9/2

I introduced Theory today with a metrically bizarre song by Radiohead, letting them pass around my sketched possibilities of how to notate the strange rhythm used.  I then discussed complex and compound time signatures and reviewed everything else we had studied for a quiz I'm going to give them tomorrow.  The selections I used today are listed below.

Pyramid Song - Radiohead (iTunes)
Mic Mike - Brad Upton (iTunes)
Take Five - Dave Brubeck Quartet (iTunes)
All You Need is Love - The Beatles (iTunes)
Blue Rondo À La Turk - Dave Brubeck Quartet (iTunes)
Float On - Modest Mouse (iTunes)
Ein Kleiner, Hubscher Vogel (Johannes Brahms, Op. 52 #6) - Robert Shaw Festival Singers (iTunes)

The GM quiz went pretty well.  We actually had to finish up some final words on texture and gave them some study time before the quiz.  I had an interesting classroom management moment with the last class of the day; many of the students were talking to each other while I was trying to explain something, Mrs. D was out of the room, and I had just given them some intended time to chat.  I got their attention with silence and an impatient look, and then calmly told them that when I'm teaching, I'm trying to have a conversation with every student in the class, and that I have difficulty believing that when they're having a conversation with someone, especially in which they're explaining to the other person something that interests them, they don't feel ignored and upset if the other person turns their head to have another conversation with someone else.  This had an impact that lasted the rest of the period — not out of fear, I'm pretty sure, but out of a rather mature understanding of what I meant.  I was pretty proud of them and myself.  I'll be very proud if this turns out to be something I can briefly reference in the future when their attention drifts too far.