“By tapping into the experiential and expressive aspects of music, teachers can add a distinctive dimension of instruction in other subjects. In the Waldorf Schools, for example, the goal is the education of the whole human being by paying attention to the needs of the human spirit. The arts particularly are used as part of a theory of human development that helps children find nonverbal modes of expression and understanding.” – From Growing Up Complete: The Imperative for Music Education, The Report of the National Commission of Music Education, March 1991
MUSIC CURRICULUM
For a thorough discussion of Waldorf music, please read this informative article entitled “Let There Be Music: The Music Curriculum in Waldorf School Grades 1-8.”
First Grade: Pentatonic wooden flute, rhythm and movement games, daily singing and verse.
Second Grade: Pentatonic wooden flute, rhythm and movement games, daily singing and verse.
Third Grade: Recorders, rhythm and movement games, daily singing and verse, creative music theory, rhythm wood sticks.
Fourth Grade: Recorders, rhythm and movement games, daily singing and verse, Violin, rounds and canons, percussion instruments, music theory, harmony.
Fifth Grade: Recorders, rhythm and movement games, daily singing and verse, Violin, rounds and canons, percussion instruments, rhythm wood sticks, music theory, harmony.
Sixth through Eighth Grade: Singing and verse, rounds, rhythm and movement, plus 2x week: either Guitar, Ukulele, Recorder, Strings or Contemporary Song (changes yearly).
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Photo credit: Nirzhar Pradhan / Pradhan Studios
About Journey Music
In most public schools, the few music programs that still exist have been gutted by budget cuts and a narrowed instructional focus. These ‘survivors’ are usually treated as stand-alone, extracurricular activities with little or no connection to core curriculum. At Journey School, the first parent-initiated public charter in Orange County, music is deeply integrated into the academic program. Music imbues math, history, science, language arts, and civics lessons with a soulful beauty that brings these subjects to life. Each day at Journey is a woven composition of knowledge and the arts, which literally sings through the campus.
Starting in Kindergarten, every student, in and throughout each grade, hones their singing voices with increasingly intricate melodies. Each student plays musical instruments from 1st grade on — pentatonic flute, diatonic soprano recorder & violin in lower grades, evolving into upper grade ensembles of alto/tenor/bass recorders, orchestral instruments, ukulele or guitar.
