Vocal General Music (6th through 8th grade)

Music is a universal language.  I have music playing from a variety of cultures as students enter my room.  When the piece is over, we discuss the culture, the instruments heard, etc.  I strongly believe in kinesthetic learning and muscle memory as sound vehicles for student learning.  Movement is used in a variety of ways on a consistent basis in every class.  Singing is also an integral part of all classes for expanding students’ singing, rhythmic, musical, and diction skills.  Students develop their creative side by composing formal and informal compositions using their body or a variety of other musical instruments.  Students are given multiple opportunities to perform in front of their peers during class. They are encouraged to sing, bring instruments from home, play ones at school, dance, etc. on a regular basis.

MUSIC AND ACADEMICS

Core curricular areas, such as reading, math, and history are implemented through music to supplement student academic achievement.

Reading

Students discover the meanings of texts, identify literary devices, learn new vocabulary words, uncover the author’s or composer’s purpose, and identify how the music matches or doesn’t match the text of the song.

Math

Students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division properties when deducing the value of music notes and rhythms.  Fractions are also explored when discussing meter.

History

A variety of musical genres and cultures are discussed through historical contexts. Specifically, composers are studied from different time periods enabling students to see the correlation between the music composed and the events of the corresponding time period.