International Music

1) Gajah Mina from Tyler Yamin on Vimeo.


I'm not sure if you've heard, but our World Music Program has been stellar this trimester, with Brazilian rhythm, dance, and song teacher Stefanie Schmitz and Balinese Gamelan musician Tyler Yamin welcoming our young musicians to encounter unique instruments and traditions.

Our PTA, through the Center for World Music, has arranged for a complete Gamelan orchestra to be hosted on our campus for our students' use. As students enter they remove their shoes and take their positions. Within minutes they are creating fascinating, mesmerizing music. Examples of two Gamelan pieces are found above.



 

Winterfest is coming!

Please be sure to attend our annual celebration of the season, Winterfest! On Thursday, December 18th our Kindergarteners begins the show at 11:30 while our first-through-sixth-grade students perform at 1 p.m. in our school pavilion. Each grade will be sharing a special song and poetry will be shared by students as an added highlight. See you there in all of your winter finery!

Music Memory Program

 

Students in grades 4-6 engage in study of seminal compositions of music from Western tradition on a weekly basis. Using visual mapping along with music theory discussion and kinesthetic responses, students gain exposure and familiarity with great works from the last several centuries. This work with classical music serves as a balance to the Del Mar Heights World Music program in which students participate. Both programs serve to broaden young minds to understand music of different origins and take part in musical practice. 

From the Music Memory Website:


MUSIC MEMORY is a nationally-recognized curriculum designed to give the life-long gift of love for music of the Western tradition through an in-depth study of 16 selections per year. Music that you will hear the rest of your lives is carefully chosen for appropriateness from four major historical periods—Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary. Prominent composers of orchestral, vocal, choral, keyboard pieces are featured. The curriculum is presented in an aural-visual format that enhances success in recognizing the major themes and remembering the names and composers of the selections. Building on this initial learning, there are many opportunities for deepening knowledge through extension activities.