MUSIC / Overview

At Falk School, we believe music is meant to be experienced, so our music instruction is centered on learning by doing.  The music curriculum integrates a wide variety of musical activities – singing, movement, dance, playing instruments, listening, discussing, improvising, composing and performing – into a program designed to develop an understanding and appreciation for what music is, how it is made, and how it expresses ideas and emotions.  Each child is encouraged to find music’s place in his/her life, through exposure to music of many styles, time periods and cultures.

“Poetry, music, painting, dance and the other arts are not frills to be indulged in if time if left over from the real business of education; they are the business of education.”
            From Crisis in the Classroom by Charles Silberman, 1970

Primary / MUSIC

In the primary grades, the children are active learners.  Through echo songs and patterns, children are encouraged to find their singing voices and learn to sing in tune.  The children respond naturally to listening activities by moving, singling, or playing along.  Rhythm patterns are learned aurally, followed by notation experiences.  Primary children participate in musical games that encourage them to discover the many ways in which they can communicate through music.

Intermediate / MUSIC

The music curriculum in the intermediate grades continues the development begun in the primary years.  All children participate in a choral experience, developing the ability to sing in a group.  Partner songs, rounds and two-part harmonies are performed at this level.  Elective instruction on band instruments begins in the 4th grade and includes the opportunity to play in a concert band.  Intermediate children learn to read basic tonal and rhythmic notation and use these skills to play instruments, and listen to and sing music from a variety of genres and cultures.

Middle / MUSIC

As children move to the middle level, the musical skills learned in the earlier grades are studied in a variety of units, including:  Vocal Development and the Changing Voice, Jazz and Blues, World Drumming, Graphic Notation Compositions, and Music from Different Genres and Cultures.  Opportunities to sing in a mixed chorus, play in a jazz band and play in a concert band are also offered to middle level students.