The best way to learn music is to do it, so our program is highly focused on performance, while also imparting basic knowledge of music theory.
Pre-K:
Students explore music through lots of singing, lots of dancing and lots
of instrument play. They also prepare for several performances during the year,
including the Christmas Prayer concert (performed with their Eighth Grade Prayer
Buddies,) Donuts for Dads, and Muffins for Moms.
Kindergarten – 4th Grade”
Students in Kindergarten – Second Grade learn simple music theory with a
concentration on understanding and performing simple rhythms, while still having many
opportunities for singing, movement and instruments. In Third and Fourth Grades, we learn more about rhythm and pitch, while also dedicating about half of each class to preparing songs for school Masses. All students from Kindergarten through Fourth grade participate in the Annual Spring Concert. The theme for the concert changes yearly, but some recent ones have been Irish Music (the concert was held a few days before St. Patrick’s Day), The Four Seasons, and Folk Songs and Dances from Around the World.
5th Grade:
Much of Fifth Grade is spent preparing to serve as the ensemble for our yearly school
musical. Recently, we have been dishes and silverware in Beauty and the Beast Jr.,
Elizabethan villagers and eggs in Something Rotten Jr., and this year, we will be hidden
people, summer enthusiasts, and snowflakes as we present Frozen Jr. Each Fifth
Grade Student participates and gets a taste of the theater here at St. Agnes, which will
help them decide if they wish to audition for the main cast when they are eligible in Sixth
Grade.
Middle School:
Music class is a mix of singing Mass songs and learning about music
history. 6th Grade starts with an exploration of Ancient Music up through the Great
Classical Composers. 7th grade learns about the first American forms of music,
from Spirituals to Jazz. In 8th Grade, we will learn about the beginnings of Hip Hop
and Rock and Roll, while also taking a brief break to practice for Christmas Prayer.
School Choir:
All students in 3rd – 8th Grades are eligible to join the school choir–a very popular activity,
where students learn to sing classical liturgical music, often in two-part harmony. We
support all school Masses and are invited to sing in several concerts and holiday
Masses during the year.
8th Grade Trubute
In June, all students, from Pre-K – 7th Grade participate in the 8th Grade
Tribue to bid our graduates a fond adieu. While this goodbye concert is much less
formal and more light-hearted, the students look forward to it all year long and cannot
wait to get started on their songs.