Name: Mr. Cox
Email: rcox@gvr5.net
Teaching Subjects: Music, Musical Theater, Music Composition, Piano Keyboarding, Concert Choir, and Show Choir
April 2017
6th Grade Music: Students have spent the first couple of weeks of 4th quarter building good singing habits. As we finish our singing unit, students will spend more time practicing notes and rhythm-reading to help prepare for our upcoming piano unit.
7th & 8th Grade Choir: Students have been busy preparing music for our Spring Concert on May 11th. Students in 7th Grade Concert Choir have been continuing to practice their sight-singing skills. Students in 8th Grade Show Choir have been learning choreography to add to their concert music. The Show Choir also performed for visiting students on 5th Grade Shadow Day on March 30th.
7th & 8th Grade Piano Keyboarding: Students have reviewed rhythm and pitch, as well as spent time learning which key is which on the piano. Students are currently building their piano skills by working their way through individual song packets, learning to play 2-hand piano songs of increasing difficulty levels.
March 2017
6th Grade Music: Students are finishing up 3rd quarter learning about musical theatre. They researched and presented on a Broadway musical last week and are learning about The Music Man this week. Next week, students will learn about opera.
7th & 8th Grade Choir: Students have been concentrating on improving pitch accuracy as well as balance between different voice parts. 7th grade Concert Choir has been continuing to develop their sight-singing skills and 8th grade Show Choir will soon be starting to work on choreography.
7th & 8th Grade Piano: Students have been making great progress at learning to read sheet music and play two-hand songs on the piano. Many students have also picked out special "project" songs to challenge themselves even further. Students will finish out the quarter next week by composing and performing their own songs in class.
February 2017
Music (6th Grade): Students have began to work on their music-reading skills as we are finishing our singing unit and are getting ready to start playing piano. Students are encouraged to bring a pair of headphones/earbuds to class with them for the next two weeks as we learn to play the piano.
Choir (7th & 8th Grade): Students have been working on developing their music-reading skills along with improving their vocal tone. We have started looking at music to prepare for our May concert and are looking forward to growing as musicians and performers over the course of the semester.
Piano Keyboarding (7th & 8th Grade): Students are moving full speed ahead at learning to play the piano. We have studied notes, rhythms and piano keys. Students are now using this knowledge to practice and perform songs on their piano keyboards.
January 2017
6th Grade Music: Students are starting out 3rd quarter by developing their singing technique. We have been practicing using good posture, identifying musical terms and symbols in music and will be learning to sing with proper breath support in the coming weeks.
7th & 8th Grade Choir: Students have been reviewing proper singing posture and breathing technique in the new year. We will be working on developing our sight-singing skills over the course of the quarter. Students just finished up voice range checks and will be assigned their voice parts next week.
7th & 8th Grade Piano: Students have been reviewing and practicing rhythm, treble and bass clef notes as well as learning which key is which on the piano keyboard and where to put their fingers. We just started our first song packet this week. Students will be practicing alone and with a partner to continue to develop their piano and music-reading skills throughout the quarter.
December 2016
6th Grade Music: Students have been learning the basics of piano over the last couple of weeks. We will be finishing up the quarter learning about musical theatre and opera. Students will work in groups researching a Broadway musical, study The Music Man, and find out more about French and Italian opera.
7th & 8th Grade Music Composition: Students have been learning about harmony, and how chords fit together to make the foundation for songs. We will finish up the quarter writing melodies and learning how to write multiple parts that play at the same time. Students can access their assignments at home by signing into their school account at gvnms.flat.io (only currently enrolled composition students may access this site).
7th & 8th Grade Choir: Choir students performed the National Anthem at the first-ever Mavericks Education Game held on November 15th. In addition to having a great performance, students were able to cheer the Mavs to victory over the Allen Americans! We are putting the final touches on our selections for our Winter Choir Concert.
Winter Choir Concert We are putting the final touches on our selections for our Winter Choir Concert. Students will perform on December 15th in the North Middle School Gym at 7:00pm.
November 2016
7th & 8th Grade Music Composition students have been learning about major and minor chords as well as using a cloud-based composition platform to practice their skills.
6th Grade General Music students have been developing good singing habits including posture, breath support and singing on pitch. Students will be starting to study the piano and continue to build their music-reading skills as we get closer to Thanksgiving.
7th & 8th Grade Choir students are putting the final touches on "The Star-Spangled Banner," which they will be performing at the Missouri Mavericks School Day Game on November 15th.
October 2016
7th & 8th Grade Musical Theater Students have learned about careers related to musical theater and organized their own virtual theater company. Students researched to plan budgeting, licensing, advertising and tickets. We are finishing up the quarter discussing the plot and songs from some well-known musicals.
6th Grade Music Students have learned basic piano skills and have been finishing up the quarter researching Broadway musicals and famous operas.
7th & 8th Grade Choir Choir students are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our 2016-17 choir t-shirts. We have also been practicing music-reading skills, singing harmony and preparing to perform at the Missouri Mavericks School Day game on November 15th.
September 2016
7th & 8th Grade Musical Theater classes have been working in groups, rehearsing scenes from various musicals such as Aladdin and High School Musical to perform in class. Students have been responsible for assigning parts, blocking their scene and choreographing a song to go with their scene. They will be learning about and designing props for our school musical James and the Giant Peach, Jr. in the coming weeks.
7th & 8th Grade Choir classes have been building good habits to develop their best singing voice. Students have learned about the importance of using proper posture and breath support to enhance their vocal tone. Students are now beginning to work on music-reading skills and singing with harmony.
6th Grade General Music students have been building good habits to develop their best singing voice. Students have practiced identifying various instrument sounds, song form and have even learned to sing in Chinese! Students will be reviewing music reading skills and learning basic piano skills in the next few weeks of class.