Music program

The Music Program at Heritage Academy is run by Cantor Elizabeth Berke. The program attempts to achieve exposure to music in a variety of areas.

Each of the categories listed below is represented in the curriculum of all grade levels; specific materials are chosen which are age-appropriate.

A. Judaic music: songs for Shabbat and all Jewish holidays; secular Hebrew
and Israeli songs.

B. American folk music/children’s literature: traditional folk songs;
children’s songs; some popular songs; songs from television and movies

C. Western Classical music/World Music: exposure to the music of some of
Western music’s great composers; historical information about composers; exposure
to music of non-Western cultures.

D. Instrumental experiences: percussion in all grades; recorders in grades 3-5.

E. Musicianship-building games and activities:

1. rhythm: students learn to read rhythms from the very elementary up to
triplets, 16th notes, and syncopations
2. pitch: students learn to discern melodic direction, types of scales; much
emphasis is placed on singing in the best range for students’ vocal intonation. 3. notation: learning the calligraphy of music writing.
4. composition/improvisation: a variety of activities are used to develop
rhythmic and melodic improvisational abilities
5. music terminology: terms in addition to notational symbols.

F. Dance and movement activities: movements to go with children’s action
songs; some Israeli dances

G. Integration with other subjects: songs taught to coordinate with units on
Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, etc.