Thursday, June 4, 2026
Final announcement of they 2025-2026 school year!
Thank you to all of the Indian Lane students and families for another wonderful year of making music and playing a part in an environment that appreciates the power of music! Our students have shared some amazing experiences inside and out of the music classroom. I hope that summer is filled with fun and relaxation!
- Mr. Fisher
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Congrats to our fourth and fifth grade performers on a wonderful performance last Tuesday! Looking ahead... fifth grade students can practice their recognition song here.
To conclude the year we are doing the following in the other grades...
1st grade - Learning new summer-themed songs and playing games to reinforce the rhythms we learned this year!
2nd grade - Also singing some summer-themed songs and connecting the musical alphabet to the lines and spaces on the staff to prepare for third grade
3rd grade - Finishing our instrument unit in preparation for our conversations with Mr. Boyle and Mr. Walls about music in fourth grade
4th grade - Completing the Dragon Quest! We are writing our own music and composing six songs through the story of Gfedcba and his rules for composition!
Monday, May 11, 2026
Looking forward to seeing our Bobcat Choir, "Summer Camp" performers, and Fifth Grade singers entertain THREE audiences tomorrow!
All friends and family are invited to see the final performance at 7pm in our cafeteria tomorrow night, May 12!
Good luck students!
Remaining Rehearsals/Dates (as of 4/26/26)
MUSICAL - Tuesday, April 28 - On Stage at 8am
BOBCAT CHOIR - Wednesday, April 29 - 8am in the music room
MUSICAL & BOBCAT CHOIR - Wednesday, May 6 - Dress Rehearsal on stage 3:30pm (Bobcat Choir until 4:30pm, Musical until 5pm)
MUSICAL - Thursday, May 7 - Dress Rehearsal on stage 3:30pm-5pm
Tuesday, May 12 - Performance day
9:30am - 1st grade, 2nd grade, and AM Kindergarten
1:50pm - 3rd grade, 4th Grade, and PM Kindergarten
6:40pm - Report time for performers
7pm - Final performance for Indian Lane Families and Friends
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Our spring performance is coming up in two weeks! Please check the calendar (posted above) for all remaining rehearsals. I will send email reminders as well to keep families informed as we enter this busy stretch.
All performing students should match the theme of "Summer Camp" by wearing shorts, sneakers and a plain colorful shirt. The 20 students in the musical have been assigned colors however, any colorful shirt will do for our show. Fourth grade Bobcat Choir students may opt to wear the Bobcats shirt from the Phillies game.
Please reach out with any questions and continue to check the webpages for information:
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Congratulations to the Bobcat Choir on a fantastic performance at the Phillies! Compliments from family and friends have resonated throughout the evening and into the morning, and I even heard from some Phillies' staff that it was one of the best performances this year. I couldn't be prouder of our group!
Musical planning is upon us. The performance is set for May 12, and it will feature our entire fifth grade, 20 select actors/performers, and a few songs from our Bobcat Choir. Please mark this date in your calendar!
Fifth-grade families, please check out the SignUp Genius to see if you can help donate any items to our show. All items will be returned on the night of the performance!: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054AA9AC28A4FDC25-63510873-iles#/
Friday, March 27, 2026
Happy Spring Break! Enjoy these beautiful pictures we colored in 1st grade while listening to the story of the "Frog and the Rabbit!"
Monday, March 23, 2026
What an amazing month! March is Music in Our Schools Month and we have been celebrating by voting on our favorite themes from cartoons and movies while singing, playing instruments, and learning new music! Our final round of voting is this week as we prepare for a long spring break.
Fifth grade students: Musical rehearsals continue in class... this week, we will practice every song together as we prepare for our concert. The May 12th performance will be here soon!
MUSICAL ACTORS: Be on the lookout for props and costume needs by the end of the week of April 7. Students will rehearse every Tuesday morning in the month of April leading up to the show. Please continue to practice the dances and memorize your lines!
BOBCAT CHOIR: New music is posted, and remaining rehearsals are limited due to the musical practices. Please continue to practice the music posted on the website. April 7 (our first day back) will be a special after school rehearsal until 5pm. Please note this date as it will be a dress rehearsal for the Phillies game on April 14!
Monday, February 23, 2026
Happy snow day! (FID)
All materials have been posted on Mr. Fisher's FID page. You can practice the rhythms in the FID packet with a special app that Mr. Fisher is subscribed to called SoundSlice. Go to the page and check out these rhythms as well as some other cool music apps for the day!
Fifth grade students: We have learned the first three songs in class and I ask that performers continue to practice the dances that were introduced at rehearsal last week. Click to go to the practice page.
BOBCAT CHOIR: Please continue to practice the music posted on the website. Please see below for information about the Phillies game on April 14.
(shared from Mrs. Britton's Smore Communication on February 22)
PTG Ticket Sale for the Game!
Indian Lane Elementary School’s Bobcat Choir has been invited to perform the Star-Spangled Banner at a Philadelphia Phillies game. Our incredible Bobcats will take the field during the pregame on TUESDAY, APRIL 14TH as the Phillies face the Chicago Cubs at 6:40 PM at Citizens Bank Park. They will be singing in front of thousands of fans to open the game. This is an extraordinary honor and a moment of great Bobcat pride. Mark your calendars, wear your Phillies gear, and come cheer on our Bobcats as they shine on the big stage.
Indian Lane families and friends are invited to the game and we will be putting in an order for discounted group rate tickets. If you are would like to attend the game, the price is $36 per ticket for tickets in the 300 Level Outfield Section of the stadium. Please fill out this form if you want to purchase the tickets through the group rate and PTG will help coordinate payment with you once we have all of the group tickets confirmed.
Bobcat Choir Performers: Every family should purchase a ticket for each Bobcat Choir performer as well as at least one other ticket for their adult chaperone. If a Bobcat Choir family need assistance, please reach out to Jessica Hilden - jhilden@rtmsd.org.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
The big announcement!
On April 14, 2026, our Bobcat Choir will be performing the National Anthem at the Phillies game vs. the Cubs at 6:40pm. Look out for ticket orders and shirt sales from the PTG. So excited to share this moment with our Bobcats. Please check out the schedule of rehearsals for our Bobcat Choir and Fifth Grade Musical performers...
Friday, January 23, 2026
Our fifth grade performance will be "Summer Camp!" Please go to the website to sign up for an audition, practice, and prepare!
We will also be auditioning fourth grade singers to add to our Bobcat Choir... stay tuned!
Friday, January 9, 2026
Happy new year Bobcat families! We have some exciting lessons in music class this month! Here are some of the highlights from our class this month!
1st & 2nd grade will sing and learn a line dance to the "Months of the Year"
2nd and 3rd grade love the song "If It Would Snow" complete with motions!
3rd and 4th grade are singing about a "New Year, New Start"
5th graders are performing cup rhythms and learning about recording techniques before they begin preparing for a May performance!
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Best wishes for a restful winter break! It was so much fun making music this December with our talented students! Looking forward to a bright 2026!
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Hope to see everyone at our concerts next week! Please check the date and time from the Save the Date image here.
Additionally, here are some Bobcat Choir reminders:
12/9 - Rehearsal in the music room at 8am
12/9 - Performance with RTMSD Elementary Choirs on the Courthouse steps at 5pm
12/11 - Concert in the ILES Gym at 2pm
12/16 - Riddle Hospital at ~12:15pm
Go to the Bobcat Choir page to find the permission slip for December 16.
Monday, November 24, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Indian Lane families! I am feeling thankful for some joyous moments of music-making in our classroom and school. Looking forward to a fun and busy December when we return next week!
Wednesday, November 20, 2025
Happy American Education Week! It has been great to see families in our school ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and our Winter Performances!
We are auditioning for solos this week and prepping the final touches with only two more class meetings before our concerts. Please note which time your child will be performing on December 11!
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
School has been busy! We are finished introducing our winter music and now we are polishing, correcting mistakes, and adding fun elements to our performance. Please have students check the Music Practice page and sing along when they are in between music classes. Some students have been extra prepared to sing and it has been more FUN when this happens!
Monday, October 20, 2025
Welcome to our student teacher, Miss Kyle!
Winter sing-a-long is quickly approaching and we are learning some of our concert music already!
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Bobcat Choir was fantastic this morning! We have 24 great fifth grade singers who are ready to perform and entertain this winter and I cannot wait to showcase their talents in the December 11 concert!
The full schedule and information is here for those who have joined!
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Tonight is back to school night and all Indian Lane students have had music at least three times to start their year! We have learned about rhythms, musical notes, and even started singing some fun vocal warm ups and songs! If you have any questions about your child's year in music, I look forward to sharing with you tonight!
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Happy first day of school! Today was an excellent day of learning and music-making! Looking forward to meeting all of the new Bobcats throughout the week as well as the smiling returning faces to the "Fish Tank!" Bring your singing voice, your musical energy, and a positive attitude to kick off the best year at ILES yet!
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
What a wonderful performance by our fifth grade today to end the year! Best wishes for a fantastic summer, Bobcats! Looking forward to seeing the K-4 students back in the fall!
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Thank you for all of the kind words and compliments! Our students presented a fun and entertaining performance yesterday!
Check out the video here (available until June 13): Its A Hit Performance
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
The musical is here! Today students will present our fifth grade show three times!
The show will be posted on YouTube to be shared on www.indianlanemusic.com later this week!
Thanks and good luck to our fifth grade!
Friday, April 4, 2025
Mario March Music Madness was SUPER fun in our music class! We listened to 16 different themes and ultimately chose Super Mario Party! This week, we are celebrating by "playing" the rhythm games from Super Mario Party with classroom instruments.
Spring Break is upon us followed by PSSA testing when we return. As soon as testing concludes we will be in the final stretch for our musical. Please take a look at the final musical and Bobcat Choir rehearsal dates. Again, all materials to practice are posted on this website!
Thanks for taking the time to read, have a great spring break! - Mr. Fihser
BOBCAT CHOIR:
April 8 - 8am
ADDED -
April 24 - 8am
May 8 - 3:30 (start in music room)
May 13 - Show
MUSICAL:
April 22 - 8am
April 29 - 8am
May 6 - 3:30 (start in music room)
May 8 - 3:30 (start in music room) CAST PICTURE day
May 13 - Show
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Happy first day of spring! We are enjoying our deep dive into the video game music from 1985-2025 in all of our music classes. Students are voting for songs old and new as they choose their favorite "Mario" theme.
Fifth grade musical and Bobcat Choir members are also preparing for a fantastic show on May 13! Students will receive information about dress/costuming before Spring Break. Both groups only have three morning rehearsals left!
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
March is Music in Our Schools Month and we are celebrating again with a March Music Madness competition. Our students will be learning about and listening to music from the many Super Mario games! Check out songs from our competition in the video below!
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
So proud of the students who auditioned for the musical today. We already look great on day one! Next rehearsal is Tuesday, February 4 in the music room. Bring your dancing feet and your singing voice!
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Fifth grade musical has been announced! For all students interested, please visit the practice page for sign ups and schedule. Auditions are on Tuesday, January 21 at 8am in the music room. Please sign up to join!
Monday, December 9, 2024
Bobcat Choir did a great job at Brinton Lake and Elwyn on Thursday! It was fun to sing our songs and bring joy to others.
Mrs. Britton's Bobcat Bulletin has many details about Friday's Winter Concert (12/13) but, you may also take a look at the picture below to decide where you will sit in the gym. It is best to sit on the opposite side of the group performing to get the best view!
Looking forward to two wonderful performances!
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Hoping everyone has a restful Thanksgiving break and comes back ready for an exciting 15 days of school! Here are some important dates...
ALL SCHOOL - Concert on Friday, December 13 at 9:30am
Field Trip on Thursday, December 5 10am-1pm (Permission Slip due on December 2).
Delaware County Courthouse on Wednesday, December 11 (6:45pm Call, 7pm Performance)
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Recorder day is here! Our third grade students will get their recorders at their next music class. Please feel free to review all resources by clicking on the purple Recorders button on the website! All students are also learning their final selections for the winter concert in the next few weeks. We only have five classes till the concert on December 13 and we cannot wait to share our music with family and friends!
Thursday, October 10, 2024
The school year is moving so fast! We had a great September at ILES! In addition to some fun songs about autumn, all of our students have learned our first winter concert song. Please mark your calendars for the morning of Friday, December 13, 2024 at 9:20am. This is a special Indian Lane event that you will not want to miss!
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Welcome BACK! So excited to begin music class with our first grade this year and equally as thrilled to get to teach all of the students at Indian Lane. We are going to learn so much this year and have so much fun doing it. Be ready to sing, dance and play as we start a new school year!
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Congrats to our fifth grade on a fantastic performance! One more song left to sing this year. This week students will begin learning their fifth grade recognition song and will also be selecting their music class for sixth grade! Parents and students please visit the Springton Lake Music page for all of the information: https://sites.google.com/rtmsd.org/springtonlakemusicdepartment/home
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Happy performance day! Looking forward to sharing the show with our school and community today! Hope you can join us for a "Journey Through the Sea!"
7pm SHOWTIME for families
6:15 report time for cast and crew
6:45 report time for all other 5th grade members
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
The Indian Lane Fifth Grade Class presents A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SEA
Students will perform THREE shows on Thursday, May 16!
AM SHOWS
9:30am for Kindergarten, 1st and 4th grades
1:50pm for Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd grades
PM SHOWS
7pm SHOWTIME for families
6:15 report time for cast and crew
6:45 report time for all other 5th grade members
Monday, April 22, 2024
Info sent home to fifth grade families:
Our fifth grade show is coming up soon and I wanted to touch base with everyone about the expectation for students in this final Indian Lane performance!
The show, entitled "A Journey Through the Sea," is a combination of performances from our entire fifth grade, Bobcat Choir and auditioned roles. The cast and Bobcat Choir have been practicing before school and have four remaining rehearsals before and after school. Additionally, we have been rehearsing during music class and all students sing in this exciting performance. This week, I have shared with students the dress requirements: all fifth grade students should wear a white shirt and black pants or skirt to fit a "pirate" theme. This does not need to be "dressy" but do your best to avoid logos.
We will perform the show during the school day on Thursday, May 16 and again at night. I am requesting students arrive at 6:45pm for a 7pm performance in the ILES cafeteria.
Cast and Bobcat Choir should arrive at 6:15pm to prepare sets and additional costumes.
Monday, April 15, 2024
The spring show is quickly approaching! Our fifth graders are learning, practicing and memorizing lines and songs to entertain our school and our families! The show debuts on Thursday, May 16 on our stage in the cafeteria. In school for students and 7pm for families.
NOTE: April 30, 2024 will be full rehearsal for Bobcat Choir AND Cast!
Friday, March 22, 2024
Indian Lane students have spoken! We did a March Madness of Beatles covers and students learned about the Beatles, musicians that covered their music and VOTED for their favorite Beatles Covers.
The winner was GOLDEN SLUMBERS as covered by Dua Lipa. Keep rockin' and rollin' Bobcats!
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Things have been busy in the Indian Lane music room. We had another great rehearsal today for our "Journey Through the Sea" show and this week, students will be getting the recorder sheet music to practice and learn a special tune. We also are wrapping up Black History Month with a lesson on Beyonce. Other artists we learned about this February consisted of Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Prince and Bob Marley! It has been so great sharing stories and music from these amazing entertainers!
Next month will be short but BUSY! With only three weeks before spring break and conferences next week, we will be learning at a fast pace in our music class!
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
The show is set! Save the date - Thursday, May 16, 2024 (AM and PM performances)
The Bobcat Choir will continue to rehearse AND perform in this adventure! A full rehearsal schedule will be released soon!
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Congrats to all Indian Lane students on a wonderful Winter Sing-A-Long. The video and program will be available through January 2, 2024! Click here to view!
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving break! Congrats goes to Eve H. and Morgan C. on the Sing in the Holidays solos. Katiel M. and Nina K. will sing this solo at the Bobcat Choir field trip to Nick's House. Also, congrats to Leo B. for getting the solo for the third grade's song, "Candle in the Window."
The Winter Concert will be on Wednesday, December 13 at 9:45am and will conclude by 11am.
The Bobcat Choir will also sing that night, Wednesday, December 13 at 7pm with the other RTM elementary schools at the Delaware County Court House steps in Media. (6:50pm call time)
The Bobcat Choir will sing again to end the winter season at "Nick's House," in Swarthmore, PA on December 19, 2023 at 6:30pm. (6:15pm call time)
Monday, November 13, 2023
The Winter Sing-a-long Concert is approaching quickly and this week we will be having AUDITIONS for a special solo. MANY students have signed up to audition and I am excited to hear our musicians perform in music class from Tuesday-Friday. If you have a child auditioning and want to encourage and support them, have them sing along with this special part using this video: Sing in the Holidays
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Our Halloween Parade was a blast and we had so much fun in music class learning about sharps and flats while we played some fun songs on Boomwhackers! There are SIX music classes until the winter concert so the upcoming month and a half will be focused on singing in class! We will continue to celebrate music with other songs, games and tech tools as well!
Bobcat Choir will not meet next week but the sweatshirt order form is due by November 5. Please visit the Bobcat Choir page for more info!
Friday, October 20, 2023
October has been so fun in music class! 1st and 2nd grade students are really getting to be great musicians using rhythm sticks and other instruments while playing and reading quarter notes, eighth notes and rests. Soon our second grade students will add sixteenths!
3rd, 4th and 5th grade students completed their first "Listen and Answer" for the year. This Schoology assignment asks students to place music notes in the order that they hear them. This is a difficult challenge and many of our Indian Lane students answered these music problems correctly! (Proud teacher!) This assignment will be a monthly routine in our classroom and I am excited to see how students progress through the year!
Additionally, Bobcat Choir has been a blast and students are learning songs for our December 13th sing a long as well as a few out of school performances!
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Boomwhackers and rhythm sticks and singing! We are concluding lesson 4 tomorrow and it has been quite musical in our class. Students are enjoying some new vocal warmups and getting reaquainted to some of the instruments in the room. First graders are especially enjoying the opportunity to sing and play in school! The morning is always joyful with one of the first grade groups who are so happy to join in the music making.
FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS/PARENTS - information about Bobcat Choir was sent home last week or this week. Bobcat Choir is an extracurricular group that meets on Tuesdays at 8am in the music room. This group requires students to attend the weekly morning rehearsals where we will focus on singing and may have some extra opportunities for instruments as well. Please return the form at your earliest convienence but no later than September 29. Full rehearsal schedule will be sent next week at our first meeting on Tuesday, October 3. A PDF of the form can be found below and may be sent in or emailed to jfisher@rtmsd.org
Bobcat Choir Club permission Slip 23-24.docx.pdfMonday, September 11, 2023
Last week was a bit hot and definitely a busy start to our year! We had a great time sharing music in our classroom and cannot wait to begin lesson 2 today! Tonight is also back to school night, if you are interested in meeting Mr. Fisher in person, all special area teachers are available in their classrooms from 6:30-7:25pm. We will be playing some music and chatting with anyone that would like to stop by! Happy second week of school!
Thursday, August 31, 2023
The first post of the 2023-2024 school year! It is so exciting to start another year of music making and appreciation at Indian Lane. Please be sure to check the announcements when you want to learn more about what we are doing here on the lane! I like to share and update the pages regularly as we learn in music class. I am so excited to meet all of the new students and overjoyed to greet the returning Bobcats! - Mr. Fisher
Monday, May 24, 2023
We are truly in the "home stretch" of the school year and there are many events in the final 16 days of school! In music we like to use some of our class time to reflect and remember all of the things we have learned. In class, we are reviewing our rhythms and reading music notes, revisiting some favorite instruments and working on a few web based projects.
Fifth grade students have one more performance to give! They will be singing a song altogether at the Fifth Grade Recognition on June 14. We are excited for this final song as Bobcats and know our friends and family at Indian Lane will enjoy it. Students - click at the top of this page to practice!
Monday, May 15, 2023
It is time for our fifth grade students to consider what music class they will take in middle school next year! We will be choosing our class after reviewing all information one last time in music class this week. Please visit this page for more info: https://sites.google.com/rtmsd.org/springtonlakemusicdepartment/home?pli=1
Absent this week? Complete the form at home: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpXGMqEkHat6X6aDdFpGiBSTDtfZRuDxRjWf-tKR1F7ujjNA/viewform
Friday, May 12, 2023
WOW! Congratulations to the entire fifth grade cast on three awesome performances yesterday! It was a true pleasure sharing Willy Wonka with our younger classmates and our friends and family! If you have any pictures that you can share, please place them in the folder below!
Congrats once again!!!
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Fifth graders! (and parents of fifth graders, relay this message!) The musical is upon us and we are amping up for the best version of Willy Wonka we can present. Please use the website and PRACTICE your songs! Today's rehearsal is posted to practice with
Cast and crew - wear the costumes and pieces you have brought in
Chorus members - Purple on top, black on bottom!
Remaining dates:
May 2 - final morning rehearsal 8-8:50
May 9 - in school with all chorus members (no costumes) during specials
May 9 - after school dress rehearsal (no chorus) and picture 3:30-5:30
May 10 - final dress rehearsal after school 3:30-5:30
May 11 - shows at 9:30am, 2:15pm, 7pm. Come to school dressed and ready to perform!
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
The Disney March Madness tournament is coming to a close! The final is between "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King and "You're Welcome" from Moana! We're trying a few fun activities in class to celebrate both songs and we will announce the winner on Friday before break!
Monday, March 13, 2023
Among many other celebrations, March is Music in Our Schools Month! Here is a bit of what is happening in our music classroom this month:
1st and 2nd grade students have been getting back to the basics of singing as we are talking about Solfege (do, re, mi...) and guessing what song we are singing using those syllables. We are also creating their own beats as we listen to Disney remixes using some fancy "cup" tricks (think the "Cups" song from Pitch Perfect).
3rd grade is learning all about the instruments and their families. In the upcoming months our instrumental teachers, Mr. Boyle and Mr. Walls, will be sharing some choices with us to learn next year. Through our unit in music class, we will be making an informed decision as we gain a bit of knowledge about all of the instruments!
4th grade is continuing their work on the Body Percussion project. Some students are finishing while others are carefully planning out their beats before submitting them digitally. We will definately be sharing our work on the website after Spring Break so stay tuned!
5th grade is completing Chapter 1 of Everyone Can Create for GarageBand and some of our work is phenomenal. Chapter 2 will focus on rhythm and will teach us how to create and edit our own beats. Additionally, the work on the musical is starting to come into the classroom as we prepare to sing along with the cast for Willy Wonka. Save the date for the performance: Thursday, May 11 at 7pm!
Finally, ALL grades are participating in a March Madness tournament where we are voting for our favorite Disney song. The field of 16 is being cut down to 8 this week and we will have a winner before we go on Spring Break!
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
We are celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles Superbowl run in music class this week by learning and playing the fight song on a few different instruments! If you have a keyboard or piano at home, you could also play and sing along!
Musical practice has also been coming along nicely. It is a very busy 45 minutes each week but our kids are already growing into their parts and learning a lot!
Go Eagles!
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
What a very busy couple of weeks! Thank you to all who attended the Sing-A-Long, it was nice to meet many parents and share what we do in our music class! Fifth grade musical auditions were fantastic and I had a blast seeing some of my students perform a song and dance as well as act! Our first rehearsal was today and I am so excited for the potential of this group. Of course, all of our fifth grade students will be included in the show and we have been diving into the script this week in our fifth grade classes. Here is a snapshot of what we are doing in music as we head into February:
1st grade - We are making our own Song Gardens after reading "The Song Garden" by Vicky Weber. We will be connecting this to our musical rhythms that we perform every class using rhythm sticks!
2nd grade - We are composing our own 12 measure rhythms using quarter notes, eighth notes and rests! Students will use these compositions and we will perform for each other in class.
3rd grade - Our recorder skills are growing! After learning a few more notes, students will be trying new songs and will even mix in a few of their own melodies! We are also beginning a journey through all of the instrument families as we prepare for a decision of whether or not to play a band or orchestra instrument in fourth grade!
4th grade - The Body Percussion Project is now a fixture in fourth grade music class... Students have been looking forward to this and now they are finally at the creative peak of music as they compose short loops to perform with their hands and feet. Here is a great example from last year!
5th grade - In addition to rehearsing for the musical, we are venturing to complete the "Everyone Can Create Music" Book written for GarageBand on the iPad. Using this curriculum, we will be learning the skills needed to create a podcast, a drum beat, a remix and our own composition. We began Chapter 1: Podcasts last week and students are already creating some interesting audio with their iPad!
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Welcome back from what was hopefully an enjoyable break! We have many exciting things to learn and share in 2023! First, welcome to our new princpal, Mrs. Britton! You will have an opportunity to meet her very soon!... As you should have heard already, our Winter Sing-A-Long has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 12 at 9:20am.
Please view Mrs. Britton's informational flyer here.
Looking forward to sharing our winter and holiday music and meeting many ILES families at this event! Happy New Year!
Friday, December 23, 2022
Check out the great video of Bobcat Choir at Nick's House! Happy winter break from Mr. Fisher!
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Bobcat Choir did a great job at the Headstrong Foundation's "Nick's House" It was a fun way to get ready for an even more exciting morning on Friday, December 23. See Mr. Reid's email for more details but also take a look at the picture below when deciding where to sit. Best to sit on the opposite side of the group performing to get the best view and listen!
Looking forward to a wonderful performance!
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Congrats to the Bobcat Choir on their first performance of the winter season! It was fun to sing at the courthouse last night with students from Glenwood, Media and Rose Tree! Looking forward to two more fantastic performances next week!
Friday, November 18, 2022
Happy Friday ILES students and families! We are gearing up for a fun December that will culminate in an exciting performance on the last day of school 2022! Our winter concert will be December 23 at 10:45am and Mr. Reid will be providing more details about it after the Thanksgiving break. I will also be sure to post his information here!
For our students to prepare for the concert, simply go to the "Practice Our Songs" button on the IndianLaneMusic.com website! Students can sing along with voices or practice without them to prepare for their songs. I shared this with all classes in the week before Thanksgiving and hope that many will take the opportunity to enjoy singing at home too!
Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
School has been busy and nights have been late for Phillies fans! Our classes celebrated with a fun "Dancing On My Own" Body Percussion and of course, many of us are sporting Phillies gear at school!
As we start to prepare for our winter concert, we are learning new songs in each grade this week following our Halloween parade. We also will be exploring some patriotic music for Veterans Day and our 3rd-5th graders are working on their recorder skills. Keep checking the website for more fun and resources! Hope to see some family members at our upcoming parent visitation!
Tuesday, October 3, 2022
We cannot believe is already October! School is flying by and we are making music and having fun at Indian Lane.
1st and 2nd grade students have been playing Twinkle Twinkle on their "iPad Xylophones" as we get ready to add some of our classroom instruments to our lessons. Here is a link for students to play online at home! - https://playxylo.com/
3rd grade students are getting their recorders THIS WEEK! It is truly an exciting time and a rite of passage for ILES 3rd grade students. We are practicing a few things in school but this website has a BUNCH of resources to work on at home. Check out this page and the beginning lesson to help! - Recorders
4th and 5th grade students are continuing their recorder training as well as some great music note practice using Gimkit! Here is another fun game to get a bit better at recognizing some of those treble clef notes: https://www.doctormusik.com/apps-and-games/aquarium/
Bobcat Choir is off to a great start! The group is filled with some talented fifth graders and I have high hopes for a fun season of singing and playing instruments! For parents of those in the group - be sure to connect with the Bobcat Choir website to check on any info, agendas, permssion slips and practice resources.
Friday, September 23, 2022
It has been a busy and fun start to the school year! We are already making music in our classes, playing instruments, singing and even using our iPads to try some virtual instruments! All of the materials we use at school, as well as some other fun things we don't have time to try, are on this website! Give it a try at home!
Fifth Grade Bobcat Choir begins on Tuesday at 8am after the long weekend! If you missed the sign up you can send the forms to Mr. Fisher's email and drop off your fifth grader at 8am on Tuesday to join the club! All information is on the website.
Tuesday, September 5, 2022
Welcome back!!! I am so happy to start another year of teaching music at Indian Lane Elementary! To my newest students and parents I want to welcome you to the fun that we will share this year. Please be sure to check this page and scroll down if you missed anything.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
ATTENTION: Parents of third grade students! Your child can sign up to learn an instrument in fourth grade! This is an amazing opportunity that our district offers! Mr. Boyle and Mr. Walls teach our children a wide variety of instruments how to play an instrument during the school day... many of the students that have come through our program have gone on to love and master a new instrument, play in select groups, find careers in music and most importantly, gained a new appreciation for music that lasts a lifetime.
Here is the link to sign up. Please sign up by June 15: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejuX47mqf5RalJlEZH1_1RWPXPr40OpW8p7IFJoO75aer3uQ/viewform
Thursday, May 26, 2022
The end of the year has been so much fun and we have been enjoying some of the "best of" activities in our music classroom. The boomwhackers are always fun to play for first graders THROUGH fifth graders but we will also be challenging ourselves with some fun music competitions.
Congrats to the fourth and fifth grade instrumentalists as well as Mr. Boyle and Mr. Walls for their concerts on Monday and Tuesday nights! Students played great and we cannot wait to see some of our third graders follow in their footsteps next year! If you are the parent of a third grader please be on the lookout for materials about learning a band or string instrument next year!
Check out some students from Mrs. Speir's Class playing the Boomwhackers!
Monday, May 2, 2022
Spring is here and we are completing our year in music by reviewing some of the activities we have done this year! The next few classes have some rhythm and music note review by using drum circles and games. We will also do a bit of dancing and performing some of our favorite songs on the instruments in our class. We are looking forward to sharing some of our great work with Indian Lane families on our website to end the year!
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Welcome back from what was hopefully a restful and enjoyable spring break! April is Jazz Appreciation Month and all of our Indian Lane students are learning about three elements of jazz music in our class: Blues, Big Band Swing and Bebop music! The blues has been so much fun this week as we start with some classic blues recordings and even share some of the silly pop culture references to the blues!
If you are a parent and also a lover or performer of jazz, please share with me! I would love to incorporate our families into this year's Jazz Month!
Saturday, April 9, 2022
WOW! I am so impressed with the entire fifth grade on a fantastic performance! Looking forward to the rest of the year and preparing you for your new musical adventures in the middle school. Come back after break with your recorder and an open mind. Thank you for all of your hard work on Winnie the Pooh!!!
First through fourth grade, I hope you enjoyed the show and you are motivated to do something just as fun and cool in the near future!
AFTER SPRING BREAK:
First and Second grade - continue to bring iPads (CHARGED) with headphones to music class. I will be adding some new iPad activities after break!
Third, Fourth and Fifth grade - also continue to bring iPads and headphones along with your recorder to class. We will be exploring Flute Master and each grade will be challenged by different songs based on what notes you have learned and mastered. You can also download the game at home to practice and prepare before you get to music class. It is so fun to beat your old scores and reach for 100%!
In addition to recorders I will be sharing some more songs, dances and instruments to have fun during our class! I know there are some Fishy Beats songs on the horizon too!
Have a wonderful Spring Break!
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Tomorrow is our musical! Here are a few reminders for Indian Lane Families -
NIGHTTIME PERFORMANCE at 7pm!
Email from Mr. Reid:
1. Cast members may begin arriving at 6:20 tomorrow to prepare for the performance.
2. All 5th graders in the chorus should arrive at the school at 6:45.
3. Door will open at 6:30 for parents and guests in the audience.
4. Although there are no limits on those who are in attendance, please note that the cafeteria will most likely be packed and space is limited. Please plan accordingly and please do not reserve sections of seating.
Monday, March 28, 2022
All students in our school took time to celebrate Lin-Manuel Miranda and the music of Encanto last week. As we learn about "counterpoint" with the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno," we are also sharing our favorite songs from Encanto, Moana and Hamilton and playing a Guiro rhythm with our rhythm sticks.
FIRST AND SECOND GRADE have continued the Encanto fun and played some instruments along with many of the Encanto songs. Although we like Bruno, the instruments have been sounding great on Dos Oruguitas!
FOURTH GRADE has been finishing "Body Percussion" projects to clap, stomp and pat along to. One of them will be featured on News on the Lane this week to end Music in Our Schools Month!
FIFTH GRADE has been practicing for the musical which debuts next Thursday, April 7! Parents should have received an email from me last Friday with all details, please reach out if you did not!
Later this week...
Musical practice for cast and crew tomorrow morning at 8am and Wednesday at 3:30pm until 5pm.
And a lesson on J.S. Bach... his birthday was on March 31!
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Fifth grade musical is coming along after two great rehearsals before school (Tuesday) and after school (today)! Students, keep practicing at home and parents, thank you for accommodating busier schedules!
Next week's rehearsal is only before school on Tuesday morning. Students have also been spending a bit of music class time practicing and will continue to do so until the April 7 musical!
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
March is Music in Our Schools Month!!!
Usually, this time of year is filled with celebrations of our music making and invitations for families to join our fourth grade in the classroom. Although we will not be having any family members in, we hope to bring you some of the cool things we have been CREATING in our class. Fourth grade is writing their own songs during the next couple of school days and they are completing a body percussion project that they chose and worked on in groups. I am proud of the work completed so far and hope to share some of these on our website at the end of the month!
Fifth Grade Musical practice with CAST AND CREW begins on Tuesday: 8am and Wednesday after school until 5pm! All costumes should be in no later than today. Check the full schedule on the musical page.
Friday, February 4, 2022
Happy February! This month we have a lot going on!... Black History Month, Groundhog Day, the Olympics and Valentine's Day are all playing a part of our lessons. In our music class we are celebrating with some special songs and adding instruments.
Black History Month - Each class we will highlight a special black American musician. First up, Stevie Wonder!
Groundhog Day - We will learn a special song to celebrate Groundhog Day in each grade. "Six Weeks of Winter" and "Hey Groundhog" are two of our favorites for our lessons during the first week of February.
Olympics 2022 - During the 2022 Winter Olympics in Bejing, we be playing some of our own Olympic themed games for our students to learn and grow their music skills.
Valentine's Day - For some of the higher classes. We will take a look at a Spanish Valentine and add some strings for the first time this year in our music class.
Musical practices have also been going well, fifth grade parents be on the lookout for more information on the musical page.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
The school year seems to be flying by! The fifth grade musical is in full swing and the stage crew has a set up meeting tomorrow morning from 8am-8:40am. Students in stage crew have been reminded and should bring gloves with them as we will be moving some set pieces around the Indian Lane stage.
In our classroom we have been learning a bit about equality and what kind of positive change we, as young people, can have in the world. In addition to singing and playing some pitched bells and boomwhackers, some classes have read the book "Change Sings" by Amanda Gorman.
Students are encouraged to try and practice the songs we have done in class at home! Here is a link to the brand new song by Mr. Fisher, "Step on the Gas." You can play this on a keyboard or any instrument that has the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B and high C.
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Our recording from January 10 is now posted on the RTMSD website at this link: Winter Sing A Long 2021.
Please enjoy and feel free to scroll through! The concert program is posted below the video for families to navigate!
Monday, January 10, 2022
Happy New Year!
Today, we are FINALLY getting the opportunity to record our Winter Sing A Long songs! Be on the lookout for a video recording of this performance soon. For privacy reasons, I will be sharing that recording on the district website, however I will share a link on these announcements to get there!
Bobcat Choir is suspended for the time being as our fifth grade shifts focus on the musical. Tomorrow morning is the first musical practice for students that are in the cast and crew of the show. Please check the musical website for a calendar and other rehearsal materials: https://www.indianlanemusic.com/home/musical
Looking forward to 2022! Please continue to check our site and these announcements for frequent communication from the Indian Lane Music Classroom!
Thurdsay, December 23, 2021
Students, I cannot wait to see you again on January 4. We will make up for our missed concert with a fun day of recording when we return to school. I have some fun ideas that I hope you enjoy.
1-2 graders - I have some fun new music to share with you when you return. We will learn about some of the instruments of our classroom as we play along with and create our own songs!
3-5 graders - We will be back to playing recorders with a RECORDER BOOT CAMP. Sounds scary, but I promise it will be a fun way to learn. Please remember to bring those recorders and books to class with your iPads and headphones. We will also be working on some digital and in person projects for each grade.
Musical - The first rehearsal is on January 11 at 8am before school. Please mark your calendars, I am excited to start learning Winnie the Pooh with you!
To all Indian Lane students and families, stay safe and have a great break!
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Please see Mr. Reid's communication tonight about our Winter Sing-A-Long.
Tomorrow afternoon's Bobcat Choir is canceled.
Fifth Grade Musical auditions have concluded. The cast list will be shared VIA email this week. Congratulations and thank you to all who auditioned!
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Parents, if you missed it, Mr. Reid also sent the following communication out today:
Good Morning,
We are excited to announce our plans for the Whole School Holiday Concert. I wanted to get the basic information out today so you can plan and i will be following up with more specifics over the next week. We will be holding the concert on December 22 starting at 1:45 on the blacktop. We will be rotating the grade levels out one at a time for them to sing their songs and we will be concluding the concert with all students returning outside to perform whole school songs. This is where you are invited to participate in as well. PM Kindergarten students will only be participating in the concert during the whole school sing-a-long. We are asking that only 2 adult attend per child in order to ensure a safe environment for our visitors and students. This event will be held weather permitting. In the event the weather does not cooperate, we will record the students singing and put together a video for you to view. I will be following up with more details next week. Thank you for your continuing support and flexibility as we strive to provide opportunities for us to come together safely as a community.
John Reid
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
We have been having a BLAST this week learning about the music from "The Nutcracker Ballet." Each grade is learning a different part of the ballet and playing instruments, dancing and singing along with it!
We have also been practicing for our Winter Sing-A-Long. As you saw in my previous update, the students will be singing outside beginning at 1:45pm to accommodate for our current health and safety procedures. Each grade will sing two songs and at the end we are hoping to have all students sing a few fun holiday favorites. We would also love parents to join in when we sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town! Please plan for this fun event, Wednesday, December 22 at 1:45pm in the back of the school.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
The countdown has begun for our Winter Sing-A-Long on December 22. We plan to gather outside on the recess grounds behind the gym and present a couple of songs from each grade at 1:45pm. The students have been learning and practicing some fun winter tunes and are excited to share with family and friends. In the event of inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances, the Indian Lane students will record their songs in the gym at that time so we can share with everyone on the last day before break, December 23.
Bobcat Choir is canceled for tomorrow afternoon, November 29 but they have much to prepare over the final rehearsals - December 6, 13 and 20 after school until 4:30pm
Friday, November 12, 2021
Welcome to the new website for the Indian Lane Music Program! So glad you made it! If you are a student, please be sure to check out all of the resources as I add to the site. Parents, check these announcements for important information and feel free to also check in on our students musical activities as I post on the site. Please stay tuned for more information about our winter sing-a-long! The date is currently set for Wednesday, December 22, 2021!
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Friday's Halloween parade was a blast and students were able to catch me in a silly costume as I announced the musical for our fifth grade students. This year we will be performing "Winnie the Pooh!"
More information about the musical will be coming soon including auditions, rehearsal times and the performance date.
BOBCAT CHOIR: Unfortunately, the "Courthouse performance" has been cancelled due to extenuating circumstances. We are looking forward to performing at our Winter Sing-A-Long on December 22, 2021. Mr. Reid and I are coming up with a plan to proceed with this event in the best way possible!
The next meeting of the Bobcat choir will be Monday, November 8 until 4:30pm.
Thursday, October 28, 2021
This week our 3-5 graders reviewed sixteenth notes! Ti-Ka-Ti-Ka is pretty fun but we also combined them with eighth notes to learn how to say a "Nightmare Before Christmas" character's name with the correct rhythm! (The Mayor of Halloween Town)
This was a PERFECT activity for our third graders that started multiplication this week!
After we reviewed, we were able to play some pretty cool rhythms with our rhythm sticks set to the music from Ghostbusters.
1-2 grades learned the fun dance to "Jumpin' Jack O'Lanterns" and then learned about Paul Dukas' "Sorcerer's Apprentice." One cool fact was that this was the musical setting for Mickey Mouse's first feature film!
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Music class is so much fun in October! We are learning the dance to "Spooky Scary Skeletons" and we are getting so much better at listening to our music notes. Mi Do Do has been a fun game to play in 3-5 grade and our 1-2 classes are singing a fun song called 'Jumpin' Jack O'Lanterns!"
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
BOBCAT CHOIR Parents, please see the updated map for how to park when picking up your child. I am already looking forward to next Monday's rehearsal!
Monday, October 11, 2021
Please remember your headphones for music class!
Bobcat Choir starts today!
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Fifth Grade students Bobcat Choir info was passed out today. If you are interested you must return the paperwork OR parents must email me the completed form by Friday, October 8.
Queen B Play along Video is also posted for students that have recorders. Play along and practice at home!
Monday, October 4, 2021
You can now practice our winter songs at home! Check out the Indian Lane Music Page and you will find clickable links that will share the lyrics and the song for you to sing along.
Friday, October 1, 2021
Practice with the Beginning Recorder Video posted on our website. If it goes too fast, YouTube allows you to slow down! This is the best way to be ready for our next class!
Monday, September 27, 2021
3rd, 4th and 5th graders We are starting recorder this week. 4th and 5th grade please bring your recorder. 3rd grade, bring your signed contract to get your recorder this week!
Monday, September 20, 2021
3rd, 4th and 5th graders Please get the Recorder contracts signed so we can play next class!
