Music

At OCS, music classes form an integral part of students’ learning experiences and enrich their development in many ways. Children learn to listen and respond to each other musically which transfers musical knowledge to social learning.  Children learn age-appropriate improvisation and composition, and begin to understand music as a creative form they can manipulate in order to communicate and express themselves.  Children are exposed to folk dances and songs from different genres and geographical areas, enriching their cultural literacy.  Learning activities centered in movement, instrumental music, singing, rhythm, and speech allows children to develop their musical expressiveness.

OCS offers Orff Shulwerk music lessons to its Kindergarten to fourth grade students. This method of teaching music through students using rhythmic instruments, chants, rhythm and body movement is internationally recognized. Orff enables students to produce music in collaboration with others from a young age. Students are also taught how to innovate and create new additions to the music based on the patterns of the piece.  By playing along with others, who may or may not be playing the same parts as you, OCS students learn to listen, collaborate, and create with others. OCS students learn the fundamentals of music through the Orff program in K to 4. 5^th and 6^th grade students receive guitar instruction through OCS’ partnership with the International House of Blues Foundation.  Students develop the dexterity and skills required to play guitar as they learn different chords and strumming patterns as well as chord and tab notation and song forms.  Students develop their musical ear, internal sense of rhythm, and the ability to collaborate musically as they play guitar together with their peers.  The year of guitar instruction culminates in a performance at the House of Blues in Hollywood, which gives students the valuable experience of performing before an audience in a very special venue.

Staff: Music Teacher, Lauren Kinney studied piano and voice from a young age at the Pasadena Conservatory of music. She received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and has sung in choirs at UC Berkeley and Occidental College, and also in the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale. She also plays guitar and banjo and has written songs and performed at a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. She was trained in early childhood music education through Kindermusik, and she completed her level 1 Orff-Schulwerk certificate at Cal State L.A.