•  

    Elementary School General Music Program

    “Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education.”  - Plato

    Music participation provides a unique opportunity for literacy preparation. Recent research has found that music uses both sides of the brain, a fact that makes it valuable in all areas of development. Music affects the growth of a child’s brain academically, emotionally, physically and spiritually.  The elementary school’s general music program is taught by Mr. DiMiceli.

     

    First Grade

    *First grade general music is largely a continuation of the curricular themes introduced in kindergarten.  

    *Students continue to sing, say, dance and play.

    *Main themes are rhythm, melody, form and dynamics 

     

    Second Grade

    *Music notation is introduced

    *Connection is now made between the previous two years’ musical experiences and written musical symbols

    *Further exploration of classroom percussion instruments and their relationship to written music

    *Explore improvisation

    *Acoustics (the science of sound)

     

    Third Grade

    *The Third Grade General Music curriculum is largely a continuation of the themes explored in Second Grade. Practice makes perfect! 

    *Introduction to recorders (This is a main idea for at least ½ of the school year.) 

    *Deeper exploration of multicultural music

    *Harmony is explored 

     

    Fourth Grade

    *In the class songwriting is explored (poetry and music) in large and small group. 

    *Acoustics (the science of sounds) revisited

    * In class, small group, percussion “bands” are formed.

     

     Fifth Grade 

    * Songwriting and poetry continued

    * Continuation of xylophone, drums/percussion, recorder, etc. for the purpose of teambuilding, music making, and self-expression

    * Musical instrument making project; final culmination of our study through the years of acoustics and the families of musical instruments

    * Vocal instruction continues

    * Program is aligned with the New York State Standards for the Performing Arts for Vocal Instruction

    * SOLFEGE/KODAY :pitch/ear training instruction methods

    * Basic Music Theory: geared for vocalists to identify the steps of the scale, basic chord progressions and music reading