Music - Chorus

Teacher: Robin

 

Possible Units of Study

 

Philosophy

In music, children learn to transition through a variety of activities including singing, improvising, note-reading, playing instruments, dancing/movement, and dramatization. Our program consists of “Music & The Brain” piano classes for grades K-2, Orff-Schulwerk classes for grades 2-5, Chorus for all grades and Recorder Club. Music is inherently a subject that both requires and helps develop academic skills, and is integrated with other subject areas. The goal is to develop each child’s creative expression, knowledge of musical concepts, and appreciation of the arts, as well as to foster ideals such as cooperation, socialization, and sense of community.

 

K-2 Music & The Brain Program- students come in ½ classes

• Lesson on the rug includes vocal warm-up, movement rhythm/notation reading and other musical concepts.
• Students move to individual pianos for instructional/playing time, reinforcing concepts learned on the rug.
• Children progress by learning to play songs of increasing difficulty, eventually using both hands together with chordal accompaniment
• Children study pieces from a wide variety of cultures, styles and historic periods and listen to recordings of same
• Opportunities for creative exploration and improvisation at the keyboard

2-5 Orff-Schulwerk Program

• Based on the pedagogy of Carl Orff, using speech, rhymes, body percussion, singing, movement, and improvisation.
• Children learn to play on xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels and pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments, both improvised and through-composed pieces
• Songs, dances and ensemble pieces come from all around the world and encompass a variety of styles and themes
• Individual activities vary from year to year, but include:
• Trips to Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard & Others
• Guest performers, Teaching Artists, and presentations
• 2nd Grade- Songs & Dances based on pentatonic scale
• 3rd Grade- Instruments of the Orchestra Study
• 4th Gade- Opera Study
• 5th Grade- 12 Bar Blues, I-IV-V Harmony

Chorus

• Every child sings in one of the three choruses and performs several times a year in our MTW Celebrations

Recorder Club

• Recorder instruction is offered as an elective in grades 3-5

Piano Enrichment

• Offered as an elective in grades 3-5