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Welcome to the Music Page at Deer Creek Elementary School!

Music Instruction at Deer Creek Elementary School is guided by Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy. Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman developed a school of music and dance for children in Germany, and their approach is now used worldwide and included in any discussion of current best practice in teaching music to young children. Orff-Schulwerk is not a method with rules and restrictions, rather a philosophy to include the children and their imaginations as they explore music in a variety of ways. More info on Orff-Schulwerk can be found at www.aosa.org.

 

Music Instruction:  Full day kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms come to a 30-minute music session every other day, rotating with Physical Education. 

Concepts: Vocal skills, instrumental skills, movement skills, improvisation skills, listening skills and reading and writing music notation will be explored every year in all music classes, at appropriate age and level. Singing folk songs, playing recorders and orff instruments (xylophones), drumming,  listening to and learning to appreciate composers like Bach and Beethoven and exploring our own compositions keeps us busy and fills the music room with the sounds of  learning!

Performances: Each student will be involved in a performance each year. Kindergarten and grades 2-5 will prepare a stage performance, and 1st grade students will give an informance; an evening invitation to parents to come and see what we learn in our classroom. Our supportive PSO has approved funds for Deer Creek 4th and 5th grades to participate in a Social Dance curriculum being team taught by local Dance instructor Cynthia Parent, Sue Smith and myself. Instead of a stage performance this year, the 4th and 5th graders will participate in a dance competition with other district schools at the end of the unit. 

Extra-Curricular Opportunities:

5th grade students have the opportunity to join our in-house performance group, Kudu Kids Marimba Band. Kudu Kids Marimba Band meets from January to June and students learn ensemble skills that will help them in future music endeavors at middle and high school. The music is played on our large set of African styled marimbas, and includes a world music curriculum that is based on music from Zimbabwe, Africa. This group performs for many school functions at Deer Creek, including the school carnival, assemblies and the 5th grade Completion Ceremony.

Alumni: Deer Creek Alumni who have been members of the Kudu Kids Marimba Band and want to learn more about the music of Zimbabwe can inquire about our alumni bands; Dancing Impala and Mhofu Marimba. These groups include TTSD students from 6th grade through high school and perform for many community events such as the Tigard Farmers' Market, Tualatin Crawfish Festival and Sand In The City. 

 

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