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Music
The Music program at Meadowbrook celebrates diversity in a myriad of ways, engaging the students in singing, dancing, and in other musical activities to embrace the cultures of the world. Each unit works in direct correlation with the social studies, science and/or literature curricula of each grade.
In the Primary School, music is joyously sung, danced to, and celebrated. Children acquire a myriad of skills through sing-a-longs, musical games, listening activities, and Orff instruction. Chorally, students are involved in three major school assemblies in which they enthusiastically share thematic material and grow in confidence and independence.
In the Lower School, the material taught in music classes continues to celebrate global learning and complement what is being learned through other curricula. Students in the lower school are introduced to musical form, elements and style: for example, jazz, blues, symphony and rock n' roll. In addition, students from third, fourth, and fifth grades combine to form a large chorus, where they experiment with more advanced aspects of choral singing including three part harmony, more complex rhythmic patterns, and choreograpy. The Lower School Chorus performs at most major all-school and community assemblies.
In fifth grade, students have the option of taking beginning band or chorus. The process of performing multi-part instrumental music affords the aspiring musician the opportunity to sight-read music, analyze the composer's intent, foster technical skills, blend with an ensemble, set team-oriented goals, and create sounds to express the emotions that pictures and words fail to capture. With an emphasis placed on basic musical skills and using instruments to produce a quality sound, rehearsals are designed to prepare the students to perform works written for beginning band.
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