Music is an active classroom.  All students K-4 will be learning about essential musical elements such as rhythm, beat, melody and dynamics through song, movement, and instruments.  Learning progresses through a logical, pedagogically sound series of lessons and activities by grade level.  Students are exposed to music of a variety of styles and cultures and given the chance to perform and create music within the classroom and through school concerts.  See below for some more specific outcomes by grade level.

Kindergarten - Students will distinguish speaking versus singing voice and explore many opposites in music such as loud/soft, high/low, slow/fast.  They will follow the beat and learn to read and play basic quarter note/rest rhythms.  They are introduced to the musical scale and use it to play patterns on pitched instruments.

1st Grade - Students will expand the concepts learned in Kindergarten.  They will gain experience with more complicated rhythms, begin to examine notes on the staff and relate them to the music scale, and improvise simple rhythms.  Students will also learn about instruments of the orchestra.

2nd Grade - Students will begin to draw notes on the music staff and identify melodic shape, i.e. high/low pitches on the staff.  Their rhythmic expertise will expand and they will use their understanding of melody to follow musical form.

3rd Grade - Concepts of scale are practiced by reading songs using solfege (do-re-mi).  Rhythms are identified and practiced. Students will begin to write and perform their own musical compositions.  Students will begin singing rounds and partner songs.

4th Grade - Students will become proficient in reading rhythms and identifying notes in the treble clef, they will do much of this while playing their recorders.  They will sing and play in parts and become familiar with musical terms for expression in music.