Mrs. Draheim's Musical Musings

100 Musicians' Real Names | Billboard.com

2010-03-29T08:42:00.000-05:00

100 Musicians' Real Names Billboard.com

How many of these did you know? Sadly, I only knew 17 out of 100 (I guess I'm not as up on this as I should be!).

Thank You!

2010-03-26T11:14:00.004-05:00

A huge thank you to all students in Grade 5 through Grade 8. You all performed so well in our concert.

Whether you realize it or not, you all have learned many important musical lessons throughout this process. From what I have seen, you have:

1)perfected your ability to maintain a steady beat
2)demonstrated an ability to perform harmony through singing or instrument playing
3)learned how to read a percussion score
4)learned how to play an instrument you may never play after you graduate
5)played or sung in an ensemble setting (again, something you may never do again after you graduate)

Did I miss something? Did you learn something else musically that I hadn't considered? Let me know by posting a comment.

Have a Happy Easter and enjoy you vacation!

Concert Review

2010-03-18T13:12:00.008-05:00

All right, ladies and gentlemen. We made it through "Jude's Got Talent." You've all worked very hard and performed well. Now it's time for evaulations. Performance evaluation is an important part of any concert. I do it constantly. This process helps you to become a better performer.

Think back to your performance last night and respond to the following:

1. Name one positive aspect of your class performance.

2. Name one area where your class might have improved.

3. What was the highlight of the evening for you? (You may not respond "The end" or "the movie we watched before/after")

Remember, everyone will be able to read your comments, so think before you type. I will comment on your posts after your Listening Log on Monday.

Feel free to answer the poll question as well. I'm just curious about your musical interests outside of my room.

Have a great rest of the week!

Mrs. Draheim

Jude's Got Talent -- An Update

2010-03-12T13:23:00.002-06:00

We are getting very close to our Spring Musical Event "Jude's Got Talent!" Thanks to all who chose to share their musical talents for this special evening.

You all should be very proud of what you accomplished as you prepared for this night. Many of you are doing things I don't think you thought were possible. You have all grown as musicians and have shown tremendous musical ability.

Stay tuned... I will be asking for your thoughts after the concert is over.

How is your year going?

2009-09-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

We are about a month into the school year. How is everything going? Are you enjoying Music this year?

I hope you've been enjoying Bobby McFerrin and all of the great "challenges" we've been having (7th Grade gets theirs next week).

Is there any music news you have to share with me? Post to my comments if you do. I will try to share all the good news with your class (or the school if it's really big).

Have a great week!

Welcome Back!

2009-08-31T14:27:00.006-05:00

Welcome back everyone!

A lot has happened this summer as far as music is concerned. We remembered that historic festival in New York (you might know it simply as Woodstock). We also mourned the passing of a legend: Les Paul. We had a chance a few years ago to listen to an interview with him as he talked about the birth of the electric guitar and some other great accomplishments many probably don't realize were from his great mind. Don't forget, Les Paul was from Waukesha. You can see a sign on Hwy. 164 as you enter into Waukesha. It's been there for years.

If you haven't had the chance, go down to Discovery World and wander through the Les Paul exhibit. Not only was he instrumental in putting the exhibit together, he also donated much of his early equipment. You have the opportunity to pluck and strum some of his old guitars, explore electric guitar prototypes, and even see the birth of modern recording and dubbing. Check it out -- http://www.discoveryworld.org/lespaul.php. There are articles and an extensive biography. Just think -- without Les Paul, what would music sound like today?

In the world of classical music, a few "new" Mozart pieces were discovered. Read about them here: http://news.aol.com/article/two-new-mozart-piano-pieces-unveiled/598656. It's always fascinating to find something from someone so great.

Keep checking back for updates and new musical musings. Have a great week!

Welcome to my blog!

2009-06-27T11:25:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Mrs. Draheim's Music blog! I will periodically be posting some interesting pieces of information from the vast world of music.

Right now I am reeling from the shocking death and Michael Jackson on Thursday. I was truly shocked and taken by surprise when I heard the news. I've been watching MTV a lot lately and I have been reminded of just how influential he was in the world of music. You have to respect him as a musician and performer.

I've also been enjoying watching Josh Groban and Idina Menzel in their performances from the Tim Rice musical Chess. If you did not get a chance to see this, you missed a great show. Chess is the story of two chess players in 1979 during the Cold War. The music is incredible, and the staging was magnificent.

Also just watched Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams on CMT's "Crossroads" series. I know, I know. Many of you don't enjoy Country music, but there's more to it than you would believe. Check out FM 106.1 once in a while to hear some great stuff.

If anyone goes to Summerfest, I'd like to know who you went to hear. Did you get to a concert at the Marcus Amphitheater? A side stage? Post a review under the "Comments" section.

Until next time!