Welcome to music! Everyone gets to take music this year and my goal is to make sure that it’s fun for everyone. How that happens will look different at each grade level. I will try to do my best to give where we will start in the information below, but things may change depending on what the students already know and what they may want to learn. I also only see each class for one week every five weeks, so student growth in music may feel inconsistent. But we will still do our best to make sure that our students are learning, growing, and loving music!

Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns about your student’s music educational experience. My contact information is at the bottom of this letter. You may also be able to find the information on my website (http://sites.laveenschools.org/nferguson/).

Kindergarten-2nd Grade:

We will learn how to listen to music while understanding the importance of identifying the steady beat, the movement of the melody (high v. low), and dynamics (loud v. soft). We will also learn about movement to music and different composers and cultures from around the world.

3rd-5th Grade:

Building on the previous years, we will continue to explore identifying the beat, the movement of the melody, and dynamics, but we will also focus on music notation. Students will be able to identify the basics of music in written music without even hearing the song. We will also explore more movement to music and more composers and cultures from around the world.

6th-8th Grade:

The content of these classes will be more student-directed. Students will be given the opportunity to choose what they are interested in learning at the beginning of the year. Within the specific content they choose we will also learn the basics of music: music notation, theory, expression, and chord progressions. As we learn more students will have more understanding of how music works which will help them understand some of their favorite songs.

If your student wants more music more often, encourage them to join our after-school choir clubs (3rd-5th and 6th-8th) or join our band (6th-8th). Again, if you need more information, please contact me or the school at any time.

Nicole Ferguson Neal
nferguson@laveeneld.org (Quickest response time!)
(602) 304-2020 x3679
http://sites.laveenschools.org/nferguson/