Elementary Music
Curriculum

Here you will find pictures, videos, audio clips, and information about the
K-5 Music Curriculum at Bowdoin Central School!

Curriculum Overview:

To Read About the MSAD 75 Elementary Music Curriculum

CLICK HERE!

To Read the National Standards for Music Education

CLICK HERE!

The Elementary Music Curriculum is divided into Five Curriculum Strands:

Singing

We sing every Music Class!
We learn how to sing using proper posture, good breathing,
& with a nice warm sound. We also learn how to listen to each other to blend our voices and match pitch.

• Click to listen to the Chorus Sing: "Catch A Falling Star"Arr. By Greg Gilpin
• Click to listen to the Chorus Sing: "Sanctus" By Franz Schubert, Arr. Donald Moore
• Click to listen to 1st Grade Students Sing "Aiken Drum" a Traditional Children's Song
• Click to listen to 2nd Grade Students Sing: "Land of the Silver Birch" a Folk Song from Canada

Playing Instruments

We play many different types of instruments in Music Class - from drums, maracas, & triangles, to xylophones, recorders, & guitars! We learn how to play each instrument correctly and we often use instruments to help us learn how to read rhythms and music.

Audio Recordings:

• Click to listen to students play a Recorder Ostinato for "Kookaburra," an Australian Folk Song
• Click to listen to 3rd Graders play Xylophones for "I Don't Care if the Rain Comes Down," a Children's Folk Song
• Click to listen to the Chorus add Percussion Instruments to "Zum Gali, Gali" Arr. S. Stratton

Composing, Arranging, & Improvising

Students in every grade learn how to improvise, arrange, and compose their own music. Beginning in Kindergarten, we improvise singing songs, create percussion patterns, and arrange instrumental accompaniments to songs we sing in class. By Fifth Grade, students can not only create their own music, but notate it as well so that others can play and sing along with their compositions! We always perform and often evaluate the music we create.
We make some pretty sweet music at Bowdoin Central School!

• Click to listen to "The Ice Cream Blues," an Original Song Composed by Grade 5 Students
• Click to listen to "The Homework Blues," an Original Song Composed by Grade 5 Students
• Click to listen to a Student-Composed Instrument Accompaniment for "By The Singing Water," a Traditional Folk Song
• Click to listen to the 5th Grade Student-Composed Guitar Song "Get A Little Stuck Tonight"
• Click to listen to the 5th Grade Student-Composed Guitar Song "Fireworks"
• Click to listen to the 5th Grade Student-Composed Guitar Song "Scarecrow"
• Click on the songs below to listen to some 2nd Grade Nature Song Compositions:

Composition, Arranging, & Improvisation

Music Literacy

Music literacy includes everything from the basics of learning about steady beats and subdivided beats in Kindergarten, to reading rhythmic notation in First and Second Grade, to reading notated music from the treble clef music staff in Third and Fourth Grade, to finally learning basic chord theory in Fifth Grade. We also learn about dynamics, tempo, time signatures, and other musical symbols throughout the K-5 years.

Music Literacy

Movement & Dance

Dancing is a regular part of Music Class! We learn structured dances like folk, square, & contradances. We also just like to get up and move to the music showing elements of expression, mood, and action!