Children enjoy their first musical and dramatic experiences through movement, chanting rhymes, clapping, singing, and playing musical instruments. The major areas of music concentration are song literature, timbre, form, musical concepts with corresponding symbols, and the fundamentals of singing, melody, and rhythm.
Interdisciplinary projects comprise another important element of the program.
Music teachers, academic teachers, and other specialists in Lower School work together, using song literature from around the world, works from children s literature, and authentic folk tales. These collaborative efforts often culminate in charming and accomplished school performances. Beginning in the fourth grade, each child chooses a musical instrument to play, enabling the fourth and fifth grade to combine to form both band and orchestra groups. Throughout the program, teachers encourage improvisation to develop creative thinking, stimulate children s imagination to nurture emotional development, and teach musical and dramatic skills for lifelong enjoyment.