Why Learn Music?

Music is a Science
It is exact, specific; and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor's full score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.

Music is Mathematical
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper.

Music is a Foreign Language
Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English - but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.

Music is History
Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation, often even the country and/or racial feeling.

Music is Physical Education
It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lip, cheek and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back, stomach, and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.

Music is all these things, but most of all, Music is Art
It allows a human being to take all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion. That is one thing science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion, call it what you will.

If you are not already familiar with the Orff Schulwerk method of learning music, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you what your child is learning in music and how it helps their academic learning.

• The Orff Schulwerk method teaches the child music by using literature, drama, singing, movement/dance, speech and instrumental playing.
• This method originated with a German man named Carl Orff. He believed music was fundamental to all academic subjects, and should be used to develop the whole child.
• At Highland, children learn to improvise their own dance/movement, drama, speech and instrumental playing.
• Research indicated children learn through beat, and by using a steady beat, math facts, reading and other academics are greatly improved. Steady beat is a vital part of music class every day. We use it when we dance, play instruments and sing.
• Internal pitch and language skills are improved every time we sing and perform speech pieces.
  Creativity is vital to the overall learning of a child. We use literature(children's stories and poetry) as a vehicle into creative drama, song, dance and instrumental playing.
• Recorders and tone bar instruments are an important of our music learning. The children learn finger dexterity and gross motor skills playing these instruments. 
• Music plays a vital role in human life. It has been important in every culture throughout history. At Highland we offer a high quality, comprehensive music program that is an essential part of learning for every student.
  learning in music and how it helps their academic learning.