Lower School Fine Arts

Lower School Music
Students are encouraged to explore their God-given musical talents while learning the basic objectives of music which include five conceptual areas: rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and timbre. Students approach these objectives through a variety of experiences: Movement, Speaking, Singing, Listening, Playing, and Notation.

These experiences unfold through stages of learning:

• Imitation: teacher-modeled response, performed simultaneously or as an echo
• Exploration: the opportunity to alter a musical experience through experimentation
• Improvisation: creation of a musical response or idea with or without the element of time
• Visualization: the use of graphic or traditional notation leading to musical literacy Spiritual integrity and excellence within the curriculum are emphasized.

In addition, students are given the opportunity to implement what they are learning through performances in chapel and programs including the annual All-school Christmas Program and Grandparents Day. Students are encouraged to develop a lifelong love of music through exploration in the classroom and participation in performance.

Lower School Visual Art
The Lower School Art Program offers students the opportunity to discover the "Master Artist" and His many creations. The program is developmentally sequenced and seeks to provide a multifaceted approach to art as a learnable, visual language, integrating creative expression with artistic perception, art history, and art criticism. Students use a variety of media with emphasis on a visual expression of individuality, while encouraging creativity, problem solving, and divergent thinking through sketchbook activities, and studio projects. The goal is to help students cultivate a lifelong love of art as a medium to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Of course, having fun and generally making a mess are a priority!