Look Inside
Curriculum
The Arts

Music

BEGINNERS & KINDERGARTEN

  • cultivate community and understanding through folk songs, stories, and dances from our many cultural backgrounds and beyond
  • develop an awareness of their bodies and how they move, as well as the different ways their voices can produce sound

GRADES I & II

  • lay the foundations for music literacy and notation skills that allow them to echo, decode, improvise, read, and compose their own music
  • students investigate music and musicians across history and cultures

GRADES III & IV

  • build on their musical foundation, participating in more complex singing and rhythm experiences
  • apply their skills to new instruments including recorder, saxophone, and ukulele

GRADES V & VI

  • experience their Central Subject through music as they explore characteristic instruments, styles, and songs of China and Africa
  • expand their ability to play and create music together, culminating in their Grade VI Rites of Passage compositions

JAZZ BAND & CHORUS

  • Silver Jazz Band (Grades V-VI) and Gold Jazz Band (Grades VII-VIII) each meet for one hour after dismissal on Wednesday afternoons. Students who are actively studying an instrument and have 1+ year of experience are welcome to join.
  • Middle School Chorus meets once per week during the regular school day. This group is open to all interested students in Grades V-VIII.

SINGING AT ASSEMBLIES

  • Shady Hill has been a singing community for decades -- all of our major Assemblies feature music
  • singing in the community expresses who we are and creates a sense of belonging