Russell Elementary Music dEPARTMENT

A note to parents of young musicians: 

As a society, we hold music to an exceptionally high—often unreasonably high—standard. The music we hear on the radio is meticulously edited to near perfection, which can make learning an instrument especially challenging for beginners. In a world shaped by instant gratification, it’s difficult for children to persevere through the inevitable mistakes that come with trying something new.

As parents, it’s important to recognize this. We celebrate early artwork filled with scribbles and glitter by hanging it on the refrigerator, and we cheer when our children put on a tutu, spin, fall, and try again. Yet when it comes to beginning instruments, our knee-jerk response to the squeaks and squawks of learning is often to ask them to stop making noise. While that reaction is understandable, it’s an unfair one. For the sake of our young musicians, we must learn to value effort and growth as much as polish and perfection when it comes to early music-making.

My Philosophy of Elementary Music Education

Elementary music education lays the foundation for a lifelong relationship with music. 

The goal of this program is for students to gain an appreciation for music as an art form while developing the foundational skills necessary for future musical learning. Instruction emphasizes the learning process—exploration, repetition, persistence, and growth—because when students are engaged in meaningful musical experiences, strong performances naturally follow.

Singing is the primary focus of instruction here at Russell, as it is the one instrument students carry with them throughout their lives. The ability to hear, match, and reproduce pitch with the voice supports all future music-making and helps students develop the critical listening skills needed to recognize accuracy and expressiveness. 

Students also learn to read music notation, play classroom instruments, create music, and perform for others. This program values effort and growth over comparison or perfection, recognizing that every child is musical and capable of improvement. Through guided, supportive instruction, students build confidence, musical understanding, and the skills needed to succeed in both future ensembles and as lifelong learners.