General Music

Description

General Music gives every sixth grader a playful introduction to making and understanding music. Students keep a steady beat on classroom percussion, sing together in unison and simple rounds, and learn to read basic rhythms and pitches. Along the way they listen to music from many styles and cultures and talk about how sound creates feeling. No prior experience is needed, and the focus is on joining in and having fun.

What students learn

• Keep a steady beat and perform simple rhythm patterns on classroom instruments
• Sing in tune in unison and in two-part rounds
• Read and clap basic rhythmic notation including quarter and eighth notes
• Identify the families of orchestral instruments by sight and sound
• Describe how tempo and dynamics change the mood of a piece

Signature project

Small groups compose and perform a short rhythm piece for the class using body percussion and hand instruments.