Xylophones

• Learning simple and complex songs on up to 8 different notes
• Mastery of musical ideas including:
  • Rhythmic: Steady Beat, Fast/Slow Tempo, Duration Short/Long
  • Melodic: Singing/Speaking
  • Dynamics/Tempo: Discerning Loud/Soft
  • Instrument Family: Classroom Instruments
  • Composers: varied
  • Form/Analysis: AB
  • Performance: Singing Together/Solo, Active listening

• Percussion: quarters to wholes, we can bang/scrape/clap/rub/tap/hit it
  • Mastery of musical ideas including:
    • Rhythmic: Quarter notes and Quarter Rests, Time signature 4/4 and 2/4
    • Melodic: Matching pitch/singing tunefully, Discerning High/Low
    • Dynamics/Tempo: Aural recognition, p/f and Faster/Slower, Phrasing and Breathing, Affect and Emotions
    • Instrument Family: Classroom Instruments, String family
    • Composers: varied
    • Form/Analysis: ABA and verse/refrain
    • Performance: Ostinato and Bordun

Boomwhackers

• We focus primarily on songs and chords that fit within a pentatonic C scale, although we're always game to go above and beyond with our full class set!
• We also discuss World Music at this age, and start locally (American Folk) and spread over to Jamaica, Australia, India, Zimbabwe, China, and beyond.
• Mastery of musical ideas including:
  • Rhythmic: Beat/Rhythmic; Eighth Notes, beams, flags, single, pairs
  • Melodic: Kodaly Mi, Sol, La (with hand signs), Musical Alphabet, Pitch names (treble clef) and lines/spaces, the G Clef/Treble clef
  • Dynamics/Tempo: mf, crec, decrec, accel, rit; Tempo vocabulary
  • Basic Music Theory: Measures/Bar Line/ Double Bar/ Repeats
  • Instrument Family: Classroom Instruments, Tone/instrument colors, Brass family, Percussion family
  • Composers: varied
  • Form/Analysis/Style: Rondo, Coda, Concerto
  • Performance: Echo, Tutti, Unison, Acapella/Accompanied, Broken Bordun, Sight Reading and Aural Skills

For Recorder Karate videos, click here! RECORDER KARATE

Recorders

• We do a full year immersion into the Recorder; curriculum is built around a very special Tuxedo-only Recorder Karate program that Mrs. Kurian creates every year, and which culminates in a special concert at Carnegie Hall.
• Link to Tuxedo's own Recorder Karate program here: RECORDER KARATE
• Mastery of musical ideas including:
  • Rhythmic: Tempo Vocabulary; Tie; Half notes and rests; Dot, Dotted half notes and rests; 3/4 and 6/8 time signature
  • Melodic: Pentatonic Scale (D, R, M, S, L, D with hand signs)
  • Dynamics/Tempo: pp/ff and fermata;
  • Instrument Family: Classroom Instruments; Vocal Parts; Aural Identification of Families; Woodwind Families
  • Composers: varied
  • Form/Analysis: AABA, ABC, Introcutions
  • Performance: Audience Etiquette and Decorum; Performer Etiquette and Decorum; Canons and Rounds; Dynamics and Expression

*Orchestra and Band starts in fourth grade.*

Soprano Ukuleles

• We start with some I IV V songs, throw in some ii and vi chords, and see how far down the American Pop/Rock ladder we can go.
• Mastery of musical ideas including:
  • Rhythmic: Whole notes and Whole Rests; Syncopation
  • Melodic: Diatonic Scale (D, R, M, F, S, L, T, D with hand signals)
  • Dynamics/Tempo: mp/mf/ppp/fff; lento, largo, adagio, andante, allegro, vivace, presto; tempo markings in notation; symbols and abbreviations in notation
  • Basic Music Theory: Absolute Pitch Names; Roman numerals of chords and the I IV ii V progression
  • Instrument Family: Classroom Instruments; Classical Ensembles
  • Composers: varied
  • Form/Analysis/Style: DS/DC al Fine, ABACA- Rondo, Theme/Variation
  • Performance: Harmony 2 part; playing and singing simultaneously; songwriting 101

Orchestra, Band and Choir students:

For NYSSMA or All-County links, return to the home page and navigate to the correct link.

• Keyboards: Thumb and C positions, and entry-level classical piano music
• Mastery of musical ideas including:
  • Rhythmic: Sixteenth Notes and Sixteenth Rests; 2/2 Time Signature; Time Signature Conducting Patterns; Triplets
  • Melodic: Major/Minor Aural Identification; Major Scale (notated)
  • Basic Music Theory: Dynamics and Articulation (symbols in notation); Science of Sound
  • Instrument Family: Classroom Instruments; Current Ensembles
  • Composers: varied
  • Form/Analysis: The Grand Staff; Partner Songs, Composed Songs
  • Performance: Harmony 3-part

Orchestra, Band and Choir students:

For NYSSMA or All-County links, return to the home page and navigate to the correct link.

• Western Music History
• We start with the Medieval time period, and cruise our way up to 21st century current pop hits
• Mastery of musical ideas including:
  • Rhythmic: Macro vs. Micro Beat in duple and triple meter
  • Melodic: Minor scale (notated- harmonic, melodic and natural); Chromatic Scale
  • Basic Music Theory: Key Signature; Circle of Fifths
  • Composers: varied