“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.” Shinichi Suzuki


Welcome to the Lindsey Robinson Karr Music Lab!

"No Music, No Life. Know Music, Know Life."

Join us as we work together to bring the Music and Piano Lab to life for our Grovecrest students! We are thrilled with the addition of a new piano lab this year, thanks to the time and effort of our many volunteers and generous sponsors. We appreciate all who play a part in keeping the musical dream alive for Grovecrest!

Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, or friend, we hope you stay for awhile and find something new to inspire you.

“Music improves mental health—both when you’re young, and when you’re quite old and you can’t remember much else. Learning music is an investment in your happiness.” Doris Wilcox, retired teacher, May 2010

Semester Schedule

Our 2012-13 Music Program will have 2 semesters. Fall  (Oct. 1-Nov.21) and Spring (Feb. 4-Mar. 29). Please check the schedule below to see when your particular classes will run.


You will be working directly with your teacher to find a time that works best for both of you. There is some flexibility with the schedule, so please contact me if you have conflicts with it. The schedule for this year will be as follows:

Kindergarten Instrument Activities: (All year) One 30-minute lesson per month

1st Grade Music and Movement: Your choice--Either 8-week semester 30 minutes/week, or one 30-minute lesson per month.  

2nd Grade "Glow Program"  TBD (need to work with teachers for schedule)
Optional: In addition, we will have lesson plans for a Music and Movement 8-week semester 30 minutes/week, or one 30-minute lesson per month. Contact us if you would like to do this the opposite semester of your "Glow" performance. 

3rd Grade Piano: February 4-March 29, 2012 for 30 minutes/week for 8 weeks

4th Grade Ukuleles:  30 minutes/week for 8 weeks
Fall Semester (Oct. 1-Nov.21)   Austin & Johnson
Spring Semester (Feb. 4- Mar. 29)   Fiorucci & Wall

5th Grade Recorders: 30 minutes/week for 8 weeks-- You have the option to choose either Fall or Spring since it is taught in the classroom. Please let Janna Hubert know ASAP which you choose so that we can order recorders. 
Fall Semester (Oct. 1-Nov.21)  
Spring Semester (Feb. 4- Mar. 29)   


6th Grade Drums and Percussion:  30 minutes/week for 8 weeks
Fall Semester (Oct. 1-Nov.21)   Allen
Spring Semester (Feb. 4- Mar. 29)   Rooke & Krall


I know it's a lot of information, please contact jannahubert@yahoo.com with any questions!



Work with your teacher to find a time that works best for both of you. For more teaching ideas for the music classroom, visit our Let's Have Fun section. If you have other questions, email us at grovecrestmusic@hotmail.com or comment below.

In the Media: Music Lab Dedication Article

We were so excited to have the Daily Herald with us at the Ribbon-cutting Ceremony on August 31, 2011!  Visit the link below to see the article they printed about the event.

Daily Herald: Grovecrest Elementary dedicates lab to former student/teacher

A Little Bit About Lindsey

Lindsey Robinson Karr was a bright light in the lives of all who knew her, but especially to her beloved music students, some of whom currently attend Grovecrest. She discovered her love for music at an early age while participating in the school orchestra at Grovecrest. She shared her contagious excitement for life and music with everyone around her . At the young age of 14, Lindsey was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumor called ependymoma, and after battling courageously for over 10 years, she lost her fight with cancer exactly a week before the Music Lab was to be dedicated. With her recent passing, Grovecrest Elementary thought it only fitting to dedicate our Music and Piano Lab in her name.

Lindsey lived by the motto, "Living Through Laughter". This is what she had to say about her life's motto:

Laughter is transformational. It can take the dreariest of life’s moments and change them in an instant to something that eases heartache and suffering. Laughter is contagious. It can cause others who are filled with doubt and worry to become lighter and more joyful.
Laughter is an attitude. Finding humor in situations that would normally cause anger or despair is healing for both body and soul. This is something that it has taken me 10 years, four brain surgeries, two series of radiation, seizures, shunts, and pirates to learn.
When I was 14 I had brain surgery to remove a giant tumor that had taken up residence in my left frontal lobe. Then at 16 it happened again. And yet again at 18. This time, after surgery, the doctors decided that radiation was the best course for eradicating any lingering tumor cells. So the tumor cells that had dwelled in my brain decided to pack up and move south. I didn’t realize that these rare cells were able to travel through my spinal/cranial fluid. So after a few years of being healthy, I was surprised to discover that I had five new tumors along my spinal column. They were the same type of tumors as before, but inoperable. All of this was discovered over a five month period, during which I was in immense pain, which led to seizures, which led to the neuro ICU for a week, which led to a fourth brain surgery; this time to put in a shunt.
Radiation treatments began as soon as my body could handle them. I also was bed-ridden, needed 24 hour care, had no control over my bodily functions, and was losing weight like crazy. (I know what you’re thinking, ladies, and this is NOT the way to lose it!) I couldn’t sit-up, and I couldn’t see, and migraine-level headaches were constant.
And yet somehow, through everything that I was suffering, I was gifted with the ability to see the humor in situations. And to laugh, and encourage those with me to laugh. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely days when I cried as well. Yet I was able to move past the darker, gloomier clouds in my life and see sunshine.

Life is not so serious that we cannot take a moment to enjoy blessings, or experience gratitude, or see the little funny things that happen on a daily basis. Search for the erratic, the ironic, and the slapstick comedy of life. Because you know what? Laughter truly is the best medicine.

 To read more about Lindsey and her courageous life story  visit her website Living Through Laughter.

Attention-Getters

Need some ideas for getting your students' attention on you?  Here are a few fun things you can try...


THE MIRROR GAME

If you have never played the “ mirror game” with your students, you are missing out on instant classroom control magic.  Kids love this game and, once established, it is an incredible efficient use of time.  It also prepares your kids for silent instruction in the previous and following steps.

Rules of the Mirror Game:

1.  Teacher is the “leader,” and students are the teacher’s giant mirror.
2. Rules to establish before beginning.  Ask the students the following questions:
a.     “Do mirrors talk?” (no)
b.     “Do mirrors echo?” (no)
c.     Say, “The better you are, the more I will try to trick you.”
3. Begin by putting both hands up and in front of your body as a starting signal. Hold your position until everyone is doing the same.
4. Start with both hands and arms doing the same thing, such as leaning to the right slowly with your hands still in front of you.
5. As they catch on and are silently being a mirror, switch to one arm or hand doing something different than the other, make silly faces, etc.   Increase the difficulty to make it fun.  I typically pull my hands apart like I am going to clap, and then pass the hands by each other without clapping.  A few kids typically predict a clap and giggles abound when a few clapped.
6. Announce “Game Over.”
7. Explain that throughout the story, or sometimes in the middle of the song, you will suddenly play the “mirror game.”  (This works like a dream when preparing for performances.  Teach the actions, but also let them know that you are playing the mirror game during a performance so that all actions are synchronized.)

Online Music Games for Kids

Lots of fun stuff for everyone!  All kinds of kid games for piano, instruments, drums, singing, ear training, and even a recording studio game.    http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/dinsing.html


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Learn note-reading, play with a band, do puzzles, and much more! 
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/art_and_music_games.html

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Have fun with a composer time machine, note naming game, composing music, and rockin' rhythm! 
http://www.classicsforkids.com/games/ 

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Learn notes on the recorder, play Boomwhackers, memory games, and more!
http://www.musick8kids.com/html/funstuff.php

Let's Have Fun!

"I never knew music could be fun!" ~overheard from a Grovecrest 3rd grader after music class

Here are some great ideas to add fun and interest to your music lessons. If you would like to share your own ideas, email them to grovecrestmusic@hotmail.com or comment below.
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Classroom Tic-Tac-Toe
For this activity set up 9 chairs in a 3x3 grid. Then divide the students into teams.
One team are the “O’s, the other team are the “X’s”. Then use a set of flashcards with all the
musical instruments. Show one team the first card, and call a students name. If the student names
the instrument correctly, they may choose a seat in the grid. If they do not know the instrument
the other team may try to answer. The first team to get a row completed wins and we continue to
play. You could use any flashcards at all - notes, symbols, rests or even composers! Its a good idea
to take turns on which team starts the game each time.
Leah Taylor from www.funmusicco.com
Flashcards with musical instruments are available in Printable Music Lesson plans - Instruments of
the Orchestra from the Fun Music Company.  ___________________________________________

Word Rhythms
You can quickly come up with a series of words to do with a topic ( ex.Dog breeds). Start the students
off with some rhythm combinations. Students match up the rhythms with the correct dog breed name.
Students can then come up with other dog breeds and write down or match up the rhythms.
They can then go into small groups and put together a series of words with the rhythms and try to
say or clap their rhythms at the same time. An off shoot of this idea can be to use body percussion
for each of the different rhythmical ideas.If further time and instruments are available tunes can be
created to go with the words and thus a silly song is created.
Mary Gentle from www.funmusicco.com

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Music Memory
Draw a collection of music symbols on the whiteboard and have the students name them as you do
so. After that have them turn their backs (or turn the white board around) and erase one. They must
name the missing one. Keep going until they are all gone.
Lonna Possehl from www.funmusicco.com

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Playing Musical Words--this game would be great for recorders or in the Piano Lab
Using manuscript on a whiteboard draw up notes that spell out a word: (eg. “edge”, “dad”, “face”,
“cabbage” etc..) one point is first allocated to a student or team who correctly identifies the word.
Then you can get the students to ‘play’ the word on an instrument. The first to accurately play the
notes in correct octave position wins a point.
Stacey Smart from www.funmusicco.com
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 Conducting Game
I begin by asking if anyone can think of a two-beat song. If not I suggest ‘Row, row, row your
boat’ (Or age appropriate if they are older)then I get the group to clap down on their knees for the
down beat and click for the upbeat. Ask if they notice the difference in dynamics. Explain why the
downbeat is louder.
Do the same for a three-beat song (eg. ‘Happy Birthday’) and four-beat (eg. Twinkle Twinkle)
Then I play some contemporary kids music and ask them to ‘conduct’ or clap/click the rhythm as
soon as they hear it. When I see a child that has it I indicate they must stand and stop conducting.
The game is over when all are standing. Play the songs in random order ie first a four-beat, then
two-beat, then three-beat etc.
Audrey Reynders www.funmusicco.com
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