Goals for Music Class 2007-2008 

Music brings such joy to all of our lives.  To hear a piece of music and to have knowledge about its inner workings make music an even richer experience.  Music is an integral part of a classical education because it is such an important component of our lives, both historically and in the present age.  Music reflects history and the deepest feelings of the musicians who created it.  Every culture from the most remote to the most sophisticated has used music as an expression of itself.  Music is also one of the greatest facilitators in our worship of God.  It is our goal at CCS to impart the gift of music, in all its depth and beauty, to our children.   

For our younger children our curriculum will be singing and movement based.  They will learn fundamentals of music theory, as well as ear training that will enable them to keep a steady beat and match rhythm and pitch.  We will have music listening where the children will listen to great works of art by masters such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.  They will learn to distinguish various instruments and to reflect the many moods of the music.  The class will incorporate a singing time where the children will learn hymns as well as folk songs.
 
Upper grades will contain more academic components of music theory.  Wherever they are in their musical education, by the end of this year they will have a good sense of time signature, rhythm, notation etc.  The last 20 minutes of each class will be devoted to a specified singing time.  We will learn proper singing posture, breathing techniques and voice control.  The older children will also have a list of 10 songs that have been selected to show the progression of classical music that they will be learning to recognize.  We will also discuss Great Composers and the various ways that their music is distinctive.

It will be such an exciting year.  The children will develop skills that will hopefully ignite a desire that will lead them to explore music on an ongoing basis.  Thank you for allowing me to teach your children and impart my own love of music to them. 

Rachel Brown

rbrown@ccssmyrna.org