Music, Strings, Orchestra & Band

Meaningful Study & Joyful Music-Making

We consider music the art of thinking with sound and as vital a subject as mathematics.

Music faculty at Black Pine Circle are all conservatory-level musicians dedicated to their own music making in folk, jazz/funk, baroque, classical, and musical theater. Our repertoire is culturally diverse and is often linked to subjects that the students are studying in their classrooms.

We offer a music education that employs a range of teaching methods including those drawn from Kodály and Orff pedagogies.

Kindergarten - Grade 3	Find the joy in making music together
Grades 4 & 5	Build a strong foundation in musical concepts
Grade 6 - 8	Bring forth the music that lives in every student

Singing

All students develop rhythm and coordination through singing games, chants, body movement, and percussion. All classes (K-8) perform choral repertoire for school music events including Generations Day, the Winter Concerts, and the Spring Concert.

Musical Instruments

Over the course of a K-8 education at Black Pine Circle, every child experiences many instruments in a thoughtful progression: voice, Orff percussion instruments, violin or cello, xylophone and recorder, piano, ukulele, and guitar.

Instruments by Grade

GRADE	INSTRUMENT PROGRAM
Kindergarten	All students receive an introduction to Orff instruments as part of their morning music classes three times per week. These include xylophones, glockenspiels, and a variety of percussion instruments.
Grade 1	All students study Orff instruments for one semester and a stringed instrument (choice of violin or cello) for the other semester during instrumental classes included in the school day twice a week. This is in addition to their general music classes held three times per week.
Grades 2 & 3	Students choose Orff, cello, or violin for classes held twice per week, in addition to their general music lessons held three times per week.
Grades 4 & 5	All students study the recorder (an introduction to woodwind instruments) as an element of their general music classes held twice a week. Students may choose to extend their study of instruments in the orchestra or band program before and after school.
Grade 6 - 8	Every student will have an experience of the piano keyboard (6th), ukulele (7th), and guitar (8th) as part of their weekly music classes. Students may choose to continue their instrument study in the orchestra or band program before and after school.

Music Ensembles

Many students join one of the extra-curricular musical ensembles, which meet before or after the school day.

Band Program

During the three to five years that most spend in the bands program, students develop camaraderie, grit, and musical chops. Band Director Jerry Kennedy and his team of professional Bay Area musicians mentor precision of technique, listening skills, and improvisation. In recent years, our musicians have learned a repertoire, performed at the annual All-Bands Concert, spanning The Beatles, funk, jazz, and swing.

As they progress from Beginning Band through Concert Band to the Advanced Band, musicians gain mastery and confidence. They maintain a regular home practice, often on two instruments, perform at school events and, for the advanced ensemble, at venues including Berkeley’s 4th Street, The Cheeseboard Pizza, and the Kensington Pub, and even to the stage at Yoshi’s. The band program sets young people on a path to musicianship, and also a ‘path of belonging’ during these special years

String Orchestra

Lower School Chorus