Elementary Music & Art

In Their Words

Handwritten note about music from a student

Elementary Music & Art

K-2 Music & Art: It All Starts With Play

VISUAL ARTS

In Clarkston Community Schools, K-2 visual art is taught by connecting grade level subject matter through specific themes to art curriculum. This integration takes grade appropriate basic design elements such as Lines, Color, Shape & Texture and infuses it with Language Arts, Science and Math. We call these connections "through lines." K-2 through lines are:

Kindergarten - How do art materials work? What is art?
First Grade - What are different kinds of artists? How do artists use or show patterns?
Second Grade - How do artists show change? (For example: seasons, melting, feelings and growing as well as concrete experience of change through the process of clay in ceramics.)

Young artists get a unique view and strong foundation of connecting and expressing his or her real world as an artist. Art class is an exploration of wonderful opportunity that enriches and provides deeper meaning to your child's life.

MUSIC & MOVEMENT

Students expressing themselves with music and movement In the lower elementary music classroom, students will engage with music through exploration, exposure, and play. Students will develop essential skills such as: matching pitch with a singing voice, keeping steady beat with instruments and the body, listening and moving expressively, and becoming familiar with these elements of music (form, timbre, melody, harmony, rhythm, expressive qualities). The goal of music classroom is to foster a curiosity and joy for music that will extend into upper elementary and beyond.

UNIQUE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The young artist will experiment with a variety of media and art making techniques including but not limited to drawing, painting, collage, ceramics and printmaking. Students will have the opportunity to have their artwork displayed and share their artwork with others. In music, all students participate in concerts, sing-a-longs, celebrations and school meeting presentations (may vary by building). Separate music classes are also offered for students with learning, behavioral, or emotional needs.

Grades 3-5 Music & Art: Growing Through Self- Expression

Upper Elementary Music & art

Students expressing themselves with music and movement

In Clarkston Community Schools, 3-5 art is taught through specific themes, integrating basic design elements and different subject matters. We call these connections "through lines" and elements of design. 3-5 through lines are:

3rd - How do artists show organization in our world?
4th - How do we connect to art from other cultures and times?
5th - How do artists impact our world?

Your growing artist gets a unique view and strong foundation of connecting different subject matter. Art class is a wonderful opportunity that enriches and provides deeper meaning to your child's life.

Music & Movement

In upper elementary, music education encourages self-growth through community. Students will express themselves creatively through these essential skills: singing, composing, improvising, expanding their understanding of music literacy, and listening to an increasingly diverse repertoire of music. Additionally, students will play a variety of instruments from the percussion, string, and woodwind families. The goal of the music classroom is to encourage students to become critical thinkers who will develop into independent lifelong learners through music-making.

Unique Learning Opportunities

The growing artist will experiment with a variety of media and art making techniques including but not limited to drawing, painting, collage, ceramics, printmaking, and much more. Students will have the opportunity to have their artwork displayed and share their artwork with others. In 4th grade, students have an incredible cultural experience of taking a trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts.

In music, all students participate in concerts, sing-a-longs, celebrations and school meeting presentations (may vary by building). Fourth grade students take a field trip to Detroit Symphony Orchestra, fifth graders visit Clarkston High School for secondary ensemble performances. In upper elementary school, instrumental instruction in basic keyboard, ukulele, recorder, and percussion skills (may vary by building) are available. Separate music classes are also offered for students with learning, behavioral, or emotional needs.

Building Toward Middle School

All fine arts courses in Clarkston Community Schools are designed to function using a spiral curriculum, where skills are introduced in beginning coursework, revisited and refined throughout subsequent grade levels. Growing artists are continuing to develop visual literacy skills. Students will learn how to create, discuss, apply higher level thinking skills, and form their own opinions and judgments.

Information for Fifth Graders

From the Directors

Dear Parents,
As an incoming sixth grader, your child has the opportunity to continue what so many successful students have before them: Be a part of the Music Program!
We know that for some of you, this will be your first exposure to instrumental music education and we wanted to take a brief minute to share some information with you. Attached to this letter is information regarding our program and the different opportunities it provides for your child. This is a time where both of you can explore the different options and get help choosing the experiences and classes that will help them be successful in high school and beyond. If after reading these materials you still have questions, please feel free to contact us at any time using the info listed below.

Music education is more than just playing an instrument or singing in a choir. It is immersing your child in a culture of successful students and teachers who care about education. It challenges each child to use the creative side of their brain while, at the same time, learning a new way to communicate… through MUSIC.

All of the current data clearly states that students involved in music education academically outperform their non-musical counterparts. Children who study music show different brain development and improved memory. Studies also show that music students are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drugs and alcohol. Additionally, music classes provide students with a safe space to express themselves. The classes are character building, memory making, friendship forming courses focused on creating and collaborating something bigger than ourselves. Did we also mention that they are a lot of FUN?

Every destination starts with a decision to embark on a journey. Now is the time to start your child in music and here is the place to do it. We can promise they will learn, laugh, and grow along the way.

Sincerely,

Justin Harris, CJHS, SMS, CHS Band joharris@clarkston.k12.mi.us
Michael Lewis, CHS & SMS Band mplewis@clarkston.k12.mi.us
Michael Peterson, District Choir mppeterson@clarkston.k12.mi.us
Joseph Richards, District Orchestra, jmrichards@clarkston.k12.mi.us
Ross Taylor, SMS Band, Orchestra, Choir rntaylor@clarkston.k12.mi.us

Instrumental Music Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t know anything about music?
That’s okay! We will teach your child everything they need to know, step by step. From how to assemble and care for the instrument to reading notes and rhythms, we will guide your child through the process. All that is needed from you is an enthusiastic attitude and patient ears when your child comes home and makes their first sounds.

How much out of school time is required?
Music is no different than any other curricular area. We ask that your child spend some time with their instrument each and every week. Think of it as musical homework, but with an awesome instrument in their hands. Additionally, 6th grade students will participate in two concerts during the school year; one in the first half of the year and one in the second.

What instrument should my child play?
The answer depends on a variety of things, but in the end, it is most important that the play something that they enjoy. We encourage you to visit the website www.bepartofthemusic.org, watch the different instrument videos with your child, and discuss the different options. We will also help guide your child based on his/her musical interests, physical make-up, and instrument availability. Your child knows what they want, you know your child, and we know music. Together we will find the instrument that they will not only enjoy but will give them the best chance of musical success.

What are the costs?
The costs associated with music depend on which instrument your child chooses and if you already own an instrument.Most students rent a quality instrument from a local music store at a very reasonable price. If financial constraints prevent you from being able to do this, please contact us and allow us to help! We will not let financial constraints keep your child from participating!!

What if I am not sure I want my child to do music?
Remember when your parents made you sit at the table until you ate your vegetables? Even if you didn’t love broccoli, your parents knew it was good for you. Music is the same way. Your child should sign up for music because it’s a wonderful subject to study... and way more fun than broccoli! If at some point in years to come, you decide it’s not for your child, they do not have to continue.

What if I have other questions?
Please know that we are here to answer any and all questions that you may have. Due to the busy nature of our program and schools in general, it is sometimes difficult to contact us by phone. The best way for you to reach us is electronically at the email addresses listed on the previous page. This will allow us to respond to your query, whether you are available by phone or not. You may also wish to browse the department website.

What do the students say?
“You will make a lot of good friends and it’s fun to learn and grow together as people.”
“The memories you make in music are memories you can’t make anywhere else.”
“Music is important to me because I am more inspired while playing music. My life would never truly be fulfilled without it. The purpose of music is to feel like you belong somewhere.”

Click the button below to visit our website tailored to incoming Sixth Graders interested in music.

Information for Incoming 6th Graders

Benefits: Beyond the Tests

Here at Clarkston Community Schools, our success is not defined by any single metric, but by a variety of measures that reflect this distinctive set of values. Look beyond standardized test scores and wonder about what makes a great learner.

CREATIVITY

The arts work to shift from binary thinking: "right" or "wrong" answers, and instead pushes students to think critically about the choices they make stylistically or otherwise. Students are taught that significance can be made through qualitative, not quantitative information. It is difficult to argue that there is not a “right” or “wrong” answer in music, as a wrong note is certainly in the realm of possibility. We can push students to see beyond right and wrong; that there is a level of understanding achieved beyond “just” right and wrong. This is even reinforced at the state level, for example, through the MSBOA and MSVMA festivals, for example, where “Style” and interpretation are in their own category and play an equal part in the overall rating of a performance. When it comes to interpretation, there may be many “right” ways.

PERSEVERANCE

In the arts, there is no bench. Students are not excluded from participating because of a lack of ability or talent. The expectation is the same for every student in the room, and thus the player's responsibility is to the other members in the group.

SELF-AWARENESS AND REGULATION

Students learn to hold themselves accountable for the information presented because of an intrinsic desire to improve the quality of their craft. As they progress, students acquire the knowledge necessary to identify and correct an incorrect pitch or rhythm using their auditory processing skills. They must also have the ability to concentrate on a task while processing what they are hearing, viewing from their conductor, and seeing on their canvas.

UNDERSTANDING THE ABSTRACT

Students have to be able to imagine various solutions to possible problems to create an artistic piece or a passage of music that is an accurate representation of what has been composed.

DECISIVENESS and RISK-TAKING

It takes courage to create sound publicly every day and share a personal art form. Students create, play or sing for individually, in small groups, and large ensembles every day and subject their work to critique by peers and instructors.

CREATING UNDERSTANDING

"Art is one of the most powerful tools in disrupting the status quo. We see this time and time again, because artists have the ability to use the platform of art to translate difficult, topical, and controversial issues into an accessible medium for dialogue and engagement. Art can break down boundaries—political, socioeconomic, geographic—and can empower communities to protect their rights and legacies." - Nicole Dowd, Program Manager of Halycon Arts Lab

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

"Music is… magical... you take some seemingly random marks on a page, you blow air through a carefully constructed tube, and what comes out the other side is a sound that can convey things that words cannot... And while we can do a million random things with a million random objects, somehow, when we just blow some air through a tube, we create sounds that can move other human beings, can reach right into our brains and our hearts... That is… magical." – Peter Greene, The Huffington Post

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP

A student learns to lead when he or she feels confident in his or her abilities, comfortable with those he or she is leading, and supported intellectually and emotionally by his or her instructors. We provide these opportunities daily. We build our team, year after year, and grow a community of kind, hard working people who all want the best for each other, because it's what's best for the ensemble.

For more information, please visit the following websites: