St. Jane Frances School
GENERAL MUSIC, Grades 1- 5
PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM, Grades 2-8
2007-2008 School Year
Mr. Charles Alexander, Instructor/Coordinator
Music class at St. Jane is taught in a nurturing atmosphere of intense fun and intense learning. Children of all ages will explore many musical styles, and will have many opportunities to make music in different ways. Music class uses singing, instruments, computers, movement, sign language, and listening to help reinforce the concepts of music reading and notation, analysis, composition, improvisation, as well as learning proper instrumental and vocal techniques.
National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history, culture, and our Catholic faith.
The Music Curriculum at St. Jane Frances School features classroom activities that subscribe to the National Standards for Music Education, and students are assessed based on this list of basic musical skills that all children should learn, regardless of where they attend school.
Recorders will be used in all grades every week. So, please be sure that your child has a recorder and method book (the blue one is good for all grades) in school on music day. Each student will have the opportunity to visit the Independent Learning Center. At the ILC, student will take turns participating in individual enrichment activities which extend music learning beyond the regular classroom activities. These include guided reading in music, music listening and analysis, computer games, and computer-assisted composition. I hope that each student will visit the ILC several times this year. Please contact Mr. Alexander whenever you need help or have additional questions.
I hope and trust that 2007-2008 will be filled with lots of fun and learning! Enjoy, and God bless!
:-) MrA
Music Program Overview
The SJF Music Program Features:
Recorders at all levels, used every week
An extensive listening library
15 Student guitars
8 Drums
16 Boomwhackers(!)
15 Xylophones
Classroom Percussion
Bean bags
3 electronic keyboards
An acoustic piano and a digital piano
2 MIDI capable computer workstations
CoolEdit 2000 Recording Studio software-24-track digital recording and editing
Several computer learning programs:
Music Ace Juilliard Music Adventure
Music Ace 2 Jumpstart Music
Professor Piccolo Musicus
Music Time Deluxe Sing!
Finale Notepad 2004 Microsoft Office
Current Music textbooks for Grades 3-8
Students learn to sing, dance, and use sign language to learn a wide variety of folk, traditional, and popular songs. Students learn to play recorders, rhythm band instruments, xylophones, guitars, and the piano to explore different sounds and techniques. Students will also use games and activities to learn how to read and write music, and will write simple songs. As older students continue to build upon the basics, they will also focus on a number of topics in music history, including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century eras of European music, Opera and Musical Theater as well as Jazz and Rock-and-Roll history.