Lower School
The Lower School focuses on literacy, appreciation, and performance. Student literacy begins with an introduction to beat, rhythm, melody, music notation, form, harmony, movement, singing, and playing pitched and unpitched instruments.
Students learn about instruments in the orchestra and about influential composers. They are also introduced to music from diverse cultures. They attend concerts in the community which reinforce their classroom experiences.
All students are taught good vocal habits and are also taught skills of choral singing throughout Lower School . Grades one through five present a Holiday concert in December. They are joined by the Kindergarten in April for a spring concert. Any child in grades three through five can participate in Footnotes, our after school children’s choir. Students may audition for a smaller group out of Footnotes called Footnotes Ensemble. These two groups participate in school concerts, present concerts in their community, and take an optional trip in the spring where they may sing in a festival or a competition. Other performance opportunities for Lower School students include soprano recorder concert participation for students in grade five, and participation in All School Musicals in the fall and the spring.
Middle School
In sixth grade, music reading skills are taught through units on singing and classroom piano. The students discover the use of music notation and its relation to the written score. The students also study progressive music of America in the 20th century and are able to recognize audibly its various musical styles.
Seventh grade students learn about many aspects of music, including musical notation, rhythm and melodic reading, choir chime ensemble playing, and singing. Their awareness is heightened through self-made music videos and through individual projects that explore various music venues. A progressive proficiency in music reading and understanding musical concepts is expected.
Eighth grade students learn the basics of playing acoustic guitar. This includes chords, melodic reading, tablature, strumming and picking patterns, and maintaining and tuning the instrument. They will also do units on the art of singing and on choir chime ensemble playing. The class will also be exposed to the various periods of music and will learn about the world’s finest composers. They will have aural recognition of these composer’s literature. At the end of the year, they will have a good grasp of general music reading and notation and will compose a piece of music to be performed by the group on guitar, choir chimes or voice.
Upper School
The Vocal Ensemble is a performance group made up of non-auditioned singers. The group sings music from Bach to Broadway in the school and at community events. They learn simple music reading skills, sing in four part mixed harmony and learn proper choral etiquette. The Ensemble participates in the NC Independent School Choral Festival and takes an annual spring choral tour. Past destinations have been Orlando, Florida, Williamsburg, VA, New York City, England, France, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
The Chamber Singers ensemble is made up of highly auditioned female and male singers, grades ten through twelve. Singers auditioning for Chamber Singers need to have excellent music reading skills and advanced vocal technique. The repertoire can include Renaissance Madrigals, Sacred Baroque and classical octaves, secular folk songs, vocal jazz and Broadway. This group has sung in the East Room of the White House and in area competitions. Members from this group have also participated in choral trips to Florida, Virginia, New York, England, France, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria .
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