We started the year the same way we do all years in all grades - by making music! In the music room, we learn by music by making music. We learn by singing, saying, dancing and playing. We move, create and improvise. This 'sound before symbol' approach to music education creates a deep and enduring understanding of music. Children internalize music in their muscle and linguistic memories and begin filling a reservoir of expressive ideas that can continually be tapped.
In Trillium we begin by exploring self and general space, steady beat and high and low sounds through gross motor movement and pitch games. Huckleberries are reviewing formal, melodic and rhythm elements in greeting songs and games and Clarkia are exploring canonic form with vocal, instrumental and movement ostinati. The Alder classes enjoyed building community with a vibrant and booming drum circle while revisiting advanced rhythmic elements and their symbols. As performance ensembles, the beginning bucket drummers and the advanced marimba players dove right in to their first pieces of music and are already making great progress.
