Music at SSIS is a rewarding and exciting experience for all students. All students learn how to play musical instruments, have the opportunity to perform in various special events and gain an overall appreciation of music and the discipline required in relation to history, music and the arts.

The Elementary School music program is a general music program enabling students to develop musically through a variety of activities including singing, listening, music games, rhythmic movement and analysis, note reading, theory and instrumental playing. Every student performs alone and with others continuously throughout the year fostering the ability to work as a team and appreciation of the hard work involved in performing in front of an audience. Students develop a sense of self and an overall balance in life through several musical events and activities.

All students from Grades Kindergarten and up study a melodic instrument and are expected to practice each day. Students are able to choose between learning the recorder, piano/keyboard or basic classical guitar in the classroom or study other orchestral instruments privately at home.

All students in the Elementary School study music twice weekly.

Students in the Elementary school explore music through listening, playing of instruments and singing. Students develop musical skills through using their bodies as musical instruments, singing rounds in groups, various other arrangements and solos and gain an overall awareness of basic notation and pitch.

 
 
Early Adventurers and
Kindergarten

Music Goals:

All students in Early Adventurers and Kindergarten will begin to explore different musical instruments, sing a varied repertoire of music and experiment with different rhymes and speech pieces.

Students who successfully complete the Early Adventurers and Kindergarten Music program will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

• New and familiar songs that or varying length and identify repeated words and melody patterns
• Explore music through creative movement and playing of musical instruments
• Begin to identify music from a variety of different genres and styles
• Use instruments to enhance songs and/or stories
Grade 1 & Grade 2

Music Goals:

All students in Grade One and Two will begin learning how to play musical instruments, sing a varied repertoire of music and begin improvising and composing. Students will begin to gain an awareness of the relationships between music, the other arts and disciplines outside the arts.

Students who successfully complete the Grades One and Two Music program will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

• A developed sense of rhythm and coordination and pitch recognition and reproduction;
• A knowledge of the names and values of notes and other basic symbols of music theory
• Beginning recorder/keyboard/guitar skills according to individual ability
Grade 3 & Grade 4

Music Goals:

All students in Grade Three and Four will begin to further develop their abilities in playing musical instruments alone and with others, sing solos in front of an audience and in various ensembles and improve and compose more complex melodies and rhythmic fragments. Students will develop an understanding of relationships between music, the other arts and disciplines outside the arts. Students will be able to evaluate performances and perform in various school wide and community events.

Students who successfully complete the Grades Three and Four Music program will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

• A knowledge of the social, cultural, and historical aspects of values in conjunction with associated music, including seasonal, patriotic and ethnic compositions to reflect our student community
• Familiarity with instrument families and the characteristics that allow categorization; and
• More developed recorder/keyboard/guitar skills according to individual ability
Grade 5

Music Goals:

All students in Grade 5 will be able to play musical instruments, sing, improvise and compose and further develop their awareness of the relationships between music, the other arts and disciplines outside the arts.

Students who successfully complete the Grade Five Music program will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:

• An expanded knowledge about music in many cultures and historical periods with an emphasis of music reflecting our diverse student community
• Knowledge of advanced interval recognition and the development of relative pitch implementing the Kodaly method
• A greater familiarity with the performing forces of the orchestra;

 
 
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