The
Pre-Kindergarten class meets in the music room on Fridays for half-an-hour a
week. The Pre-K music curriculum will incorporate singing, dancing, movement
activities, rhythm activities, and exploring instruments throughout each
lesson.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten
meets twice a week. Most weeks in kindergarten a new game is learned from which
the musical concepts in the curriculum are taught. Children love music games
and it gets them really excited about learning music. We will be singing more
than 30 songs, which include action songs, sing-along songs, folk songs,
multicultural songs, game songs, theme songs, and holiday songs! The
Kindergarten music curriculum focuses on maintaining a steady beat, singing,
matching pitch, exploring vocal sounds, learning new rhythms, movement games,
and playing instruments.
1st Grade
The 1st
grade meet twice a week. 1st graders will be challenged with learning solfege
(do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do) this year. They will also continue to match
pitch, sing alone and with others, and will play instruments & movement
games. The big unit of work in this grade is ‘Music and Color’, the culmination
of this unit is a large composition (where they write and perform their own
music) based on a color. It's really exciting!
2nd Grade
2nd grade
meet twice a week too for half an hour a session. This year 2nd grade will
continue their music theory journey by learning note names and their values.
They will also be exploring new instruments, singing new songs, and learning
new rhythms. Their large unit of work is entitled Partner Songs, which suggest
Call and Response ideas as well as the introduction of musical conversations.
3rd Grade (students are eligible for Chapel Choir from this grade
to 8th Grade)
3rd grade
have an hour's worth of music provision split over two half-hour periods. We
work a lot on music theory to enhance their note reading abilities and skills.
Students will also sing, dance, and play rhythm instruments throughout the
year, as well as exploring how to write down music. The large topic of study in
the 3rd grade is Carnival of the Animals, where students explore Saint-Saens'
masterpiece over many weeks. There is a large cross-curricular link to French
in this grade, as we learn the names of the instruments in French as well as
explore each of the animals in French.
4th Grade
4th grade
have two hours worth of music provision split over two hour periods. We work a
lot on music theory to enhance their note reading abilities and skills and
generally prepare to get instruments in the 5th grade. Students will also sing,
dance, and play rhythm instruments throughout the year, as well as exploring
how to write down music. The large topic of study in the 4th grade is Music
from Around the World where students explore world traditions, and techniques
from different cultures, songs include the Magic Travel Machine, Last-Minute
Calypso as well as learning a traditional African drumming piece.
5th Grade
The 5th
grade has music for 2 hours a week. They receive a brass instrument of their
choice (from a list of cornet, alto horn, baritone or trombone) and we spend
the year learning how to play the fundamentals of the instrument. Home practice
is essential for pupils to progress. Pupils are given ownership of their own
instrument by creating their own nametag. Theory is continued, including time
signatures, meter, periods in history, Brass Band history and dictation.
However, the first few months are spent preparing the girls for how to care for
their instrument, how to warm up and how to ensure they can progress as far as
they can!
6th Grade - 8th Grade (students are eligible to audition for
Cabaret Troupe in these grades)
6th grade has music for 2 hours a
week, 7th grade has music for 3 hours a week, and the 8th grade has music
between 2 and 3 hours a week depending on their other commitments. These years
are spent continuing to improve their performance skills. Pupils learn more
notes, more complex rhythms. Time signatures are more advanced and pupils are
expected to know the difference between compound and simple time. Exercises are
set as homework from their study books and are expected to be practiced and
logged in their weekly ‘practice diary’. The 8th grade between January and
April prepare for their 'Farewell Musical’, which takes over at least one of
their hour lessons a week. All students in the 6th to 8th Grade are encouraged
to audition for Cabaret Troupe, and to take part in the Christmas and spring
shows.
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