Educators’ Association)’s conference. Our workshop was on the power of jamming -improvisation/listening games- with students. We had a great turn out!

My K-Grade 1/2s learned all about recording sessions last week and the resulting video was featured at this morning’s Remembrance Day Assembly. Sweet voices!!

Mark your calendars- the evening of Dec. 5th all Jean Lumb students will perform for and with you! K-grade 2 will even be conducting. I’ve set up a Music corner in a Nelson Mandela science room and we’ve made it our temporary home.