Music

In Grades Pre-K - 2, our youngest musicians develop their confidence as musicians and learn what it means to be part of a supportive, caring musical community. They learn how to learn their voice in healthy, sustainable ways and develop fundamental musicianship skills on Orff xylophones and hand percussion. Through guest visits, show-and-tells, and other hands-on experiences in the classroom, they learn what it means to be a respectful audience member, a kind participant, and a supportive classmate. First Grade students end the year with a special unit on Japanese Taiko that coincides with their classroom studies of Japan and Second Grade students end the year with a special unit on Indonesian Angklung.

Pre-K to 2 students perform in one concert each year in May.
 

In Grades 3 - 4, our students continue to build on the foundations established in Pre-K with the introduction of the ukulele as a primary focal point in the curriculum. All students learn how to play ukulele during these two years and by the end of their studies will have learned between fifteen to twenty songs and up to seven chords, or more on the instrument. Students learn about the harmonic language of pop songs and how fretted instruments function, all of which prepares them for their transition to bass and guitar in Upper School. In addition to learning how to play ukulele, students continually learn about music from different cultures, music notation (when applicable), and learning how to work together in a group music setting.

Grade 3 - 4 students perform in two concerts each year in December & May.

Fifth grade is students’ first year in the Upper School Music program. fifth graders begin their arts rotation with music. Students meet 5 times in a 10 day rotation for 55 minutes per class. We use our term together to build foundational skills on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals. All of our students learn how to play all of the instruments, and then we form small bands. Working in small groups helps students develop strong interpersonal skills as well as independence. In their bands, they learn how to cover pop music from a range of time periods. Through this performance-based curriculum, students continue to develop their sense of rhythm, pitch, and listening skills. The term culminates in an in-school performance for their peers.

Students in sixth grade continue to develop the skills they worked on in fifth grade. Students meet 5 times in a 10 day rotation for 55 minutes per class. They expand their chord and drum pattern vocabulary, and add new guitar strum patterns as well. With these added skills, students are able to perform increasingly complex songs. Students continue to work in small groups to develop their interpersonal and self-advocacy skills. Students start to take charge of their learning by learning how to find chord charts on their own, and how to find outside resources that can help them learn a song. The term culminates in an in-school performance for their peers.

By seventh grade, students will be increasingly confident performers on their instruments. Students meet 5 times in a 10 day rotation for 55 minutes per class. We continue to add more chords and drum patterns to their musical vocabulary, and also start to introduce simple picking and fingerpicking patterns. On bass, we start to introduce melodic bass lines. With these new skills, students are able to create increasingly accurate covers of pop songs. Students start to take more control of their learning, choosing their band members, songs, and instruments. Student autonomy is a major focus of our curriculum. Students work on learning how to learn songs, empowering them to be lifelong music makers capable of learning and playing music alone and with others. The term culminates in an evening performance open to families and the larger school community.

By the time students reach eighth grade, they have had three years to explore the various art forms offered at Pike. In eighth grade, they choose one art form to take a deep-dive into for the entire year. In music, we work on learning and writing songs that will collectively form a theme for a concert. Students will learn songs from a wide range of genres and time periods, and learn the art of songwriting. As part of this course, we will have guest musicians visit both in-person and virtually to share their experiences and craft as songwriters and performers. These experiences will give students the opportunity to engage with high level musicians, and learn about the variety of processes artists take for crafting songs. Students perform in a Winter and Spring concert open to families and the larger school community.