Lower School Music
Our Lower School has a dedicated music teacher and all grades take part in regular music classes, music in chapel services, and grade level presentations that relate music to classroom curriculum. Students learn more than how to sing as they explore instruments and the importance of rhythm, melody, and harmony.
The Lower School Choir is open to any interested 3rd and 4th grade students. It is an introduction to choral singing, incorporating songs and games to build community and foster teamwork. Students have extra time to practice singing and to develop appropriate technique. The repertoire includes folk songs in different languages, chapel music, play-parties, rounds, spirituals, and some two-part choral pieces. The Handbell Choir is also open to 3rd and 4th grade students. The students learn to count rhythms, to listen, to play bells correctly, and to work together as an ensemble. Students enjoy playing in chapel services, special events, and at the Lower School Ensembles Spring Concert. The Percussion Ensemble is open to any interested 4th graders. Using all of the xylophones, drums and unpitched percussion instruments in the Lower School music room, the group learns more challenging pieces, and they work together to become an ensemble. Their work culminates in the design of their own piece in the spring for the final concert.
Middle School Music
The Middle School Music Department offers programming that allows students opportunities to sing, play instruments, appreciate music history and theory, and participate in musical performances. Students study basic musical notation, musical terms, simple rhythms, and forms, and well as the roots of American music, classical American composers, Broadway musicals and rock and roll. Instrumental music is a requirement for all 5th grade students. Through exposure to various forms of musical expression, such as playing, singing, moving, listening, creating, reading, and writing, individual aesthetic awareness and creative skills are developed and self-discipline is learned. Additional extracurricular offerings include Choir, Advanced Treble Choir, Band, and Strings.