It’s been a successful year in the music department at Pleasantville! I am continually amazed at how much our students learn in one year about music. For example, the Kindergarten and First grades learn how to sing and work on body skills of coordination and small instrument playing. Second grade classes proved to me that they can hear rhythms and write them down. It’s time for some more complicated rhythm patterns to come their way! Third grade learned to read the notes of the treble clef staff and are now learning about major and minor melodies. Fourth grade has developed their instrument skills in music class and in band. And fifth grade has learned about musical forms, African American composers and performers, and jazz. Overall, I have been very pleased with the progress the students have made this school year and, hopefully, I will be able to continue to build on the foundation next school year.

Enjoy your summer! Sing and make music at home - be silly or serious with it. If you play an instrument, don’t let cobwebs grow on it! Take it out and play it once or twice a week; you’ll be surprised at how far ahead of other students you will be in the fall if you do.

This week in 3rd and 4th grade music classes we have been using a website created by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. We have looked at, and listened to, the instruments in the following families: woodwind, brass, and percussion. These are the instrument family groups that Colonial uses in the band. Check out the website for yourself! Look at the red square on the left side of this page. The link is at the bottom.

In a recent Washington Post article, “Cranking up Graduation Rates, SATs”, the author explains why music education is so important to our children’s success in school. Click on the above link to read the short article.

A new Harris Poll shows a direct correlation between music education and success in life. Check out the information on the following website.  It will amaze you - and make you happy that every Pleasantville student receives music instruction!

http://www.menc.org/unlinked/HarrisPollSummaryMemo.pdf

Interested in the ballet, The Nutcracker? Get the story and some interesting facts at www.nycballet.com.

Have you ever wondered if music education makes a difference in a student’s overall education?  The SAT people have been tracking information from student tests for the last several years. The SAT scores for students involved in the arts in general (and in music in particular) are higher than students who are not involved in any art/music programs! Check out this link for the exact information:  http://www.menc.org/information/advocate/sat.html