There is a beautiful song in the air every morning at Pennfield during Morning Assembly as the entire school sings a new song together each day. From Kindergarten through the Eighth Grade students have at least one and often two or three music classes each week. Add to that, music that is integrated into school plays and productions and music truly is in the air most of the time at Pennfield. If a child has a musical talent it will certainly grow and flourish at Pennfield.
In Fourth Grade a foundation is prepared for reading music and music theory as each student learns to play the recorder. In Fifth Grade hand bells are introduced and for the first trimester practice is under way for the Holiday Concert. Notes become chords and chords become recognizable songs as students thrill in the rich full sound of the hand bells. Another favorite project is trying their hand at composing their own original music on the computer. This project guides them through different musical styles and rhythms and gives them an opportunity to develop their own style.
In Sixth Grade students can choose to learn a specific instrument and play in the concert band with private lessons being offered after school or they can choose to sing in the Chorus with private voice lessons offered after school. A handful of students do both! Throughout the year both band and chorus prepare for four major school productions – the Holiday Concert, Grandparent’s Day, the Spring Concert and Commencement.
Music classes are often woven into traditional classroom studies when countries, regions or cultures are explored so too are their native music and indigenous musical instruments. Many songs and compositions played and sung for Grandparent’s Day and at the Spring Concert parallel what is being learned in Social Studies or Language Arts.