New Instruments for Greenbrook Students!

Exciting news for Greenbrook students! There will soon be new instruments for all students to enjoy and learn with. We are especially excited to be able to introduce Orff instruments to the school. Orff instruments were created by German composer and educator Carl Orff to be used with his Orff Schulwerk technique. This technique emphasises repeated patterns, improvisation, and musical literacy.





I truly believe that these instruments, along with the other new instruments, will really take Greenbrook's music program to the next level of excellence in learning.

The funding for these instruments was made possible through our wonderful PTA fundraisers, as well as a grant from the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Thank you to Cheri Eplin for her help with the grant! I look forward to introducing these instruments to the students very soon!

Working on Rhythms

All Grade 1-3 students have been working on reading rhythms in music class. So far they have learned to clap the rhythms using "fish and whales." The whales represent quarter notes and the word "ta" is also used to represent it. The fishes represent eighth notes, and students say "ti ti" to show them. Here is a brief video, courtesy of Ms. Eplin, showing her class learning about the fish.

Mrs.V Teaching from Cheri Eplin on Vimeo.

Students will soon learn to identify the proper quarter note and eighth note symbols and will even be composing their own rhythmic music.

Ms Edgren's Class Song- Minka

Ms. Edgren's class song is "Minka." It is a song from the Ukraine. The Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe that is relatively new as an independent country. It became independent again with the disillusionment of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is slightly smaller than Texas and has over 45 million people. They have had to deal with a lot of political and economic instability. Most people in the Ukraine are Christian. You may have seen their famous Easter eggs before. They are marked with wax and dyed to create interesting patterns. A very famous composer named Tchaikovsky is from Ukraine. The class will sing the song in Ukrainian. Here are the lyrics, a pronunciation guide, and the translation of the text:

Lyrics:

Tizh men-ye pid-ma-nu-la
Tizh men-ye pid-ve-la
Tizh men-ye mo-la-do-va
Zu-ma, ra-zu-ma zve-la
(repeat)

Pronunciation:

teezh mehn-eh peed-mah-noo-lah
teezh mehn-eh peed-veh-lah
teezh mehn-eh moh-loh-doh-vah
tzoo-mah, ehzroh-zoo-moo zhveh-lah
(repeat)

Translation:

You're the one who's let me down
You're the one who has betrayed me
I so young and innocent and
You drove me insane

Ms Ravin's Class Song- Sonando

Ms. Ravin's class song is "Sonando." It is a Cuban song in the son montuno style, which combines the Spanish and African influences. Cuba is an island in the Caribbean. There are 11 million people in Cuba. It’s name means “where fertile land is abundant.” The Spanish colonized it and brought over slaves from Africa. Now the two cultures have mixed to give Cuba a unique cultural heritage. The music, art, and food are all mixes of these cultures. The students will dance a samba with the song. Here are the lyrics, a pronunciation guide, and the translation of the text:

Lyrics:

So-nan-do
Pa-ra bailar
Go-za
Mi cha cha cha
Lle-ga-re Ma-ri-a, lle-ga-re

Pronunciation:

soh-nahn-doh
pah-rah bI-lahr
goh-tsah
mee-chah-chah-chah
djeh-gah-reh mah-ree-ah, djeh-gah-reh

Translation:

[Music is] playing for dancing
Enjoy my cha cha cha
I will arrive, Maria, here I am.

Ms Selover's Class Song- Doong Gul Ge

Ms. Selover's class song is called "Doong gul ge." It is a game song from Korea. There are two parts of Korea. North and South Korea used to be united as one country but split in 1948. They are bordered by China and Russia, and Japan is also nearby. There are about 70 million people inKorea- 23 million in the north, ad 50 million in the south. Korean food has noodles, rice, and meat, but is best known for kimchi, which is a fermented vegetable (usually cabbage), like a pickle. The traditional clothing is called hanbok which means “Korean clothing”. It usually refers to the formal wear which is very colorful and often has many layers that are tied on. Students will sing the song in Korean and English. Here are the lyrics, a pronunciation guide, and the translation for the text.

Korean Lyrics:

Doong gul ge doong gul ge
(repeat)
Bing gul bing gul dol ah kah miaw
Chum ul chup shi da
Son bia kul chi mian sawh
No reh rul pu ru miaw
La la la lachul kaw up ge
Chum chu cha

Ring-a-ring-a-ring a-ring-a-ring-a-ring
(repeat)
Son eh son ul chop go
Mo du dah hahm ge
Chul kaw up ge chum ul chup shi da

Pronunciation:

doong gool geh doong gul geh
(repeat)
beeng gool beeng gool dohl ah kah meeyaw
choom ool choop shee dah
sohn byah kool chee myahn sawh
noh reh rool poo roo myaw
lah lah lah lah chool kaw oop ge
choom choo chah

leeng-ah-leeng-ah-leeng ah-leeng-ah-leeng-ah-leeng
(repeat)
sohn eh sohn ool chohp goh
moh doo dah hahm geh
chool kaw oop geh choom ool choop shee dah

Translation:

Round and round
Let's dance around in a circle
Let's clap; let's sing
Let's run together
Ring-a-ring-a-ring
Hold hands all together
Let's run together

English Lyrics:

Round and around we go (repeat)
Dance around the circle now
Don't let your feet be slow
Circle around and clap
Circle around and sing
Let's all run together now
Around the ring

Ring-a-ring-a-ring (repeat)
Hopping as we go
And jumping as we sing
Let's all run together round the ring

Grade 3 Welcome Song- Hello to All the Children of the World

All third graders will open the performance with the song, "Hello to All the Children of the World." It is a song of unity with kids throughout the world and features greetings in several different languages. This song has been a favorite with the third graders so far. Here are the lyrics:

Refrain: Hello, bonjour, buenos dias
G'day, guten tag, konnichiwa
Ciao, shalom, dobrey dyan
Hello to all the children of the world

Verse 1: We come from different places
From all around the world
We speak in many different ways
Though some things might be different
We're children just the same
And we all like to sing and play

(sing refrain)

verse 2: There's children in the deserts
And children in the towns
there's children who live by the sea
If we could meet each other
To run and sing and play
then what good friends we all could be

(sing refrain)

Here is a video of Ms. Eplin's class working on the song:

Music for Ms.Eplin's Class from Cheri Eplin on Vimeo.

Ms Eplin's Class Song- Artsa Alinu

Ms. Eplin's class is working on a song from Israel called "Artsa Alinu." This song is from Israel and is sung in Hebrew. Israel is a very young country and was established in 1948. This song expresses the people’s love of the land, which they value so highly that there is dispute over it now. It is a small country near the Mediterranean Sea with a population of about 7.5 million people. Most are Jewish but there are many people of other religions too. Here are the lyrics, a pronunciation guide, as well as a translation of the text:

Lyrics:

Artsa alinu, artsa alinu, artsa alinu
(repeat)
K'var cha-rash-nu v'gam za-ra-nu (repeat)
A-val od lo ka-tsar-nu (repeat 3 times)

Pronunciation:

ahr-tsah ah-lee-noo (repeat 6 times)
kvahr hkhah-rahsh-noo veh-gahm zah-rah-noo (repeat)
ah-vahl ohd loh kah-tsahr-noo (repeat 3 times)

Translation:

We have come to the land, our home
We have plowed and we have sown
But we've not yet reaped our own

Ms Fruchtman's Class Song- Karangatia Ra

Ms. Fruchtman's class song is called "Karangatia Ra" and is a welcome song from the Maori people of New Zealand. New Zealand is a series of large islands to the southeast of Australia in the pacific Ocean. The native people call themselves Maoris, which means “people of the land.” It is believed that New Zealand was settled by Polynesians who arrived on the islands by canoe around 1300 AD. Sometimes the people of New Zealand are called Kiwis. This is referring to their national bird, the flightless kiwi. Although there are over 4 million people in New Zealand, only about 15 % of the population are native Maoris. Many of the people in New Zealand are descended from Europe. Native dress is similar for men and women, with skirts called piupiu made from the flax plant. Both men and women often have tattoos on their face and bodies.

This song will be performed in the native Maori language. Here are the lyrics as well as a pronunciation guide and translation of the text:

Lyrics:

Ka-ran-ga-ti-a ra
(repeat)
Po-whiri-ti-a ra
Nga i-wi o te mo-tu
Ki te-nei ma-rae
Ha-e-re mai
He hui a ro-ha
Mo kou-tou e te-i-wi
Na-u nei te a-ro-ha
Me te ma-mae

Pronunciation:

kah-rah(n)-gah-tee-ah rah
(repeat)
poh-fee-ree-tee-ah ra
nah ee-wee oh tay moh-too
kee teh-neh mah-rai
hah-eh-reh mayh
heh hooee ah roh-hah
moh koo-too eh teh ee wee
nah-oo neh teh ah-roh-hah
meh teh mah-mai

Translation:

Travelers we.
Travelers we.
With provisions
From the Islands of our ancestors.
We speak here at our sacred entrance
A greeting of love,
For you are our family.
To you we give greetings,
Expressions of love.

Ms Caldera's Class Song- Hoe Ana Te Vaka

Ms. Caldera's class is performing a song from the Tuamotu islands in French Polynesia. The Tuamotu islands are a series of 78 islands near Tahiti. There are only about 16,000 people living there. They are known to tourists for their scuba diving, and for their black pearl exports. It has a warm tropical climate and people used to live in houses with roofs made of leaves, but many have iron roofs now. It is believed that the islands were settled in about 700AD but it is unclear. The song is sung in the native Paumotu language. Here are the lyrics of the song, a pronunciation guide, and a translation of the text:

Lyrics:

Ho-e an-a te va-ka
Ho-e ana, i Ta-hi-ti, Mo’o-rea
Ho-e an-a te va-ka

Ti-ai mai, tae atu vau
I-a o-e, ta-u he-re

Pronunciation:

hoe-A ah-nah tay vah-kah
hoe-A ah-nah, E tah-hee-tee, moe-or-ray-uh
hoe-A ah-nah tay vah-kah

Translation:

Rowing this canoe
Rowing to Tahiti & Mo’orea
Rowing this canoe

I wait (here, for you) with strong desire
For you, my love

Third Graders Explore the World

All third grade classes are working on songs from around the world. They will sing two songs all together and each class will present their own song from a different part of the world. All classes will be singing in other languages and performing some traditional movements or instrumental accompaniments.

Ms Freeman's Class Song- Kapulu Kane

Ms. Freeman's class song is called "Kapulu Kane" and is a song from Hawaii. They will be singing it in Hawaiian and performing a puili stick movement game with it. Here are the lyrics, a pronunciation guide, and a translation of the text:

Lyrics:

Ka-pu-lu pu-lu ka-ne
(repeat 3 times)
Ku-ka-na-lu-a

Pronunciation:

kah-poo-loo, poo-loo kaha-neh
(repeat 3 times)
koo-kah-nah-loo-ah

Translation:

That careless messy man, a very messy man
No doubt that every one can plainly see, indeed!

Ms Parlett/Smutney's Class Song- Crawfish

Ms. Parlett/Smutney's class song is called "Crawfish" and is a Cajun song and dance. Here are the lyrics:

Verse:
Now there's a funny little dance
The Cajun people love to do
That when you hear me talk about it
You're gonna wanna do it to
First you shake your little tail
Shimmy back a step or two
The put your hands in the air
Do like the crawfish do

Refrain:
Crawfish!
Got to do a little mud bug boogie
Crawfish!
Do the mud bug jitter bug boogie
Crawfish!

(instrumental verse)

(sing refrain)
Crawfishin' to the left, crawfishin' to the right
Let's all go crawfishin' on a Saturday night
Crawfishin' to the front, crawfishin' to the back
Let's all go crawfishin' with a crawfish sack
Crawfishin' going up, crawfishin' going down
Let's all go crawfishin' all around this town
Crawfish! Crawfish!

Ms Erickson's Class Song- The Penguin Polka

Ms. Erickson's class song is called "The Penguin Polka" and they will be singing it and performing some polka movements. Here are the lyrics:

Verse 1: I know a penguin who likes to polka
Eats tapioca, and lives in Boca Raton

He has some freckles, a lot of speckles
And that is why we call him Polka Dot

Refrain: One and two and waddle waddle
Do the penguin polka
One and two and waddle waddle
Polka, Polka Dot!
(repeat)

Verse 2: This little penguin can only waddle
But he's a model for any toddling town
He may be spotted, but we applauded
Because we love our little Polka Dot!

(Refrain)

Yah!

Ms Alves' Class Song- Any Turkey Can Tango

Ms. Alves' class song is called "Any Turkey Can Tango" and is about a turkey who can dance the tango. Students will be dancing their own version of the tango while singing the song. Here are the lyrics:

Refrain: Any turkey can tango
Any turkey can dance
Any turkey can tango
If they have the chance
(repeat)

Verse 1: Any turkey can flap, flap, flap (flap their "wings" 3 times on flap flap flap)
Any turkey can clap, clap, clap (clap 3 times on clap clap clap)
Any turkey can snap, snap, snap (snap 3 times on snap snap snap)
Any turkey can tango

(sing refrain)

Verse2: Any turkey can turn around (turn once all the way around)
Any turkey can touch the ground (tap the ground 3 times on touch the ground)
Any turkey can strut through town (wing flaps & head movements on strut through town)
Any turkey can tango

(sing refrain)

Ms Civitano's Class Song- Achshav

Ms. Civitano's class song is called "Achshav." It is a song from Israel, and students will sing it in Hebrew and in English while moving to the music in a dance that gets faster and faster! Here are the words:

Achshav, achshav
B'emek Yisrael
(repeat)

Tumba, tumba, tumba
B'emek Yisrael, Hey!
(repeat 3 times)

Awake, awake
The valleys of our land
(repeat)

Tumba tumba tumba
The land of Israel, Hey!
(repeat 3 times)

A Movement Song for all Second Graders

Here is the first song we learned as a second grade. All second graders will be singing "Mi Cuerpo" together in Spanish and English.

Mi cuerpo mi cuerpo
Hace musica
(repeat)

Mis manos hacen (clap 3 times)
Mis pies hacen (stamp 3 times)
Mi boca hace "la la la"
Mi cuerpo hace "cha cha cha (shake body to the cha cha cha)

My body makes music
It's easy you will see
(repeat)

My hands, my hands go (clap 3 times)
My feet, my feet go (stamp 3 times)
My mouth, my mouth goes "la la la"
My body does the cha cha cha (shake body to the cha cha cha)

Second Grade Performance is All About Movement

The second graders are preparing for their May 25th performance by working on songs that are all about movement. They will be singing two movement songs all together as a grade level, and each class will do their own movement song as well. Good thing second graders have lots of energy!

First Grade Song Lyrics- Wiggle Worm/Statue

This song talks about the different ways we can move our bodies. First graders also learn to be creative with their movements, as they can choose how to express the words of the song. They are encouraged to make a different statue pose each time. Here are the lyrics:

Wiggle like a wiggle worm (wiggle for 4 counts)
Stand like a statue (freeze in a statue pose for 4 counts)
(repeat)

Wiggle worm (wiggle for 2 counts)
Statue (freeze in statue pose for 2 counts)
(repeat)

Wiggle like a wiggle worm (wiggle for 4 counts)
Stand like a statue (freeze in statue pose)

First Grade Song Lyrics- All About Me

This quarter, 1st grade students are learning songs that centered on the theme of self-awareness. The first song they learned is appropriately titled, "All About Me." Here are the lyrics:

Refrain: Look at me, there's no one else like me
I am learning all about me
(repeat)

verse 1: I have hands that clap (two claps)
I have feet that tap (two stamps)
I have eyes that blink (two blinks)
And I have a brain that thinks (two taps on the head)

(sing refrain)

Verse 2: Sometimes I feel happy (show happy face)
Sometimes I feel sad (show sad face)
Sometimes I feel silly (show silly face)
And sometimes I feel mad! (show mad face)

(sing refrain)

Concert Dates!

Parents, mark your calendars! The music concert dates have been scheduled! 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders will perform for parents on Tuesday, May 25th. The times are as follows:

Grade 3: 8:30-9:15AM
Grade 2: 9:30-10:10AM
Grade 1: 10:30-11:00AM

The choir will perform on Thursday, May 27th, from 7:00-8:00PM.

We hope to see all of you there!

Ms V

Welcome to the Greenbrook Music Page!

Welcome students and family members!

This blog is your source for all information regarding the Greenbrook Elementary School Music classes. You can find lyrics for the songs we are working on, concert dates, and even tips on becoming a better singer. We will also post information as well as video and pictures of what we are working on in class.

Thank you for visiting!

Ms. Juli Van Eizenga AKA "Ms. V"