"The sense of meaning in music can be developed by the student as listeners." 

~ Alberta Program of Studies, 

Elementary Music

Most people understand that "listening" is an integral part of any musical experience.  Others may even argue that music exists only when there is an audience who actively engages in the act of "listening."  But as budding musicians, students must understand the importance of developing a kind of "inner hearing" which enables them to perform music in tune and in time.  This is what they have been working on over the past week.

For example, Kindergarten students learned a Valentine song, sung to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O" during which they were asked to take out certain letters while being able to "jump in" and sing the other letters at the correct timing.  The activity requires that students internalize the basic beat and rhythm.  This type of inner hearing is very important in the overall development of musicianship.  Likewise, through the activity of "Fantastic Music Machine", Grade 4 students have to develop the inner hearing in the same way so that they can perform a four-voiced texture.  

Music as a Language

Music is a language:  it has elements of all languages ---- phrasing, structure, grammar, etc.  It communicates thoughts and feelings.  Kindergarten students have experienced the power of music and the way it evokes emotions.  They have been asked to listen to excerpts from some well-known classical pieces and choose a colour that best describes the emotion the music evokes.  Grade 1 students explored nursery rhymes and used them to tell musical stories.

Grade 2 students revisited the solfège, sol, mi and la while Grade 3 students continued to build on their knowledge of musical question and answer.  Grade 4 students are about to start their next project namely, The Fantastic Music Machine.  They will be applying the various concepts on rhythmic pattern, musical structure and phrasing to create some original works.