This is Your Brain on Music

Music can have a positive cultural impact.

Music increases contact, coordination and cooperation. 

 When performers try to synchronize music together with others, it produces positive feelings, and releases pleasure chemicals (endorphins) in the brain.

Music releases oxytocin. 

Experiments with amateur and professional singers have shown that oxytocin, a neuropeptide that play an important role in forming bonds and trust among people, increases.  This is true even when mothers sing lullabies to their infants.

Music increases cultural cohesion.  

Think of a national anthem played at a sports event or a lullaby passed on through generations.  Each culture expresses its identity through some sort of music; studies find that connections are stronger among families and peer groups when they listen to music together.

I will sing of the Lord as long as I live. Psalm 104:33

Help us increase the harmony among all of humanity through the power of music, Lord.

Life Continues in Our Music Classes

Such exciting times at All Saints Catholic School.  Our Hand Chime class played again during Mass.  They accompanied "Amazing Grace" during bringing up of the gifts.  I played on the first verse and then they played while the school sang accappella.  That is such a beautiful sound.

Students sharing a singing book with the class.

We divided the class into groups and each group had a singing story to share with the class.  Some of them would act out the book and some ask the students to join them in singing the story.

It looks like they were enjoying themselves.

Love Our Music

Today during Mass our Hand Chime class shared music with the students.  They are doing great and work very well together.  We are working on more music to share with our school.

We are acting out stories in PK-2nd grades.  We are telling our own version of some well known fairy tales.  We have books that we are reading and singing.  In 2nd grade they have divided into groups and are going to share their book with the other students and sing their story.

We are working on a piece in the 3rd grades on our recorders.

Both 4th grades are going to start preparing pieces for Mass to share before Mass starts.  This will involve part singing and playing the instruments.  Mr. Power's 4th grade is joining the Honor Choir in sharing a Psalm that will be sung in a round accompanied by the Hand Chimes.

Students acting out "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Three Little Pigs".  Each character was accompanied on percussion instruments.

First Week

We have great actors and actresses in our Elementary classes.  We have started out the year by acting out fairy tales.  We are learning that they all have a moral to the story and we are deciding on what moral the story teller intended for them to learn.

We choose members of the class to be a character and then we choose someone to play the instrument for that character.  We think about the character and what instrument would be good to represent the character.  They have done really well.  They are thinking about the character and not just getting an instrument.

In 3rd and 4th grade we are beginning to work on our lines and spaces of the treble clef because that is what we use in recorders.



Deciding if they are lines or spaces.

Working on our lines and spaces.

We are having a great beginning.



The wolf knocking on the door!

Our first piggy instrument- giggle sticks!

Welcome To Our Music Classes

We started the new school year with an Honor Choir Retreat.  We had a great rehearsal and the students are ready to help lead the music during Mass.  It was so good to be back with them.

The classroom is all organized and ready for our students.  I can't wait for us to sing and enjoy being with one another.