Curriculum/Standard highlights

• Focus on singing and enjoying performances. With good practice encouraged from a young age.
• Students learn to read music and understand tenants of music theory.
• Students use MacBooks when arranging pieces of music for orchestra.
• Composing music starts when students are in Kindergarten!
• Exploration of music history. Students aurally identify pieces of music and discuss various genres and styles.
   

Choir 5-6^th grade and 7^th-8^th grade

• Students are encouraged to sing at Mass from an early age. School masses are celebrated twice weekly and are filled with music. Students are given the opportunity to listen to our parish music director play the organ at each Mass.
• Many students choose to join our school choir when they reach 5^th grade. The choir practices twice a week and students work with Miss Walsh and Mr. Chrisman on challenging pieces which they sing at Mass and other parish events.
• The choir have performed at parish Oktoberfest celebrations and have enjoyed learning German folk songs.
• In recent years the Mayor of Beech Grove has invited our school choir to sing at Veterans Day memorial service at City Hall. We are honored to sing as this event and prepare special patriotic songs for the occasion.
• As a Catholic community we encourage students to engage in service activities regularly. Choir members and music classes visit the Hermitage and sing for residents throughout the school year. We love to sing festive favorites at Christmas and sing some Irish melodies in March.
• Our school choir participates at the Indianapolis Christmas Music Festival each year. Students love to sing at The Arts Garden and family members come along and support the singers.
• Our church community has a vibrant parish choir. Our adult choir has been staging a Christmas Concert for over 50 years and each year young singers from our choir join them in the church and perform for parishioners. Students have enjoyed learning the difficult repertoire our parish music director selects.

Guitar Club junior and senior beginning in 6^th grade
As part of our elective classes in middle school students have the opportunity to learn the guitar, mandolin and ukulele. Students that play the piano and drums also join these groups. The junior and senior members of the guitar club play at many school events throughout the year.

Christmas Program
Each year students in PK-5 ^th grade perform a program of Christmas favorites for families in the church. Students sing solos and in small groups, while guitar club members accompany Mr. Chrisman and Miss Walsh. The evening is a highlight in our musical calendar and students become expert performers by the time they reach 5 ^th grade.

Quest-vocal and instrumental categories entered
Middle school students take part in ‘Quest for Excellence’ each year at Roncalli High School. 2-4 middle students are selected to take part in the vocal and instrumental category of the competition. These students rehearse with Miss. Walsh and Mr. Chrisman before performing for Judges in February.

Irish Concert in March
In March students in primary and intermediate classrooms perform a selection of Irish songs and dances for St. Patrick’s Day. Students explore Irish history through song lyrics and learn about performing different types of Irish songs. Junior guitar club members make their debut at this concert and work very hard perfecting their technique in the weeks leading up to the concert.

Musicale Concert in May
The musical spotlight falls on middle school in May. Each year, fun energetic songs are performed by students at our annual musicale concert. Themes in past years have included “Made in America”, “Award Winning Songs” and “Songs from the Movies”. To the delight of parents and family members students sing songs and perform energetic dance routines during this concert. 8^th grade students are encouraged to sign up for solos and many sing in small groups at the microphone.

Band
Students have the opportunity to join the South Deanery Band.  Through a partnership with Roncalli High School, our band teacher comes once a week to practice with the students in band.