BURGESS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC EDUCATION OVERVIEW

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Music Education is an integral part of the whole educational experience. Through involvement with music activities at Burgess, the lives of our students are enriched, not only during their; school years, but also later on in adult life.

Music is a means of self expression and it has the potential to evoke individual aesthetic response, helping the students to develop the ability to discriminate. Music provides opportunities for the individual to discover and expand his/her own creative processes. Music is a vital part of man's heritage. Finally, music has the potential to help in the total education and development of our students through its association with other disciplines such as reading, language arts, social studies and math. Students with course work or experience in music performance score significantly higher on the verbal and math portions of the SAT than students with rr course work or experience in the arts.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM

Instrumental Music Education at Burgess is available to students in Grades four through six. Instruction is given on (but not limited to), the following band instruments: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, orchestra bells and percussion. Students receive one 30 minute lesson each week, which are scheduled in small homogeneous groups. Music lessons are given during the school day on a 3-4 week rotating schedule. In addition to lessons, beginning band students meet once each week for a thirty minute ensemble rehearsal. Second and third year band students meet once each week for a sixty minute ensemble rehearsal.

All band students are expected to maintain a good academic standing in all subjects; failure to do so would result in exclusion from the band program.

The Beginning band performs at the conclusion of the school year at the annual Spring Concert in June. The Fifth and Sixth Concert Band and the Burgess Jazz Band performs in December and June as well as several in-school assemblies throughout the school year. The instrumental method book used by our students is the Standards of Excellence Method Book and is supplemented with additional exercises, scales, solos and band selections.

The Burgess Elementary School Instrumental Music Program enjoys a great deal of support from administration, staff and parents and has maintained high standards for many years.