Elementary Music

We are excited for this new virtual music program! This is only the second year that music will be provided to 4th and 5th graders weekly for the entire school year! We have expanded the program this year to serve the following schools: Garfield, Hoover, Orion, Roosevelt, and Taft.

Both 4th and 5th grade students will learn instruments in their program. 4th graders will learn Boomwhackers and Recorder while the 5th graders will learn ukulele. Exposer and experience with these three instruments will help prepare students for middle school instrumental music, where they can pick from a large variety of string, wind and percussion instruments to play!

Students will learn about rhythms, notes, and techniques while being exposed to a large variety of music repertoire. They will learn how to perform and work together as an ensemble in class to experience higher level music concepts like melody, harmony, and rhythmic accompaniment. Though they will learn and have a strong musical foundation, the focus of these classes will be to have fun and create music together!

Meet the Teacher

Contact Julia Federico-Youngs

Email: jfedericoyoungs@rcsdk8.net

Julia Federico-Youngs

I have been working for the Redwood City School District since 2018. While I started teaching at Kennedy Middle School as the band, orchestra and choir director, I have slowly transitioned into this new Virtual Elementary Music role.

My music education philosophy is centered around the fact that all students should have access to and be able to experience instrumental music. It has been my goal to create a program that is accessible and enjoyable by as many students as possible. This year, this program will reach almost 900 students! And this unique program allows me to adapt and edit the curriculum each year to fit the wants and needs of our students!

My main goal, and it's a big one, is that every child has a chance to get close to music - as a right - that as they have access to food, health, and education, they get a chance to have art and culture - especially music.

Gustavo Dudamel, LA Philharmonic Conductor

4th Grade Music

BOOMWHACKERS

Boomwhackers are a great starter percussion instrument to learn and prepare them for their future music studies. The curriculum will focus on teamwork, steady beat, reading music, and of course, performing on their percussion instrument - the Boomwhacker!

RECORDER

Students will receive a well rounded introduction to a wind instrument that will prepare them and set the foundation for instrumental music education. The curriculum includes learning to count, play rhythms, note reading, breathing and finger technique as well as performance on the musical instrument - the recorder!

5th Grade Music

UKULELE

5th grade students will receive a well rounded introduction to harmonic and rhythm accompaniment through learning a string instrument - the ukulele! The curriculum will include learning to count, play rhythms, strumming techniques and other string techniques such as fingers, frets and chords, and of course, performance on the ukulele! We will begin to look into chord structure as well as singing along with the songs we learn!

Instruments/Supplies

All instruments are provided by the district for each student to use for in class participation. If you are interested in purchasing additional instruments/supplies for at home use, please check out the links to my recommendations below!

4th Grade

5th Grade

Beginning/Student Soprano Ukulele
Intermediate Soprano Ukulele
Ukulele Picks
- (Must be felt or leather picks only. Plastic guitar picks can ruin your instrument!)

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