Elementary curriculum: Summarized in three concepts

With the recent reflection that I have been doing on third and fourth grade curriculum, I have discovered that almost everything fits into one of three categories. Furthermore, this framework might fit all elementary level music classes.

One category is "Music Appreciation." Music appreciation focuses on introducing students to culturally and historically important musical examples. The breadth of exposure relies on the beliefs of the teacher, and I believe that classical, multicultural, and traditional music should be included. Another idea included in music appreciation is the historical information behind composers and songs, as well as the forces that helped shape the music such as instrumentation. Music appreciation is experiencing music and knowing "about" music.

Another category is "Practical Theory." Music theory includes many subcategories such as vocabulary, form, pitch, and rhythm. Theory is not required for performing or listening to music, but it enables the students to understand music on a deeper level. At the secondary level, practical theory focuses on reading notes and rhythms in band, but that is just the bare minimum that needs to be known.

The third category is "Performance," which obviously includes any type of performing. Students should have experience singing, playing instruments, and moving to music. At each grade level, there are appropriate activities which should challenge the students (in order to nurture their musical abilities) without sacrificing the quality of the finished performance. Also note that many times the "performance" is not a formal presentation to an audience, but perhaps just a final run-through after which a new song is introduced.

In summary, all elementary music curriculum components fit into one of three categories: music appreciation (learning about music), practical theory (learning how music works), and performance. Each of these categories then contains subcategories for different concepts, which can then be assigned to specific grades, semesters, and unit plans.