Lower School
Inspired Artists
Art is at the very core of our identity as humans. Scientists estimate the earliest cave drawings and primitive musical instruments made of bone and ivory were created more than 40,000 years ago. The arts are valuable for their own sake, and they serve as the perfect link between other subjects like math, history, language, and science.
To play in tune, a violinist must understand sound waves. To give an inspired performance of Shakespeare, an actor must appreciate the social, cultural, and historical events of the time. Our students examine the arts while learning about great masters of the form, both historical and contemporary. In third grade music, students begin their study of musical instruments, learning about space notes and line notes, timbre, pitched and non-pitched instruments, correct hand position, and proper technique. Concurrently, they explore major works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach and why their compositions have stood the test of time. Through their performance on Grandparents & Special Friends Day, students will focus on stage presence, choreography, and enunciation. In the art studio, your child will study line, color, and composition and work in oil pastel, paper, clay, and glaze. She will learn to show depth and space in the vain of Claire West and to produce small scale works using their thumbprints in the style of Ed Emberly. This year, your child will follow in the artistic footsteps of his early forefathers. He is learning to create.
