March is Music in Our Schools Month, but elementary students in the Massapequa School District are immersed in music instruction throughout the year. Fifth-graders at Fairfield Elementary School, who are studying more complex musical concepts, recently enjoyed an interactive rhythm lesson.
Teacher Jeanine Yako taught students about Rondo form, a style of music that was common in the Classical and Romantic eras, which includes a refrain and alternating, contrasting themes. The young musicians created Rondo form pieces using three groupings of percussion instruments – boomwhackers, drums and egg shakers – exploring how the different sounds came together to form a unified piece of music. Students rotated through the three stations so everyone go to experience each instrument.
–Submitted by the Massapequa School District
