Below is an overview of the Music program at Divine Savior Academy:

Elementary Music (K-5)

Divine Savior Academy’s elementary music program strives to educate each child so that he or she may become a “tuneful, beatful, and artful” individual.  The phrase “tuneful, beatful, and artful” has been coined by longtime music educator John Feierabend.  Each music student has the opportunity to experience a variety of music through listening, singing, and movement.  Beginning in 2^nd grade, students learn to read music through Conversational Solfege, a curriculum developed by Feierabend.  4^th and 5^th grade students learn to play the recorder during the second semester, and 5^th grade students are introduced to World Music Drumming.

Middle School Music

The goal of Divine Savior Academy’s middle school music program is to continue the music education began during the elementary years.  Meeting every day for a semester, the middle school music class has an opportunity to delve deeper into music theory, music appreciation, and music performance.  Middle school music students learn to read and play music on a variety of instruments, including drums, glockenspiels, and boomwhackers.  They are also introduced to some music composition, creating rhythms and melodies on their own as well as utilizing the online program Jamstudio.  Each Friday, the middle school students spend time singing songs and learning various dances.

High School Music

Similar to the middle school music program, the high school music class focuses on music theory, music appreciation, and music performance.  Using Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory, students learn to read notes and rhythms.  Students also learn to recognize rhythms aurally.  Each week, the high school music students are exposed to different music genres.  They listen to the music, analyze it, and discuss the various genres.  Throughout the semester, students work together to perform different drumming ensembles using the World Music Drumming curriculum.  They also work together to improvise and create their own drumming ensembles.