An Un-BEE-lievable Performance Class!

Studio Setup for online lessons and performance classes.

 

We had an amazing online Performance Class! During the month of Sugust was National Honeybee Awareness Day and The Great Georgia Pollinator Census. With that in mind, students composed Honeybee solos! To encourage them in getting to know one another, I swapped compositions with various students. Their job was to learn the piece and about the composer. Students shared what they learned about the composer before performing the piece at Performance Class. Here are a few examples:

A bit of Honeybee spirit while teaching Performance Class!

Karis Mayes
Karis's Bee Theme
Performed by Kennedy Green

Charley Cathey
Honeybee
Performed by Karis Mayes

James Mayes
The Honeybee Festival
Performed live by William Oganga

William Oganga
The Happy Honeybee
Performed by James Mayes
  

Many thanks to each of these students for sharing their outstanding work!

The Great Georgia Pollinator Census

 

Following the Honeybee/Pollinator Piano Performance Class, a 15 minute timer was set for our young Citizen Scientists that were participating in the Great Georgia Pollinator Census! This is what they shared:

Charlie: (Canna Lily Plant, Cloudy day, 8/22 @ 2PM) 1 Carpenter Bee, 2 Bumble Bees, 1 Wasp, 2 flies, 2 hummingbirds

Karis: (8/21 at 7:30 PM and 8/22 @ 2PM, temp 78) 2 Flies, 2 Butterflies, 1 Dragonfly

James: (8/21 at 7:30 PM and 8/22 @ 2PM, temp 78) 1 Dragonfly, 1 Moth

Kennedy: (8/21 at 7:30 PM and 8/22 @ 2PM, temp 78) 2 Flies

William  (8/21 @ 2PM, Cloudy) 2 Cicadas, 2 Dragonflies, 1 Moth, 1 Carpenter Bee. William stated that he saw an ant mound that day! I think that he may enjoy reading this article! See COSMOS

Jacqueline (Crepe Myrtle and surrounding shrubs, 8/21 at 5PM), 3 flies, 2 Wasps. (Backyard Patio, 8/22 @ 2PM, Cloudy, temp 78) 2 flies, 1 dragonfly, 3 wasps, 1 hummingbird
   
The counting results have been turned in to the University of Georgia. Each participant will receive certificates! We also have our new Piano Explorer Magazines. I will be sending those along with the certificates. 

 

Photos above: From Charlie and Family. His mom included a photo of her cousin's hives and gifted me with "delicious" honey from it! Absolutely amazing!! ****** Photos below: Submitted by Jacqueline

Goodies for Family Night! A wonderful suggestion on The Great Georgia Pollinator Census site was to watch The Bee Movie as a family to make an entire day of pollinator fun. We did exactly that! The photo below are goodie baskets that I made for students to enjoy while watching the movie. A little something to say "I Love You"! Movie Time goodie baskets.

Charlie snuggles a teddy bear from his Movie Time goodie basket.
Students have stated that they enjoyed their goodie treats and watching
"The BEE Movie"!

*Thank you Charlie and family for sharing this adorable photo!

Making the Best of Piano Lessons During the Corona Pandemic  By William Oganga During this Corona virus era the world changed its way of things. I made myself more comfortable learning piano classes on Zoom. At first, I worried that I would not be able to get as much help from my teacher, and that there would be a limit to what she could see and help me with. Now, I am getting used to learning from home, and I'm enjoying it! I am still looking forward to in person lessons, yet I feel it is very important that we have apps like Zoom to help us continue with classes and lessons. The experience of learning from home, taught me that even if we are apart, we can still learn from each other. We had a piano performance class on Earth Day. It was fun to see everyone perform! Later,my sister and I found a mockingbird in our backyard. It was so adorable that I found it hard leaving it there. Since it was a fledgling, we had to leave it for its mom. Ms. Jacqui gave us advice too. The assignment that she gave me was to compose a piece about the little bird that I saw. I’m looking forward to performing my composition at one of our Performance Classes.

William during his piano lesson! His mother, Elizabeth, set up 2 Ipads for William during his lesson. One on his piano so that he can see me and my piano for demonstrating, and another angled in a way that I can see his full posture and his piano keyboard.