Music
St. Gabriel’s music education program exposes students to music theory and history, fosters an appreciation of different musical genres and aims to increase cognitive development at the elementary education level. Every academic year features a new musical theme. Instrument instruction and use of classroom technology further propels St. Gabriel’s music program. Participation in the Archdiocesan Song Festival, Metro District 8, and St. Louis Symphony programs, and field trips. Classwork culminates in St. Gabriel’s standing-room only Winter and Spring vocal concert performances. Come hear what we’ve learned!
Year at a Glance
Primary
| Kindergarten | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Beat & Voice - Rhythm: Beat or Rhythm Sing, Play & Move to Rhythm - Pitch: High & Low - Pitches & Singing |
| 2nd Trimester | - Melody: Up & Down, Singing Up & Down - Meter: Patterns of 2, 3, & 4 - Instruments; Intro to Instrument families, Woodwinds & Brass, Strings & Percussion |
| 3rd Trimester | - Dynamics: Loud & Soft, Singing & Playing Loud & Soft - Tempo: Fast or Slow? - Duration & Listening - Concert Preparation & Year-End Review |
| First Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review kindergarten concepts - Beat & Meter Rhythms & Ostinatos |
| 2nd Trimester | - Voice: 4 different voices, My Voice is an Instrument, Sing & Breathe - Lines & Spaces - Melody, Notes & Rests |
| 3rd Trimester | - Tempo & Dynamics - Strings & Percussion - Instruments & Form - Concert Preparation & Year-End Review |
| Second Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 1 concepts - Beat & Meter - Rhythm & Ostinatos |
| 2nd Trimester | - Singing & Melody - The Baroque Period - Concert Preparation - Notes & Rests |
| 3rd Trimester | - Dynamics: Cresc. and Decresc. Brass Instruments & the Science of Sound - Composing: Rhythm, Melody, Lyrics - Form: AB Form & Repeat Sign - Year-End Review |
Intermediate
| Third Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 2 concepts - Rhythm: Meter Sign & Ostinatos - Singing: Different Voices, Rounds & Canons - Melody: Lines & Spaces & Melodic Movement |
| 2nd Trimester | - The Classical Period: Music, Composers, & Orchestra - Notes & Rests - Dynamics: mezzo f & p, cresc. & decresc. review -Instruments: Recorder introduction & Woodwind Family |
| 3rd Trimester | - Styles of Music: Recorder & the Blues - Tempo - Chords & Harmony & Form - Concert Preparation - Year-End Review |
| Fourth Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 3 concepts - Rhythms: Triplets & Sixteenths - Singing: Triads & Part Singing - Melody: Major & Minor |
| 2nd Trimester | - Duration: Dotted Quarter Notes & Tied Notes - Concert Preparation - Instruments: Orchestral & Concert Band Instruments |
| 3rd Trimester | - Chords and Harmony - The Romantic Period: Telling a Story with Music - LinkUp Preparation - Year-End Review |
| Fifth Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 4 concepts - Elements of Music - Patriotic music - Preparation for Veteran's Day |
| 2nd Trimester | - Styles of Music: Folk, Hymn, Gospel - Jazz Styles: Blues, Swing, R&B, BoogieWoogie - Dancing Classrooms |
| 3rd Trimester | - Dancing Classrooms - Concert Preparation - Year-End Review |
Middle School
| Sixth Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 5 concepts - Elements of Music - Medieval & Renaissance Music History |
| 2nd Trimester | - Baroque Music History: Composers & Listening - Concert Preparation - Classical Music History: Composers & Styles (Opera) |
| 3rd Trimester | - Romantic Music History: Composers, Vocabulary & Listening - Contemporary Music History - Year-End Review |
| Seventh Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 6 concepts - Elements of Music |
| 2nd Trimester | - S.P.A.E. Unit & Performance - World Music: What is World Music? |
| 3rd Trimester | - World Music: Africa, Indonesian Gamelan, Asian Music (China, Japan & India) - World Music: European & Irish Music, Latin American Music Styles - Year-End Review |
| Eighth Grade | |
|---|---|
| 1st Trimester | - Policies, procedures & rules. Ice breakers. - Review grade 7 concepts - Elements of Music |
| 2nd Trimester | - Music in Film: The importance of music in film, Genres of Film (Horror movies & music, silent film, Musicals: "Singin' in the Rain") |
| 3rd Trimester | - Music in Film: Composers & their scores, Theme Music in movies, Foley Art, Scoring Project - Year-End Review |
Dancing Classrooms
Dancing Classrooms is a 10 week program that teaches ballroom dance while integrating social-emotional learning in each lesson. Using the New-York based Dulaine method, students learn six ballroom dancing styles: Merengue, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, Swing, and Waltz. During the 10 weeks, a dance instructor visits the 5th grade classes twice a week - once during their weekly music class and again during their weekly P.E. class. The program ends with a friendly competition between St. Gabriel's 5th grade students, and students from other schools who also participated in the Dancing Classrooms program. For more information about St. Louis Dancing Classrooms visit https://www.stldancingclassrooms.org/.