Grade+4

__Overview of Fourth Grade Music__
Fourth grade music is an extension of those audiation skills we began developing in third grade music. We continue building our understanding of music through inference learning.

In fourth grade, students have command of their singing voices. We focus on extending the child’s singing range, controlling the voice (dynamics) and singing with expression. All students have the opportunity to join the Longacre Elementary Choir in fourth grade.

We begin to apply our knowledge about the elements of music: melody (tonality & meter), harmony, form, texture, timbre, and style in composition projects. Composition helps us to demonstrate our knowledge of music as well as express ourselves creatively. Fourth grade composition projects may include: 12-Bar Blues, Songwriting, Recorder Compositions, Orff Compositions, and Drumming Ensemble Compositions.

We continue to develop our music reading skills through learning an instrument. Recorder study is part of Farmington’s music curriculum in fourth grade. Students learn the responsibility of taking care of and learning to play an instrument. Students also learn the connection between reading music and playing an instrument. As a learning incentive, we use our own version of Recorder Karate. As students master skills and songs, they earn a “recorder belt” to show their degree of mastery.