🌼 3K – Exploring Sound Through Play
Our youngest musicians have been discovering music through hands‑on exploration and imaginative play.
Highlights include:
- Identifying everyday sounds (quiet vs. loud, high vs. low)
- Moving to music with scarves, drums, and rhythm sticks
- Singing simple songs, call-and-response games, and fingerplays
- Developing listening skills through musical storytelling
At this stage, the goal is joyful participation and building comfort with musical expression.
🌸 Pre-K – Building Musical Awareness
Pre-K students are beginning to understand that music has patterns and structure.
In class we’ve worked on:
- Keeping a steady beat using drums, shakers, and body percussion
- Recognizing opposites in music: fast/slow, loud/soft, high/low
- Learning simple repeating patterns (ta/ti‑ti, long/short)
- Singing seasonal and thematic songs together
- Moving creatively to show changes in tempo and dynamics
They are becoming active, thoughtful listeners and confident performers!
🌟 Kindergarten – Foundations of Rhythm and Melody
Kindergarteners are ready to take their first steps into formal music concepts.
They have been learning:
- How to keep a steady beat and begin following basic rhythms
- Using singing voices vs. speaking voices
- Moving to represent form (AB patterns)
- Playing classroom instruments responsibly
- Beginning solfege (So-Mi, sometimes La) through echo songs
They’re building the foundations for reading and performing music later on.
🎶 Grade 1 – Reading, Singing, and Playing
First graders are becoming more independent musicians.
This year we’ve explored:
- Reading and performing simple rhythm patterns (quarter notes/rests, eighth notes)
- Singing with expanded solfege (So-Mi-La, sometimes Do & Re)
- Recognizing melodic direction (up, down, same)
- Playing instruments like xylophones, glockenspiels, and hand drums
- Understanding simple musical form (AB, ABA)
We’re strengthening their ability to read and interpret music.
🎵 Grade 2 – Musical Patterns and Performance Skills
Second graders are ready for deeper musical understanding.
Our work has included:
- Reading and writing rhythms using ta, ti‑ti, rest, half note
- Singing with extended solfege (Do-Re-Mi-So-La)
- Learning about dynamics and tempo changes
- Beginning ensemble playing: performing together as a group
- Connecting music to culture through folk songs and games
They’re becoming expressive musicians with stronger technical skills.
🎤 Grade 3 – Reading Music & Playing Instruments
Third grade is a big year—students begin using more formal notation and often start recorder instruction (if applicable).
We have focused on:
- Reading pitches on the staff (treble clef basics)
- Understanding time signatures (4/4, 3/4)
- Recorder skills: proper hand position, breath control, playing simple melodies
- Listening to identify instrument families
- Learning about harmony and rounds
They’re transitioning from guided participation to independent music-making.
🥁 Grade 4 – Ensemble Skills and Musical Literacy
Fourth graders are ready to think like musicians in an ensemble.
This year they have worked on:
- More complex rhythms (sixteenth notes, dotted rhythms depending on level)
- Playing recorders or other instruments with increased accuracy
- Understanding musical form (verse/chorus, theme and variation)
- Learning about classical and world music traditions
- Collaborating in small-group performances
Their musicianship and confidence are quickly growing.
🎼 Grade 5 – Preparing for Middle School Music
Fifth graders are becoming capable, independent musicians who can interpret and evaluate music.
Our studies have included:
- Advanced recorder and Orff ensemble playing
- Reading and performing more complex notation
- Understanding chord progressions and harmonization
- Analyzing music using accurate musical vocabulary
- Preparing for middle-school band, orchestra, or chorus pathways
They’re developing the skills and confidence to continue their musical journey beyond elementary school.