The 1st grade students begin the year with lots of opportunities to perform a steady beat. As the year progresses, their rhythm studies expand to include the quarter note, quarter rest and eighth notes.
Different types of voices are explored through many rhymes, chants and simple songs. The children find their speaking, singing, whisper and shouting voices. This expands to discovering high and low and the development of a singing voice using so and mi melodies. The melodic range is expanded to so, mi and la in the spring semester.
The listening curriculum includes Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saints-Saen and parts of the Nutcracker Ballet by Peter Tchaikovsky. This repertoire provides opportunities to discuss high/low, fast/slow, short/long, and loud/soft. Movement activities are also an integral part of the listening activities.
Other areas of the curriculum in 1st grade include the use of the unpitched percussion instruments. Students are introduced to the barred instruments and play simple steady beat patterns. Some improvisation is introduced. Students are exposed to form in music like ABA or AB and the use of introductions and codas or endings. Singing and rhythm games and a fast paced activity based classroom all help to make a positive general music experience for these young students.
