St. Joseph School students (K-6) attend general music classes twice a week for 30 minute periods. Students are taught music fundamentals such as beat, note duration, note reading, high/low, dynamics, tempo and form through singing, movement activities, instrument playing and listening. Fourth and fifth grade students meet an additional 30 minutes per week for recorder instruction.
At our weekly school Masses, classes take turns being responsible for the liturgy. Students are assigned to read the Scripture and Prayers of the Faithful, bring up the gifts, greet, serve and cantor.
As enrichment to the regular curriculum, students in fourth through sixth grade are invited to audition for the St. Joseph Handbell Choir. This choir consists of up to 15 students who practice one morning each week before school for approximately 40 minutes.
In December and April of each school year, the students present concerts that showcase their talents and hard work. These concerts include plenty of singing, recorder playing, the handbell choir and much more.
A typical music class begins with warm ups and theory work and then we sing songs either from our text book series, Spotlight on Music, or from other music resources. Each class ends by having a student spin “The Wheel of Theory” and by giving one student from each period a “BRAVO” award for their outstanding contribution or participation in class that day.