Music News
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Grade-Level Informances/Performances
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| Kindergarten |
Thanksgiving Celebration
November 20th at 11am
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| 1st Grade |
Musical Informance
TBA
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| 2nd Grade |
Musical Informance
March 18th at 7pm
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| 3rd Grade |
Musical Informance
April 8th at 7pm
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| 4th Grade |
Spring Musical
TBA
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| 5th Grade |
Spring Musical
TBA
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Our Plan
To provide a comprehensive music program, delivered consistently and
sequentially by a credentialed music specialist, which teaches students to:
- Find the singing voice.
- Perform, recognize and notate melodic patterns.
- Use known melodies and rhythmic elements in songs, instrumental or dance
improvisations.
- Begin learning recorder and other instruments.
- Perform in choral groups and thematic grade-level theatrical
productions.
- Study through music literature, history and different cultures, such as
the Ohlone Indians and other Native Americans.
Creative, Educational Experiences
We are excited about the opportunities Los Alamitos students have for
creative self-expression through special arts residencies, which provide
performance experiences that integrate core academic curriculum with up to
four of the state-recognized arts disciplines: dance, music, theater and
visual arts. Performances include Christmas Kinders, Movin & Groovin,
Peter Rabbit, Peter and the Wolf, Recorder Performance and "60
Minutes." Also, a Joint Ed Festival called Makin' Music with Math &
Science is a unique experience that bridges the connection between music and
hands-on math and science.
 Scrip for Music
Thanks to the
support of all of our wonderful families at Los Alamitos, the Scrip for
Music Fundraising Program
has completely funded the K-3 Music Program since the 2000/2001 school
year! We need our families to continue to support our music fundraising
programs to sustain the consistent, sequential music program at Los
Alamitos Elementary School.
For more
information regarding the various forms of Scrip, please see
Scrip FAQs.
Research Supporting Music's Importance in Early Education
Music instruction in early education is about much more than just singing
songs, it is about developing and enhancing skills and abilities in children
that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Including a sequential
music program as an integral part of the school curriculum will not only teach
our children music fundamentals, but will serve to enhance their learning in
other subjects, particularly math, science and reading. Scientific research
proves the importance of music education for children ages 3-10.
- In the kindergarten classes of the Kettle Moraine School District,
Wisconsin, children who were given music instruction scored 48 percent
higher on spatial-temporal skill tests than those who did not receive
music training.
--Rauscher, F.H. and Zupan, M.A. (1999) Classroom keyboard
instruction improves kindergarten children's spatial temporal performance:
A field study. Manuscript in press, Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
- Students in two Rhode Island elementary schools who were given an
enriched, sequential, skill-building music program showed marked
improvement in reading and math skills. Students in the enriched program
who had started out behind the control group caught up to statistical
equality in reading and pulled ahead in math.
--Gardiner, Fox, Jeffrey and Knowles, (1996), Nature.
- Researchers exploring the link between music and intelligence reported
that music training was significantly more effective than computer
instruction in enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills, those
necessary for learning math and science. Children given piano lessons
significantly improved in their spatial-temporal IQ scores (important for
some types of mathematical reasoning) compared to children who received
computer lessons, casual singing or no music lessons.
--Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L., Levine, L.J., Wright, E.L.,
Dennis, W.R. and Newcomb, R. (1997) Music training causes long-term
enhancement of preschool children's spatial-temporal reasoning.
Neurological Research, 19, 1-8.
- Another study concluded that the arts are no less important than the
sciences in education. "We do not want our kids to grow up not
knowing how to think scientifically. They also need to learn how to think
artistically. Art and science are two of the most important human
inventions. When the arts are well taught, kids are grasping with
open-ended, messy questions that have no right or wrong answers, and that
is a very important skill. Finally, arts allow an expression of very deep,
personal meaning. Where else in the curriculum does one get to do
that?"
--Professor Winner, Harvard Graduate School of Education,
"The Arts and Academic Achievement: What the Evidence Shows."
Famous Quotes Regarding Music's Significance in Life
Music is the universal language of mankind. --Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
Music hath powers to soothe the savage beast. --William Shakespeare
Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other for
education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of
the soul. --Plato
Teaching music is not my main aim. I want to make good citizens. If a
child hears fine music and learns to play it, he(/she) develops sensitivity,
discipline and endurance. He(/she) gets a beautiful heart. --S. Suzuki
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