Music

Available in: Pre-Kindergarten through 5th Grade.

Description:

The ASA values the importance of music in all children’s lives. Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation. By studying music as part of their curricular program, students have the opportunity to build their skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from new perspectives.

We strive to provide opportunities for musical comprehension which create a strong foundation for personal growth within the learning community. The music department draws from best practices in both the Kodaly and Orff philosophies. Singing is central to the Kodaly approach to music education as the different musical elements are drawn from their classroom repertoire. Students sing in every music lesson and these songs are chosen from many cultures, genres, and different historical eras. They sing to experience and learn about different elements of music such as melody, rhythm, harmony, and form. These skills are then transferred to classroom instruments such as xylophones, drums, and auxiliary percussion. Furthermore, we support the units of inquiry that are being studied in class by collaborating with the classroom teachers.

Ultimately, the children are being taught music literacy. Students work to develop their musicianship skills by participating in different activities including singing, reading from notation, improvisation, composition, and movement. The study of music encourages self-discipline, patience, and diligence - traits that carry over to other intellectual pursuits and lead to effective study/communication/cognitive skills and work habits.