Arts

Visual Arts

Art is fun! Our visual art program strives to encourage creative expression, instill in students a deep-seated appreciation of the arts, and train them in a variety of techniques and materials that will make these processes possible.

Students begin in Kindergarten with the use of different materials, building art vocabulary, learning how to take care of tools, and a variety of “art experiments” such as color mixing, transfers and double-cutting.  

As they get older, students build on this knowledge, expanding their art repertoire and vocabulary. They use more advanced materials, learn about famous artists, and how these artists’ “experiments” contributed to changing the art world. Most importantly, students are encouraged to recognize that every artist is different, and to embrace and develop their own unique style.

Music Instruction for Primary Grades

The music curriculum for grades DK through 5 is based on an approach cultivated by the Hungarian composer, Zotlan Kodály. The academic goal of this approach is to cultivate a connection between what one sees in musical notation and their inner hearing. In other words, we strive to hear what we see and to see what we hear, just as we do with our spoken and written language. 

By moving in various ways while singing, students increase their awareness of rhythmic and melodic concepts. They tap the beat, clap the words, and show the melodic direction of a phrase. This physical activity leads students to construct visual representations of new concepts which eventually lead to traditional notation.

There are two recognizable tools associated with the Kodály approach:

• Solfege syllables (do, re, mi, etc.) and their corresponding hand signs help to reinforce melodic understanding. 
• A rhythmic solmization system allows students to speak and clap rhythm patterns, naming each sound. (E.g. for a quarter note, we say “ta.”)

Once rhythmic and melodic concepts have been introduced, they are incorporated into reading and writing activities. Further reinforcement is achieved by discovering them while listening to classical music examples. Final mastery is reached when students are able to improvise a short melodic or rhythmic pattern that incorporates the new concept.

Beyond the music classroom, students are able to challenge themselves further by helping to lead music during mass, either as part of a cantor group or a solo cantor. The School also has a dedicated Choir that sings monthly for Sunday mass.

By learning music first through singing, students internalize their understanding of musical notation and become better prepared to approach a musical instrument. While instrumental instruction is not part of the general music curriculum, Opportunities to study wind and string instruments are offered in the School’s after-school enrichment program.

Music Instruction for Upper Grades

The Upper School Music program curriculum is designed to give Middle School students a foundation in the Fundamentals of Music as outlined in the California Common Core Standards for Music, Grades 6 through 8. These include training in basic rhythm concepts, staff notation, note reading, instrumental training and music appreciation.

Instrumental Music Training:

Students are first given an introduction to rhythm and counting through group activities using various percussion instruments. Students are then taught to read the musical staff in order to develop beginning proficiency on the piano keyboard. Students gain the ability to interpret simple melodies from the musical staff and perform these melodies in real time. With this keyboard knowledge, students are also given an introduction to basic improvisatory skills using pentatonic and diatonic major scales. Lastly, students receive an introduction to guitar skills by developing an understanding of the various parts of the instrument, basic “open-position” chords, simple strumming patterns and simple methods of improvisation.

Music Appreciation:

Eighth Grade students receive an introduction to the History of Western Music through an outline of music-making practices during the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods. This includes an introduction to the lives and major works of composers such as Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Students are also given an introduction to the history and evolution of American music through an analysis of the various styles, genres, and groundbreaking artists that have most impacted our musical culture to the present day.

In addition to music fundamentals and music appreciation, the Upper School Music Classes serve as the training and rehearsal venue for the various school-wide Masses, special performances, and Seasonal Concerts which occur at various points throughout the School Year. The primary concert performances of the Academic Year include the Annual Christmas Pageant in December and the Spring Sing Concerts in April or May.

Upper School Music Classes also contribute to St. Paul the Apostle’s Liturgical activity during the Academic year through two student-led Masses, during which Cantors are selected from each grade to lead the school congregation in Liturgical Singing.