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Music

The music department endeavors to inspire students to have a lifelong love of music—as a vocation or avocation, as a creator, performer, scholar, or listener. Students experience each musical concept within the curriculum through listening, moving, speaking, singing, reading, notating, playing instruments, following composition, and creating through improvisation.

The Lower School program begins with a comprehensive curriculum based on the music education methods of Orff, Kodály, Dalcroze, and Gordon, and it includes music fundamentals, body movement, and vocal and instrumental training (Orff instruments).

Grade 1 Music

The 1st-grade music program builds upon the skills and concepts learned in Kindergarten by adding layers of complexity and accuracy. Students are exposed to diverse rhythms, stories, and games from various cultures and disciplines that aid in developing auditory skills and the ability to work collaboratively. The program reintroduces simple rhythmic notation and presents new activities to practice this skill. Solfège, which teaches students to mentally hear pitches and be able to sing them aloud, is also introduced in 1st grade. The use of percussion instruments and the Orff xylophones continue to reinforce and explore new sets of music skills.
Grade 2 Music

The 2nd-grade music program continues to utilize and expand upon the musical concepts that were introduced in previous years. This includes exploring various rhythmic and drumming traditions from around the world, as well as melodic patterns using various kinds of rhythmic notation. Singing games, stories, and songs from different cultures and time periods are presented to help expand musical literacy skills. Second graders begin to read pitch via the western standard musical notation staff, working toward reading while playing an instrument. Second graders sing, play, and notate music based on the pentatonic scale, and collaborate to create songs, dances, and simple notated musical compositions.
Grade 3 Music

Our 3rd-grade music goals include singing and playing instruments with expression and musical phrasing. Melodic musical notation and beginning recorder are at the core of 3rd-grade music learning, with students learning to play several songs and tonal patterns in the keys of G major, E minor, and C pentatonic. As part of the music theory curriculum, the students learn the difference between melodies and basslines of songs. They also learn about ostinati (repeating musical patterns) and how to compose their own.
Grade 4 Music

Fourth-grade music goals include singing and playing instruments with expression and musical phrasing; improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments; and learning how to move meaningfully to music. All of these skills are then extended to instruments. Songs learned vocally are played on the recorder, with a focus on clear musical phrasing. Beat and rhythm patterns learned kinesthetically are played on the drums. Fourth graders learn to play the ukulele, composing and improvising both melodically and harmonically.
Grade 5 Music

Students in 5th grade focus on the development of their music literacy skills in order to learn how to listen, improvise, and perform on their instruments with comprehension. They sing tunes in multiple tonalities, move their bodies rhythmically, and learn how to sing and play rhythm patterns. They also learn to play a variety of tunes by ear, using their first five notes. In Band, 5th graders begin to explore their chosen band instrument: clarinet, flute, or trumpet. They learn the mechanics and maintenance of their instrument, as well as playing their first few notes. In Chorus and Dance, 5th graders enjoy a wide variety of genres, time periods, cultures, and styles of choreography. They also discover music both new and familiar through various historic and appreciative lenses. Students perform at various concerts throughout the year.

David Degge

Lower School Music Teacher (Grades 2-5)

ddegge@trevor.org
Bio
David holds a Bachelor of Music in K–12 Education from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. Upon completing his degrees, he received a Fulbright grant to study with Zoltán Rácz of the world famous Amadinda Percussion Group at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. Prior to coming to Trevor, David held faculty positions at the Bard College Music Program and Preparatory Division, as well as Midori and Friends and the American Composer's Orchestra Educational Division in NYC. The global pandemic brought him into the Trevor community almost accidentally, but in doing so, David found a welcome environment where curiosity and collaboration are encouraged. "I am excited by Trevor's ethos of teaching students to be lifelong learners and engaged global citizens."
Debbie Wels

Lower School Music Teacher (Threes–Grade 2)

dwels@trevor.org
Bio
Before coming to Trevor, Debbie Wels taught music at several independent and public schools in Manhattan, and conducted music workshops for teachers at various schools throughout NYC. She is an Orff-certified teacher, and is a graduate of Parsons School of Design, the Sound and Music Institute, and has studied at the School of Fretted Instruments. Debbie says, “I have been a teacher at Trevor for quite some time, and I believe that practice of inquiry-based learning is what keeps the curriculum exciting, and students engaged in the activities that I present.” Debbie is the author The Lae-Lae Bird, a musical storybook and CD, as well as West Side Sings, recordings of favorite early childhood songs.