Music
In Primary and Lower School, we create an environment in which students sing, dance, and play in tuneful, beautiful, and artful ways. With influence from the Kodaly philosophy of music education, students experience singing games, choral pieces, and folk dances from various cultures, as well as exposure to master works of classical music and its composers.
Primary School
Primary School (Pre-K,TK, and Kindergarten)
Pre-K 3
Pre-K 3 students discover the joy of music through singing, movement, listening, imaginative play, and exploration of classroom instruments. Students begin to develop a sense of steady beat, explore the qualities of different sounds, and use their voices and bodies to respond to music while building confidence as young musicians.
Pre-K 4
Pre-K 4 students build their musical skills through singing, movement, rhythmic activities, and instrument play. Students strengthen their ability to keep a steady beat, echo simple rhythmic and melodic patterns, recognize contrasts such as fast and slow or loud and soft, and participate cooperatively as part of a musical group.
Transitional Kindergarten
TK students become increasingly intentional musicians as they sing, move, listen, and play instruments with greater independence. Students explore rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, and musical form while learning to recognize and reproduce increasingly complex patterns and respond to music through movement and creative expression.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students build a strong foundation in musical literacy through singing, movement, listening, and instrumental experiences. Students refine their sense of steady beat and rhythm, develop greater pitch accuracy, explore beginning music notation and musical form, and learn to listen and perform collaboratively as an ensemble.
Lower School
First and Second Grades
Through singing games, chants, choral singing, and classical listening exercises, first and second grade music classes practice steady beat, develop aural memory skills, begin reading and writing basic forms of standard music notation, and develop the singing voice. First and second graders have experiences with classroom percussion instruments, hand drums, and barred instruments. Each spring, the students study opera as an art form and enjoy a Children’s Opera, performed by the Fort Worth Opera Company’s Apprentice Program, in our own Clements Hall.
Third and Fourth Grades
Third and fourth graders build upon the repertoire and skills acquired in previous years, develop their part-singing skills, explore reading and writing melodies and rhythms on the staff, and accompany their singing with barred instruments, hand drums, recorders, and ukuleles. Students study the instrument families of the orchestra and enjoy a presentation in Clements Hall by section leaders from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in the spring semester.
Middle School
Fifth Grade
Fifth graders expand upon skills learned in Lower School. Reading and writing music on the staff continues as students experience more complex rhythms and meters. They learn multi-part instrumental works, and they sing, play, and create movement and instrumental improvisations to enhance the musical works. To broaden their music history knowledge and to deepen their understanding of other cultures, students study music of the colonies, from founding through present day in the U.S.
Sixth Grade
In sixth grade, students explore specific music genres to gain a better understanding of the importance of music in cultures around the world, including Africa, Egypt, and China. They revisit opera and the science of the singing voice; they research and study the early roots of music in ancient times; and they explore music and sound effects in movies. Students dive into the world of jazz, learning about its roots and the importance of African American music to the world. Singing, folk dance, and movement continue to be key parts of music class, too.
Seventh and Eighth Grades
Seventh and eighth graders choose electives each quarter. Recent options include:
Music around the World, in which students use music as their passport to explore countries using an arts lens. While studying and playing music from around the world, they learn distinctive rhythms and authentic beats and sounds from the countries they visit. Along the way, they learn about different cultures and people.
Music by Design, in which students learn about the elements that go into creating original background music and sound effects. They use original music to enhance the meaning of presentations, and they explore Foley Artists, composers, film scoring, and Garage Band.
In addition, seventh and eighth graders may participate in Theatre Showcase, an elective in which they produce and perform short works. All eighth graders participate in the second-semester eighth grade musical, filling both performance and non-performance roles.
Showcasing Musical Skills
Primary and Lower School students have many opportunities to share the skills they develop in music class.
Hymn offerings during Eucharist services
Beginning with the October Eucharist service, first through fourth graders study the text and melody of a traditional hymn of the Christian faith as a portion of their weekly music class lessons. Students practice reading from the hymnals and singing with the organ as part of our monthly Eucharist services. Lower School parents are always welcome to attend.
Lower School Carol Concerts in December
First through fourth graders present traditional Christmas carols from around the world for parents and grandparents each December in the St. John’s Church Sanctuary. Guest soloists and pianists perform with the students. The LS Carol Concerts help usher in the holiday season and are a much-loved tradition at St. John’s Episcopal School.
First Grade Litany of Palms
First-graders study one or two Lenten choral pieces in music class, often adding barred instruments and percussion instruments to accompany their singing. First graders present the pieces as part of the Primary and Lower School Litany of Palms services, leading the palm processionals in and out of the Church sanctuary. First-grade parents and grandparents are invited to attend.
Second Grade Grandparents and Grandest Friends Day Sharing
Second-grade students study barred instruments, auxiliary percussion instruments, and ukulele skills each spring semester. One of these areas of study is highlighted and witnessed by Grandparents and Grandest Friends as a part of this special day of celebrating our family connections.
Third Grade Lift High the Cross Service with Pre-K 3 Students
Third-grade students serve as guest musicians for a promotional service to honor our youngest Pre-K 3 students who are growing into their new roles as Pre-K 4 and Kindergarten student participants in Chapel. Third-grade parents and grandparents are invited to attend.
Fourth Grade Moving Up Service
Fourth-grade students highlight both classroom music learning and chapel music repertoire during a ceremony to honor their promotion from Lower School to Middle School. Fourth-grade parents and grandparents are invited to attend.
Extended Day Enrichment Choir Class
Second through fourth graders may participate in an after-school choir which begins rehearsing in September and concludes with a service-oriented concert tour in December. The choir opens the Lower School Carol Concerts each December and is called upon to present music for various other campus events in the fall.