Music

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students have the opportunity to attend various enrichment classes throughout the school day.  Music and movement is a class that this age group actively participates in two to three times during the week.  Students are able to move around and be immersed in music.  

Throughout the year all grades will be exploring music. In each grade level, students will meet the following national standards for music education (according to their level and ability):
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments alone and with others.
3. Reading and notating music.
4. Listening, analyzing, and describing music.
5. Understanding music in relation to history and culture (music around the world).
6. Composing and arranging music with specific guideline
7. Understanding relationships between music and the other arts
8. Evaluating music and music performance.
9. Learning Church music (Sacred music).

** All grades are learning religious music and understanding how music is a very important role in the liturgy. All grades 
**Fourth grade students are learning to play the recorder/Recorder performance will be in May.

Together, we’ll learn, explore and appreciate the music that our composers have left for us. Your child will come, prepare, and celebrate the wonderful world of music and soon this will be shared with you at Mass, and musical performances.

Students will learn correct vocal techniques, performance etiquette, advanced choral technique, cantor technique, and musicianship.  Students will learn a wide variety of music as they prepare a vast repertoire to be used for hosting mass, chorale competitions, evening concerts and other special occasions. Attendance at mass, concerts, and competition is mandatory.  Formal concert attire is required.  Student grades are largely based on participation and performance. 

8th grade students will explore elements of drama/speech, including basic skills, stage movement, speech vocal production, character development, improvisation, and the history of theater. The students gain self confidence as they work the building block approach of team building, memorization and performance. Each student will be given opportunities for stage and/or technical roles while developing a working knowledge about theater performance, production prep, costuming, sound, lighting, backstage workings, blocking on stage, and getting the house ready for the production. The students will participate in several performances in class and two full-scale productions (if the team proves ready for this challenge).  Attendance at these performances is a major grade and is mandatory. Some rehearsal times outside of class may be required. 

Beginning Band is offered to students in the 6th grade. Instruments taught are shown and demonstrated to all 5th graders in the spring of the year and elective choices determine who will be in band. The band director visits with each student who selects band as their 6th grade elective to determine what instrument they will play. This selection is based on 1) student choice (they are asked to list three choices from among the instruments taught), 2) lip, teeth formation and finger length and shape (restricts students to and/or from certain instruments, 3) manual rhythm test and determination of history of piano lessons (for students selecting percussion as their first choice).

Students with one or more years of instruction on a band instrument may select the ADVANCED BAND as their elective in grades seven and/eight. Chair placement is decided by audition after the year is in progress based on scales and etude studies assigned at the beginning of the year.

Students have the opportunity of individually auditioning for the ATSSB All-Region band in the fall.

The ADVANCED BAND gives four public performances each year: Grandparents' Day, Christmas Concert, Fun in the Sun Day concert, and Spring Concert. They also compete in a concert & sight reading contest each spring.