Lower School Music
Music is an integral part of Lower School life at Bancroft. Students Pre-K through Grade 5 have regular music classes. Community singing and student performances are highlighted at our Friday morning assemblies every week, and cross-curricular projects at every grade level connect music to Central Subjects as well as to French, Drama, and Physical Education.
In addition, Lower School students have the opportunity to participate in a performing ensemble as part of our band, chorus, or strings program.
Classes and Performing Ensembles
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
We sing songs about the rainforest, ancient Egypt, and Japan as the second graders study these Central Subject areas. We use two-part Orff accompaniments and read music from a two-line staff.
Third Grade
Besides learning to play the recorder and to read music for this instrument, third graders sing songs from the slave era and accompany with African percussion as well as the Orff instruments.
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Band
Lower School Bands meet twice a week and focus on developing the basic fundamentals required for the successful playing of their instruments. Both Beginning Band and Band II (second year band) perform in two concerts each year, and regularly play in Lower School Assemblies.
Chorus
The Lower School Chorus is a mix of boys and girls from 4th and 5th grades who sing with pathos and/or humor as fits the occasion. Our repertoire includes camp songs, children’s musicals, and well-seasoned seasonal songs. Besides concerts and assemblies at Bancroft, we are occasionally invited to sing off campus.
Strings
Suzuki Violin:
Students in Pre-K through Grade 3 have the opportunity to participate in a special program for beginning violin. A parent attends the classes with their child. The focus is on fundamentals of violin playing and ear training.
Beginning String Class:
Students in Grades 4 and 5 may begin violin, viola, or cello in a class that meets twice a week. The focus is on the fundamentals of string playing and reading music.
String Ensemble:
Students in Grades 4 and 5 with a minimum of one year of experience on violin, viola, or cello may join this group. The focus is on reading music and building performance skills. The group meets twice a week and performs at assemblies and school concerts.