Music

St. Daniel’s School Music Program

A General Music Class is part of the Art’s Program offered at St. Daniel’s. All grades, Kindergarten through Eighth attend this class once a week for forty minutes. The students are taught very basic music theory and listen to various types and styles of music both instrumental and vocal. The students also prepare and perform a Christmas Concert, a Spring Concert, and several other ‘performances’ throughout the school year including a sung weekly Mass.

BASIC THEORY

Rhythm:     

By the end of the school year Third through Eighth Grade students will be able to define rhythmic terms: Time Signature, beat/count, Whole Note, Half Note, Quarter Note, Eighth Note, Sixteenth Note, measure, dotted notes, and rests. When given various Time Signatures, the students will be able to write 3 and 4 measures worth of rhythm using the known notes and rests in varied combinations. For example: 4/4 time. The students know that the top 4 means “HOW MANY COUNTS/BEATS THERE ARE IN 1 MEASURE OF MUSIC”. The bottom 4 means “WHAT NOTE GETS 1 COUNT/BEAT”. So with that knowledge the students know that each measure must have 4 beats. No more, no less. Exactly 4 beats. They also know that the Quarter Note gets 1 beat/count. For example: Measure 1: 1 whole note. Measure 2: 4 quarter notes. Measure 3: 1 half note, 1 quarter note and 2 eighth notes. As you might see music rhythm is very mathematical ergo reinforces math skills. The Kindergarten through Second Grades will be able to clap rhythms ranging from easy to complicated and identify notes.

Intervals:   

  
In addition to rhythm, the students, Third through Eighth, will be exposed to intervals which use both vocal and aural skills. Each student will be expected to sing examples of Intervals as well as write the intervals on staff paper. This skill is much more difficult. Some students will grasp the aural aspect quickly while others may take much longer. Not only does this skill train the ear to ‘hear’ music differently, it teaches students patience. Instant gratification is not something one will find in Ear Training. The basic intervals: Major Second, Major Third, Perfect Fourth, Perfect Fifth, Major Sixth, Major Seventh, Perfect Eighth or Octave and Perfect One or Unison will be taught. Each Interval has a song which will help the student to identify and name. For example: The Perfect Fourth sounds exactly like the first two notes of the ever popular “Here Comes the Bride”. The Major Sixty sounds just like “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”. The Kindergarten through Second Grades will also be able to identify the basic three intervals: Major Third, Perfect Fourth and Perfect Fifth.

Singing:

All grades, along with the above skills, will also amass a nice collection of songs, hymns and chants that they will be able to sing and enjoy. Music from all eras of history will be listened to, learned and sung. Your child will be familiar with and confident in their voice. All students are expected to sing solo’s within the confines of music class. By having this expectation, the students are gaining confidence in getting up in front of people. This confidence they will be gaining in music class will aid them in other classes for example oral reports.

All students are given the opportunity to sing a solo whether in a concert or a Mass situation. Now, while all students are expected to try in class, no student is made to sing or perform a solo in a public forum. I will encourage them to give soloing in public a try. I always assure the students that I will only ask those students whom I feel are ready and capable of doing solo work.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

The school is divided into groups of classes for music. Kindergarten, First and Second Grades take music together; Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades are together; Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades are grouped together. In addition to these classes offered once a week during regular school hours, we offer an opportunity for the students, Third through Eighth to participate in an ‘audition only’ choir called The Schola Cantorum. This group meets once a week, after school for forty minutes.

Mass:     

Here at St. Daniel’s our school students begin their school day by attending Mass. Once a week, generally on Friday’s, music is provided for the Mass. Because of the grouping of classes, the opportunity for Third through Eighth Grades and the Schola Cantorum to act as Ministers of Music is possible. The groups rotate weeks. The week the Third – Fifth Grades are Music Ministers, the Sixth – Eighth Grades act as Lectors for the Mass. This affords the students in these classes to become more active, participating members of St. Daniel’s. Hopefully, they will continue to participate in these ministries after they graduate from St. Daniel’s. We actually have 3 choirs here at St. Daniel’s School: The 3rd, 4th, 5th grade choir; the 6th, 7th, 8th grade choir; and the auditioned Schola Cantorum. How blessed are we? VERY!!