Music

General Music

ORFF METHOD

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• PreK - 4th grade--- meets for 42 minutes, twice a week

• 5th Grade Music -- meets First Semester, twice a week for 42 minute periods/ 5th grade are also the feature actors in the Christmas Play every December.

• 6th-8th Gr. Music Elective --meets Second Semester, twice a week, 42 minute periods

General Music

Certified

ORFF METHOD TAUGHT

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General music is offered to all students in PreK/Kindergarten-5th grades (Orff Music) Kindergarten through 5th grade experience music through singing, dancing and playing drums and barred instruments. Musical concepts and music reading are then taught to the sounds, rhythms and harmonies that they have experienced in their learning song performance.  By 3rd grade all Costa students can read and write music and play the recorder. They develop a musical ear through singing and a keen sense of rhythm by performing on our wide variety of drums and hand instruments. 

In 4th and 5th grade students continue to play, sing and dance folk songs and world music; learning different cultures and musical traditions and styles. We sing on sol-fa and determine pitch notation on the musical staff.  Rhythm is stressed and students perform them, identify them (what symbols represent the sound or duration) and then WRITE the rhythm using music notation.

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We Sing MUSIC FOR MASS:  All students (K-8)  learn to sing music for the Celebration of the Mass; Mass of Wisdom and hymns that reflect the readings of the day. Singing at Mass can depend the students spirituality and understanding of the liturgy.   Student members of Jubilee Choir and Singing Friars sing as a combined choir for the school Masses and advanced singers are cantors for the Mass.  This allows the students to be fully involved and participating in the Mass on a deeper level and to grow spiritually. 

Grades K-4th

IMMERSION PROJECT: JAZZ

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In the month of February all grades study Jazz, an American Art form,  and write, sing and perform the Costa blues; learning blues form, swing style, chord progressions and improvisation! Costa students attend a performance of local jazz musicians in their auditorium and learn first hand from the musicians about jazz performance style.

Junior High Music Elective

IT'S A BLAST!

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The Junior High Music elective is called Music Exploration, offered to 6th-8th grade students. In this class students learn world drumming by performing world drum instruments in a drum circle ensemble and create their own drum compositions on the Sibelius Music composition program through the use of Smartboard technology.  The elective is a performance based class where students learn music composition of 20th century style and create their own "tone poem", incorporating "found instruments" that have unique and unconventional sounds.

Annual

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

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All K-5th grades perform in the Christmas Program in December which tells the story of Jesus' birth through drama and singing.

Band

Grades

4TH - 8TH

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Students begin instrumental music instruction in 4th grade in the Cadet Band and can take band for 5 years at Costa, up through 8th grade.   The advanced band at Costa is made up of 5th-8th grade students who are in the  Symphonic Band and they have the opportunity to perform at IGSMA Organizational Contest and at Solo-Ensemble Contest each year.   All Bands (4th-8th grades) come together to make up the Costa Marching Friars who march in the local Veterans Parade, Holiday Parade and Memorial Day Parade.   Many Costa Band graduates go on to excel on their instruments in high school and at the college level.

Band Director: Mrs. Jill Marasa

Band

QUIZZES

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• Build technique, -increase music reading

• Raise performance level

• Teaches critical listening and self evaluation

• Record or video your students playing their band Quiz on your iphone, computer or tablet and email to the Director. Google, Messenger or a recorder plus app all work.

• Use the Kjos Interactive Practice Studio -- this program comes with the new Tradition of Excellence Band method book.

Google

CLASSROOM FOR BAND

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All practice reports, homework and test will be posted on the Cadet & Symphonic Band Google Classroom.

Strings & Orchestra

Costa 

YOUTH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

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The Costa Youth Chamber Orchestra is offered to students beginning in 1st grade up through 8th grade.  The Costa Orchestra perform at the Christmas Concert,  Fine Arts Concert in April and other local performance venues. Our motto:  "Creating Beautiful Music Together" 

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Directors: Dr. Steve Jackson (Director) and Mrs. Jill Marasa (Assistant Director)

Costa 

STRING ENSEMBLE

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The Costa String Ensemble brought back the tradition of performing the Hallelujah Chorus and new pieces of exquisite beauty and the Christmas Concert!  Director Dr. Steve Jackson created special arrangements for our group which performed their music at a very high level.  The pieces included: Deck the Halls, Carol of the Bells and Gesu Bambino. The Concert was on Dec. 15th, 7pm, in the Brophy auditorium, at Costa.

Costa 

JUBILEE CHOIR AND THE COSTA SINGING FRIAR

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Motto: "We sing to serve!"

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The choirs were established in the year 2000, the Jubilee Year of the Catholic Church, and consist of 30 singing members from grades 1st-4th.  Students learn to sing in English, Latin, French and Spanish and also learn proper vocal production while learning to sing and perform in an ensemble setting.  The choir performs at the Mass at the local Catholic churches, community events, Young at Heart luncheons, Right to Life Chain, school Masses and Concerts.    

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Jubilee Choir (1st-4th gr.) and the Singing Friars (5th-8th gr.) learn their beautiful choral music and vocal singing techniques and music reading skills! The choirs sing the Mass -- the Ordinary of the Mass and the Proper of the Mass -- this experience deepens their understanding of the Mass and their spirituality. We also challenge our choirs to sing many styles of music ranging from folk, pop, swing, rock and classical.

Choir