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Course Description

The Loudoun County elementary music curriculum consists of a well-planned sequence of developmentally appropriate experiences leading to clearly defined skills and knowledge. The program is designed to actively involve students of all learning modalities using materials carefully selected for their aesthetic value. The Loudoun County curriculum is aligned with the National Standards for Arts Education and the Virginia Standards of Learning.  Music activities include many opportunities for students to sing, play instruments, move to music, listen and analyze, learn musical notation, create, and perform.

Rationale

Music is an art form through which feeling is expressed. Music adds quality to life as it promotes mental development and provides an outlet for emotional expression. It has motivating characteristics that inspire all people to appreciate some form or genre of music. Considering the intrinsic value of music, the primary purpose of music education is to contribute to the quality of life for all students by developing their capabilities to participate fully in a musical culture.

Music provides a powerful means of engaging students in learning and improving their achievement. Fundamental in a student's overall social, emotional, and cognitive development, music enhances reasoning, inspires creativity, and encourages critical thinking, self-discipline, problem-solving, decision-making, cooperation, and imagination. Music enables students to learn about themselves, other people, and humanity in general.

The Loudoun County elementary music program is a strong, diverse, vocal music curriculum that enhances each child's education while simultaneously establishing an understanding and appreciation of this art form. The purpose of the program is to develop awareness that music is a vital part of each student's daily life. A comprehensive, well-planned, and logical sequence of developmentally appropriate experiences lead to clearly defined skills and knowledge and allow for exploration, cultural and aesthetic enrichment, and personal satisfaction.

The elementary music program is offered to students of all learning modalities in grades one through five, and is designed to offer a myriad of opportunities for active participation and success. Students are regularly engaged in singing, playing instruments, moving to music, learning to read and notate music, creating music, and listening to, analyzing, and evaluating music and music performances. Carefully selected materials are utilized for their aesthetic value to the program and provide a framework whereby students learn to understand and appreciate their own historical and cultural heritage as well as those of other cultures.

Grading Policy

In 2011, LCPS revised its elementary grading system.  Quarterly progress indicators in demonstrating skills and content taught in music are:

• 4 = Exceeds Standard

• 3 = Meets Standard

• 2 = Progress Towards Standard

• 1 = Below Standard

Course Objectives

The students will:

1. Experience, recognize, respond to, read, notate, perform, and create rhythms and rhythmic patterns in a variety of meters;

2. Experience, recognize, respond to, read, notate, perform, and create melodic patterns;

3. Experience, respond to, and perform a variety of musical textures and harmonic structures;

4. Experience, recognize, identify, and explain aspects of musical form;

5. Recognize, identify, and respond to expressive elements of music, including dynamics, tempo, and articulation, and will perform music with appropriate expressive qualities;

6. Experience, recognize, and respond to a variety of instrumental and vocal timbres;

7. Experience and respond to music of various styles and genres from a variety of world cultures, including music of the classical Western tradition;

8. Respond to musical experiences and create movement, using developmentally appropriate movement and dramatization;

9. Employ available technology to augment experiences in the other program objectives; and

10. Recognize and apply appropriate music vocabulary as they relate to the other program objectives.