Music

Students in music classes are involved in the following activities:

  • Cultural Dancing: Irish Jig, Chinese Ribbon Dance, Hora, Polka and more
  • Singing practice using Kodaly hand signs: Singing Solfege; Do, Re, Mi…etc.
  • Singing songs from traditional, folk, patriotic and seasonal music
  • Group playing or student leading of songs using the Montessori Bells material
  • Demonstrations of instruments from the orchestra; Violin, Snare Drum, Flute and French Horn

Our music program also includes optional Recorder lessons for levels 3 and above. Students learn to read music in the Treble clef and play in group performances. They participate in an Annual Recorder Recital where group songs are performed and each student may choose to play a solo or duet, as well.

In additon to music classes, we celebrate the musical talents of our student body by holding a Special Musical Performance each year. Students are invited to participate and share their talents of singing, dancing or playing an instrument. We also plan musical field trips to the Young Peoples’ Concerts with the San Diego Symphony and music theatre productions.

The following descriptions give more detailed information about musical material presented during the year by grade level:

 Full-Day Kindergarten

  • Montessori Bell Lessons: Pairing (matching) bell tones of the two sets
  • Learn group songs involving whole body movements
  • Use percussion instruments to play rhythmic activities as a group

Grade l

  • Montessori Bell activities continue with the Composing a Song Lessons
  • Learn the placement of notes on the Treble Clef staff
  • A musical harmony lesson is presented which involves eating crackers (making it more of a sensorial experience)
  • Play instruments as a rhythmic band
  • Introduce the different instrument families of the Orchestra
  • Layout of the Orchestra: learn how the sections are seated
  • The Middle “C” lesson

Grades 2 and 3

  • Learn more Musical Notation: Musical symbols Harmony using simple chords
  • Using the Montessori Bells for a musical run activity
  • Learn about the notes in the treble and bass clef
  • Understand the tempo of different notation and the note names
  • Shelf works that teach musical concepts and notation
  • Use staff/symbol rug games to teach musical concepts
  • Discovering the Moving “Do

Grades 4 and 5

  • Compose Music using the “C” scale
  • Learn the relationship of Major and Minor chords
  • Learn about the notes in the treble and bass clef
  • Use percussion instruments to play different tempos as a group
  • Learn about Major and Minor Chord formation
  • Using the Montessori Bells to learn about the Chromatic Scale

Grade 6

Composer Studies:  Learning about composers is interesting, however, it also can be fun!  Students participate in the following activities to further their knowledge of composers and musical styles.

  • Group games based on the lives of Composers, such as; Composer Jeopardy, Mozart Madness (True or False) and Compare Composers, Beethoven and Handel
  • Group Research into the lives of Classical Composes and making classroom activity sets known as, 3-Part Cards
  • Students choose composer(s) they would like to research (This year, they researched the Beatles and G. Verdi
  • Students compose a song using different musical forms: AB, ABA or ABC

Secondary

Percussion Class: We found that rhythm is such a big part of a young teen’s awareness and offer a one-semester class of Percussion that involves:

  • Review the History of Percussion instruments.
  • Review different tempos and reading of percussion music.
  • Rhythmic Group Circles – practicing drumming technique.
  • Group Percussion sessions – learned to play seasonal favorites using both pitched and non-pitched musical instruments, such as; bongos, maracas, quiros, stone claves, castanets, Cajon drum, rhythm sticks, glockenspiel and more.