Music

​Music classes at Birch are developmentally and grade level appropriate; and they are aligned with the Music Core Standards and Grade Level Expectations.

Curriculum

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​There are and will be opportunities for students to voluntarily sign up for music activities that meet once or twice a week after school; i.e., choir, dance, music theater, etc. Listen for more information during announcements, emails, and the e-Bark (parent newsletter).

All 5th grade students have the opportunity learn to play an instrument by choosing either: Band or Orchestra. Instruments offered include: violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and baritone. Instrumental music meets twice a week during the school day and is in addition to general music, which all 5th grade students participate in. 

BIRCH CHOIR is open to any and ALL 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. Sign up happens at the beginning of the school year and the first rehearsal usually begins in September. This group rehearses one to three days a week. Performances are in December and sometimes performance opportunities arise within the Broomfield/Birch Elementary community. This group meets September through December.

The Boulder Valley Music Curriculum provides the foundation for quality music instruction for students and represents the core program for which all schools are accountable. The Boulder Valley Academic Standards in music are the topical organization of the concepts and skills all Colorado students should know and be able to do throughout their preschool through twelfth-grade experience.

1. Expression of Music - The expression of music is the demonstration of human thought and emotion through the medium of performance, which is a product of knowledge and skills gained in the study of music.

2. Creation of Music - The creation of music is the demonstration of learned skills in the composition, improvisation, and arranging of music. Creating music involves writing music, fashioning new music from an existing piece of music, or forming an entirely new piece of music.

3. Theory of Music - The theory of music is the understanding of the distinctive language, conventions, mechanics, and structure of organized sound. Investigation of music theory allows for a more complete understanding of all aspects of the musical process, including musical performance and composition.

4. Aesthetic Valuation of Music - The value of music focuses on the knowledge needed to make an informed evaluation and to provide a well-thought-out critique about a musical piece. It also addresses the beauty, heart, and soul: the aesthetics of music. Valuing music will permit individuals to distinguish between a scholarly and an individual judgment of music.