We have tons of fun in first grade music!  Each class gets 25 minutes of classroom music each week, and the entire first grade gets to participate in “Sing Along” for 30 minutes once a week in the cafeteria.  In first grade we start to learn to play the recorder and read music. We listen to music from all around the world, we learn about all the instrument families, and we even become composers and create our own songs!  The recital in May is when the first grade families get to experience everything that their children have been learning.

Second grade music builds on the foundations learned in first grade through fun and engaging lessons. Students learn to play and read more notes. We work on recorder techniques and reading more complicated music. They even learn how to be accompanists for singers! We continue exploring music from around the world, including singing in foreign languages. Students are introduced to a wide variety of instruments and proper singing technique. Sometimes we even have guest performers! The recital at the end of the year showcases the variety of musical forms studied throughout the year.
  
Third grade music fun continues to expand the students’ performance on the recorder with an increased ability to read musical notation and perform more complex songs. Students learn to be critical listeners of their own performances as well as others with the goal of improving their playing. We learn rules for composition and create class songs written in standard notation. We learn about the orchestra and even become one as we identify the instrument families playing familiar classical music. Singing and adding percussion instruments to our recorder pieces further musical ability and understanding in third grade. The final recital is a celebration of students’ musical talents.