Program Info

View the complete Music Department articulated curriculum for grades K-8.

General Music, Grades K-3

The goal of general music classes is to build strong foundational skills in our younger students while sharing the joy of creating something musical as a group.  In elementary music I use the Orff-Schulwerk approach, which is very active; students will be singing, dancing, moving, chanting, and playing a wide variety of classroom instruments.  Body percussion and hand drums will be used as we explore rhythms, and xylophones will help us to explore melodies and harmonies as we learn to sing and perform folk songs and music from other cultures.  We will also use a wide variety of other percussion instruments to add different sounds to our performances, such as tambourines, triangles, wood blocks, maracas, boomwhackers (pitched tubes) and gongs!

• Kindergarten lessons and units will be focused around our music community, patriotic music, the seasons, folk songs, and multicultural music. We will work on the songs and movements for the grade level musical, The Three Piggy Opera, and will prepare songs for the annual Thanksgiving Sing.  Steady beat, simple rhythms, and the elements of music (high-low, fast-slow, loud-soft) are a big focus in Kindergarten.

•  1st Grade lessons and units will be focused around our music community, patriotic music, the seasons, diverse American music, The Carnival of the Animals, and music and literature.  We will work on the songs and movements for a grade level musical, and will prepare songs for the annual Thanksgiving Sing.  We will focus on reading simple rhythms (quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter rests), and moving and performing to show understanding of form, dynamics, articulation, and major vs. minor.

•  2nd Grade lessons and units will be focused around our Ross School community, patterns in music and language, the seasons, folk music, diverse American musical traditions, and music from around the world.  We will work on the songs and movements for the grade level musical, How Does Your Garden Grow, and prepare a performance for the annual Winter Sing.  2nd graders will work on reading and performing increasingly complex rhythms (using half notes, whole notes, and syncopation), will identify form in music, perform and identify melody vs harmony, and explore improvisation.

•  3rd Grade lessons and units will be focused around composition, jazz traditions and improvisation, the Star Spangled Banner, a composer study of Gustav Holst’s and his work The Planets, and instrument families.  In the fall we will learn to play ukulele together, followed by a big recorder unit in the spring using the Recorder Karate program. We will work on the songs and movements for the grade level musical, The Lorax, and prepare a performance for the annual Winter Sing.  Reading and writing standard music notation is a big focus for third grade, along with improvisation and performing as an ensemble through song, dance, and instruments.

Fourth Grade Instrumental

In fourth grade, students choose the band or string instrument they would like to specialize on.  Options for band include flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, or baritone/euphonium, while options for orchestra include violin, viola, or cello.  Students will concentrate on instrumental technique and perform music from a variety of genres and cultures, including both unison and multi-part arrangements. In addition to the instrumental curriculum, students will participate in a musical, Gold Dust or Bust, which includes choral performances to support the Social Studies curriculum.

Fifth Grade Instrumental

In fifth grade, students continue with their band or string instrument as members of an intermediate ensemble.  Options for band include flute, clarinet, alto sax, trumpet, trombone, or baritone/euphonium, while options for orchestra include violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will concentrate on instrumental technique and perform music from a variety of genres and cultures, including longer multi-part arrangements.  Additionally, students who enjoy acting and singing have the opportunity to be on stage as a part of the Opera Together production in cooperation with the San Francisco Opera Guild, while the grade level will support as a performing chorus.

Middle School Band and Orchestra

The Middle School Advanced Band and Orchestra (6-8th Grade) are performance-based classes for students with two to four years of previous experience on their instrument.  Focus in the middle school will be on balance and blend across the ensemble and preparing arrangements for full ensembles to be played in several concerts throughout the year. Students will study major scales and chorales as part of the warm-up routine and focus on mastering individual parts within the context of the overall section and ensemble.  Advanced rhythms, more complex forms, and an understanding of dynamics, articulation, and performance symbols will be taught through rehearsal within the context of the pieces studied.  Pieces will cover a wide range of repertoire, from different genres, cultures, and styles.

Guitar

Students in grades 6-8 have the option of taking a guitar class as one of their middle school electives. Guitar classes are project-based and assignments are structured to meet the needs of students with a wide range of ability levels.  Students may opt to take guitar for the full year or may join the class for one quarter or more.  Beginning students will learn guitar technique as they play melodies on all six strings, strum chords in six keys, perform with different strum styles (rock, pop, reggae, folk and classical), read music notation and tablature, and perform with simple Root-Strum and fingerpicking styles.  Guitar students with more experience will perform music using chord progressions in seven keys, learn more complex fingerpicking styles, use power chords, slash chords, and barre chords, perform the first position scale, play blues progressions and bass patterns, and create Rock Band arrangements.

Spring Musical 

Students in grades 4-8 who are interested in musical theater or drama, singing, dancing, or backstage/tech roles are invited to be a part of the Spring Musical, with rehearsals after school. Auditions are usually held in early January, with 2-3 productions held in April. Students will learn about dramatic interpretation and character development, the language of the theater, and physical acting/body language while they memorize lines, learn to sing solos, small ensemble pieces, and chorus numbers independently, and memorize choreography for musical numbers.  Students interested in theater management and technology will learn to run the microphones, lights, curtains, and manage all props and sets backstage.  The musical will be selected based on age appropriate content and language, appropriate vocal ranges, and available personnel.  Recent shows have included Into the Woods, Matilda, Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka, Singin' in the Rain, Annie, The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Phantom Tollbooth, and Once Upon a Mattress.