Welcome to B14:
B14 is the instrumental music room at Oak Park. The process of Orff-Schulwerk is taught here. Orff-Schulwerk is a way to teach and learn music. It is based on things children like todo: sing, chant rhymes, clap,dance (move), and keep a beat on anything near at hand. These instincts are directed intolearning music by hearing and making music first, then reading and writing itlater. This is the same way we all learned our language.K-1-2: Kindergarten, first, and second grades study steady beat, rhythms, playing xylophones and percussion instruments in song, literature and nursery rhymes through the Orff Schulwerk method. Movement and dance are also included.
Third: Third grade students study recorder. We use a recorder method book to read notation, songs and learn beginning music reading theory.
Fourth: Fourth grade students begin the two year study of the band instrument of their choice. This beginning band performs two major concerts each year.
Fifth: Fifth grade students move from beginning band to advanced band. Here students perform 3 major concerts a year and are invited off campus several times, especially during the winter holiday months.
Music provides students with many extra benefits. Teamwork, dedication, self-discipline and responsibility prepare a child for a successful future in any profession he/she may choose. A variety of research shows that music students are among the academically strongest in their schools and score higher on the SAT than other students. Most colleges and universities now look for more than good grades on a child's transcript. They want well-rounded students that have been able to accomplish more than just textbook knowledge.
“Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than do those without programs (90.2% as compared to 72.9%). In addition, those that rate their programs as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ have an even higher graduation rate (90.9%). Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs (93.3% as compared to 84.9%).”
“Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district. Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better in math than students in deficient music programs. Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than students in schools without a music program. Students in top quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in math than children in schools without a music program. Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English and math test scores across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs. Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and math than students who had no music at all.”