The Estabrook Elementary music program provides a wide range of musical experiences including singing, listening, moving, playing instruments, composing, performing, music reading, creative improvisation and folk dancing. We use a variety of materials and resources to develop the basic concepts of melody, rhythm, harmony, form, reading and expressive qualities at all grade levels. Along with our specific curriculum goals, we nurture a fun, creative environment where children can explore their personal expression in artistic forms. It is our hope that children will leave Estabrook with a love of music and the confidence to share that experience with others throughout their lives.
KINDERGARTEN
Children develop their singing voice (head voice) as different from the speaking voice.
5 Voices (whispering, speaking, singing, calling, inner)
Echo Singing (and solo vs. group)
In Melody, children distinguish high/middle/low and then up/down.
In expression, children explore the concepts of loud/soft and fast/slow in music.
Musical Opposites: high/low, loud/soft, fast/slow, same/different, long/short
Rhythmic pulse/ Steady beat develops through movement to music, numerous children’s games, playing simple percussion instruments and rudimentary reading.
Classroom Instruments:
Care
Proper Playing Technique
Rest position / Playing position
Movement:
Demonstrate kinesthetic awareness of music in duple and triple meter
Locomotor Movements: walk, march, hop, skip, tiptoe, etc.
Move creatively and expressively to music in duple and triple meter
AB and ABA Form
Interpret symbols representing upward and downward pitch using their singing voices (sound maps)
Sing Songs in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities, variety of cultures
Improvise using unpitched percussion and non-traditional sounds to accompany children’s literature
Audience Etiquette
Students can demonstrate skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance settings.
FIRST GRADE
In vocal work, children build a repertoire of songs within the range of the child’s singing voice, working for good tone, and good vocal health
Head voice continued, pitch matching
Audiate (rhythm, lyrics, melodic patterns)
In melody, they continue to distinguish high and low pitches within a closer range. They identify melodic contour and learn to sing and compose music graphs of melodic lines.
Call & Response, AB, ABA forms, verse/chorus
In rhythm, they match the locomotor moves of walking with the beat of the music. They further develop their ability to move and play a steady beat.
quarter note, pairs of eighth notes, quarter rest:
read, play on instruments - (unpitched and xylos), compose, improvise
Beat vs. Rhythm (be able to demonstrate the difference between them on body and instruments)
Sing while keeping a steady beat on body or instruments
Xylophone: steady beat, simple bordun to accompany songs
Expressive skills include hearing and identifying dynamic levels and crescendo/diminuendo (growing louder/softer, piano/forte)
Interpret music and move expressively and creatively to music in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities
Repertoire includes a variety of children's folk songs from various cultures and some samples of Western classical music as well some world music. All classes foster an active movement approach where children experience the music in their bodies through locomotor and non-locomotor games.
Sing Songs in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities, variety of cultures
Improvise using unpitched percussion and non-traditional sounds to accompany children’s literature
Audience Etiquette continued
SECOND GRADE
Vocal work continues to develop a strong and healthy singing voice. Head voice and pitch matching continued
Sing while maintaining a steady beat with body or instruments (xylo or unpitched)
In melody, children review and practice their singing skills with sol, mi and la. They add re and do to their singing and reading.
In rhythm, the children walk and run and stop with the corresponding note values of quarter note, eighth note and quarter rest. They read, play and write rhythm patterns using these note values. They learn to distinguish between the beat and the rhythm of the words, playing their parts on unpitched percussion instruments.
Interpret music and move expressively and creatively to music in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities
They also learn simple folk dances to reinforce their feeling of the rhythmic pulse. Students play simple ostinato patterns on barred instruments.
Expressive skills expand on dynamic levels to include gradually louder and gradually softer. They also work with timbre and dramatic sound effects in stories.
Repertoire continues to include folk material from America and different cultures as well as selected European classical music.
Pentatonic scale and songs
Instruments of the Orchestra: 4 Families of Instruments
Audience Etiquette continued
Students can demonstrate skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance settings.
THIRD GRADE
Melody Children apply their listening and solfege training to the music staff. They read, write and play music on the staff.
The singing voice develops with emphasis on tone quality and independence. Children sing rounds and simple 2-part arrangements.
Rhythmic work reinforces reading, writing and singing patterns with 8th, quarter and half note rhythms. Grouping of beats into 3/4 time and 4/4 time is part of their experience and reading in 3rd grade.
Instrumental activities continue with simple barred instruments and they are introduced to the recorder. The recorder develops fine motor coordination, breath awareness and control, articulation with the tongue, reading from the staff and improvisation. Students attend a concert performed by the Lexington Symphony Orchestra as well as a demonstration of various families of instruments prior to the concert.
Expressive elements include staccato and legato and phrasing as interpretive tools for recorder playing.
Instruments of the Orchestra: review 4 families, in depth unit on STRING instruments (to prep for 4th grade)
RECORDER:
B-A-G, high C & D, low E-D-C
Read, Play, Improvise, Compose
Interpret music and move expressively and creatively to music in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities
Sing and play songs in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities, variety of cultures
Students can demonstrate skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance settings.
FOURTH GRADE
Students build their vocal repertoire of 2 part singing in rounds, partner songs, simple melodic ostinati or descants.
Melody focuses on the entire pentatonic scale with reinforcement of their staff reading skills. Transposing extends to songs using the full pentatonic scale. They compose simple melodies as well as read simple melodies and harmony parts on the staff.
Rhythm includes the experience of singing, moving, playing and reading syncopated patterns, 16th notes and note values longer than three beats. They design and perform instrumental arrangements.
Form includes reinforcement of AB, ABA and Rondo form.
Instrumental work focuses on more advanced arrangements of barred instruments and percussion.
Major Scale (now know all solfege hand signs, on staff, sight singing)
Minor scale
Bridge, introduction, interlude
2 part rounds and partner songs
Instruments of the Orchestra: review 4 families and strings, in depth unit on Brass, Woodwind and Percussion (to prepare for 5th grade band)
Interpret music and move expressively and creatively to music in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities
Sing and play songs in duple and triple meter and in major and minor tonalities, variety of cultures
Students can demonstrate skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance settings.
Grade four is the first year the students can sign up for string instrumental lessons at school. These classes provide the exciting opportunity for students to participate and perform in a string ensemble where they apply their knowledge and skills from the music classroom. If they already take lessons on a string instrument they can join the All Town String Orchestra which practices on Friday afternoons.
FIFTH GRADE
Vocal work includes choral experience with part singing, blending voices, breath control, strengthening the head voice, voice control and expressive interpretation.
Melody develops the diatonic scale in major and minor, vocal improvisation and reading octavo scores.
Rhythm reinforces and applies knowledge of 16th notes, syncopation, meter in 2 & 3.
Performance is a large part of 5th grade experience with one choral concert in the winter and one in the spring (at Moving Up Ceremony).
Repertoire includes a variety of musical styles and composers; jazz, pop, classical, folk, rock and world music. Students attend a Lexington High School Choral Extravaganza that showcases all the different choral ensembles at the High School.
In the fifth grade, children have the choice of instrumental lessons with either the string ensemble or the band. As with the fourth grade, these lessons take place during the school day and offer a wonderful new venue for their musical skills.
Gr. 5 CHORUS
Beautiful Unison singing
2-part singing
Choose repertoire allows students to continue to develop their head voice
Vowel Shapes and Consonants
Phrasing
Breathing
Dynamics in singing
Proper singing posture (for sitting and standing)
Following conductor’s gestures and cues
Ensemble singing (blending)
Singing expressively (appropriate to the lyrics) and conveying meaning to the audience