The goal of the music program at Sacred Heart School is to guide students into developing independent musicianship, and to help them gain understanding of music enough to be lifelong makers and appreciators of music.
Preschool/Kindergarten/1st Grade
The goal of music class in Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade is for the children to be immersed in an environment and culture of music-making and movement with music. Songs and chants without words are used as much as possible so that children can focus solely on music. A variety of activities and games are used to allow them to experience as many different tonalities, meters, and musical styles as possible. Singing and rhythmic chanting together is done regularly, as well as individual student responses. Tonal and rhythmic improvisation is taught even to the youngest students. Preschoolers, Kindergarteners and 1st Graders perform at the Christmas Program in December.
2nd/3rd Grades
2nd and 3rd grade students continue learning and refining concepts from previous grades, and more activities are used to encourage independent musical thinking. They begin singing songs in 2 or even 3 part harmony. They are introduced to reading tonal and rhythmic notation. Students continue to have opportunities to improvise, as well as compose. 2nd and 3rd graders perform at the Christmas Program in December.
4th/5th Grade
Students continue learning and refining concepts from previous grades, and they begin learning to read and write music notation. True music reading is being able to look at music notation and audiate what is written before trying to sing or play on an instrument, and the students guided toward reading and writing this way. In the 2nd half of the year, 4th graders begin learning to play the recorder and 5th graders begin learning to play the electronic keyboard. They build a repertoire of songs on the instruments, and also make up their own music, either by improvising or composing, with their instruments. The 4th and 5th Graders perform at the Christmas Program in December.
6th/7th/8th Grades
At the middle school level, students are provided with a variety of instructional units in which to help them build their musicianship skills. 6th Graders learn choral music part-singing and perform at the Christmas Program in December. In the 2nd half of the year, 6th graders begin learning to play the ukulele. 7th Graders play drum ensembles, and both 7th and 8th graders use digital audio workstations (DAWs) on computers to arrange and create their own music.
Band
The band program is extra-curricular and is open to all students in 5th through 8th grade. The Beginning Band (for students with no previous experience playing their instrument) practices every Monday after school until and every Tuesday Afternoon during recess. The Advanced Band (for students with at least one year of experience playing their instrument) practices every Wednesday and Thursday morning before school.