Music Scope & Sequence
Overview of Scope and Sequence
In mixed classes students reinforce the study of specific music subjects using different musical materials the second year. Students continue to work on the previously stated music goals throughout their education at FSM. Lessons are supported through practice and performance. Some musical materials are repeated for community building, and educational impact. We recognize that students develop differently while going through similar music educational stages. Emphasis on specific goals and expectations are modified to meet students special interests and needs.
Kindergarten
- Emphasis on enjoyment of expressive singing
- Memorizing simple folk songs in unison
- Introduction to singing solfege
- Songs taught in foreign languages to practice articulation and expand horizons.
- Movement to steady beats, circle games, and simple dance movements
- Listening to world music in both ethnic and classical traditions and developing appreciation for different music styles.
- Learn to count and play simple rhythms on congas and hand percussion, and Native American drum
- Perform for classmates and the FSM community, learning to follow musical direction and work together in concert.
- Learn music vocabulary including words like beat, melody, composers instruments.
- Evaluate own performance through discussion after watching video taped concert.
First and Second Grade
- Emphasis on expressive singing continues.
- Pitch matching exercises begin,with emphasis on minor third intervals and pentatonic scales.
- Kodály hand signals are used for solfege
- 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 rhythms are practiced on congas and other hand percussion
- Read simple rhythms including whole, quarter, and eighth notes.
- Listening to local and world music enhance music appreciation developing listening skills through identifying instruments, style, and place of origin
- Songs taught in foreign languages to practice articulation and expand horizons.
- Perform for classmates and the FSM community, while following the cues of a conductor.
- Evaluate own performance through discussion after watching video taped concert
Third and Fourth Grade
- Expressive singing continues while learning learning partner songs, rounds, and ostinatos
- Emphasis on pitch matching increases
- Develop proficiency in solfege hand signs
- Read and perform more complicated rhythm patterns including triplets, combinations of eighth and sixteenth, meter, and time signature
- Percussion studies begin to include traditional rhythms of different ethnic origin including Latin American, African, and Middle Eastern rhythms
- Irish tin whistle practice and marching band performance begin
- Introduction to reading melody on the staff
- Improvisation is introduced in Irish tin whistle studies
- Listening to world music in both ethnic and classical traditions to enhance music appreciation and develop listening skills through identifying instruments, style, and place of origin
- Perform vocal and instrumental concerts for classmates and the FSM community while following the cues of a conductor
- Evaluate own performance through discussion after watching video taped concert
Middle School
- Students sing solo and with the group, in rhythm, and expressively
- Begin singing choral music with two and three parts
- Develop proficiency in following the cues of a conductor both while singing and playing instruments
- Irish tin whistle studies continue
- Begin to read music, identifying time and key signatures, absolute note names and intervals
- Expand musical vocabulary and symbol identification
- Compose simple melodies and rhythms, experimenting with familiar patterns, write these compositions on the staff then play or sing them.
- Instrumental music studies expand from 5th through 8th grade to include increasingly complex rhythms of different ethnic origin including Latin American, African, and Middle Eastern. Eighth grade students select songs form past years to review in choir during the final months
- Students experience performing music in collaboration with dance and theater through arts residencies
- With increasing sophistication, listen to world music in both ethnic and classical traditions to enhance music appreciation and develop listening skills through identifying instruments, style, and place of origin
- Students are encouraged to exceed standard music goals through provided opportunities for further study in sight reading, research, composition, practice and performance. They may choose to pass with honors through proposing and completing extra curricular work in these areas.
- Private music lessons are encouraged through integration with classroom studies and performance
- Evaluate one’s own and others’ performances
Representative Songs for Choir, K-8
Guantanamera (Cuba)
La Mar Estaba Serena (Chile) “The Sea is Peaceful”
Un Moreno (Bolivia) “A Love song for a Person of Mixed Heritage”
Kola Maka Sitomni (Lakota) “Friends Across This Land”
Ono Si Yegu (Uganda) “This is Not the Flu”
Freedom Medley (United States) Songs from the Civil Rights Movement
Di Sini Sanang (Indonesia) “I’m Happy Here”
Nina Bobo (Indonesia) A Lullaby
Ragu Pati Raja-Ram (India) “All Gods are the Same One”
Dalona (Palestine) “These Olive Trees”
Kuma Echa (Israel) “Come Brother”
Ekh Zagulal (Russia)
Porsaita Aiden Omme Kaiki (Finland) “We are Mother’s Piggies”
Po Rom Pom Pom (Spain)
Vem Kan-Segla (Sweden) “Who Can Sail Without Blowing Wind”
Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Germany) “My Thoughts are Free”
Representative Rhythms for K-8
Middle Eastern, Arabic, Latin, Calypso, Rhumba and variations on the African 6/8
Representative Irish Tin Whistle, Grades 3-8
Jigs, slip-jigs, and slow airs
Benchmarks
By the completion of fourth grade a student should be able to:
- Enjoy expressive singing
- Memorize and sing simple folk songs in unison
- Sing songs with clear articulation in English and at least two foreign languages
- Learn to count and play simple rhythms on congas and hand percussion, and Native American drum
- Perform for classmates and the FSM community, following musical direction and working together in concert.
- Use music vocabulary including words such as beat, melody, composers instruments.
- Evaluate own performance through discussion after watching video taped concert.
- Read simple rhythms including whole, quarter, and eighth notes.
- Identify instruments, style, and place of origin for world music compositions
- Read and perform more complicated rhythm patterns including triplets, combinations of eighth and sixteenth, meter, and time signature
By the completion of eighth grade a student should be able to:
- Sing solo and with the choir.
- Sing choral music with two and three parts
- Show proficiency in following the cues of a conductor both while singing and playing instruments
- Read simple music, identifying time and key signatures, absolute note names and intervals
- Compose simple melodies and rhythms, experiment with familiar patterns, write these compositions on the staff, and then play or sing them
- Perform music in collaboration with dance and/or theater through arts residencies
- Listen critically to and comment on music of various traditions.