The Elementary Music program at ISB is designed to be engaging, developmentally appropriate and sequential. The curriculum is rooted in the philosophies of Orff-Shulwerk and Kodály, while incorporating music from around the world. With this multicultural focus, students not only learn fundamental skills, but also a respect and appreciation of music from other countries, cultures, and in other languages (including the host country).
The music classroom provides a unique opportunity for children to develop and enjoy the transportable gift of music, something they will carry with them wherever they may go after ISB.
As an ES Music team, we teach music through singing, movement, instrument playing and composition. If you stopped by the music rooms on any given day, you might see Kindergartners moving to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, second graders singing a traditional Hawaiian song, fourth graders composing for their recorders using music notation software on laptop computers, or fifth graders playing Angkaloongs, a Thai instrument made of bamboo. We also believe that learning to read music notation is a manageable task that begins in elementary school. Students begin learning solfege in first grade, which gives them a strong foundation in relative pitch before learning fixed note names in Grade 3. This coincides with learning to play the recorder, which gives children the opportunity to apply this new skill.
Students in Grades 3, 4 and 5 also have the opportunity to join ES Choir, ES Strings and/or Recorder Club, which meet on a weekly basis after school, and to partcipate in the annual ES Musical. Private music lessons are available through the Instrumental Music Lesson Program.
Check out all the ES Music action at http://inside.isb.ac.th/vbullen/