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The students as St. Joseph Grade school participate in an interactive and stimulating General Music curriculum that utilizes the Orff-Schulwerk approach. This approach encourages a learning atmosphere that is developmentally appropriate for the students as well as creates an interactive, creative, and engaging environment. This approach also led to the development of specialized melody instruments that are appropriate for the elementary-aged child to perform on. These melody instruments include: wooden xylophones, metal metallophones, and metal glockenspiels. When these instruments are played together in an ensemble, this helps the children become sensitive listeners and considerate participants.​

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A typical daily lesson consists of a variety of activities that reinforce the lesson’s primary musical objectives. These activities may include: movement/dance, songs/rhymes/poems/chants, singing games, or performance opportunities on either upitched percussion or melodic Orff instruments. Each activity is planned and developed in order to provide the students with several opportunities to experience the musical concept on a visual, aural, and kinesthetic level.



At the 1st grade level the students focus on these primary musical objectives throughout the year:



    ♫ Steady Beat 

    ♫ Fast/Slow
    ♫ High/Low
    ♫ Forte/Piano
    ♫ Reading Rhythms: Ta, Ti-Ti, Rest
    ♫ Solfege: Sol, Mi, La
    ♫ Same/Different

    ♫ Beat vs. Rhythm

    ♫ Phrase
    ♫ Solo & Echo Singing
    ♫ Notation
    ♫ Unpitched Instrument Technique
    ♫ Pitched Instrument Technique

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In addition to the typical daily lesson, the students at St. Joseph also participate in a variety of musical experiences throughout the year. This includes several specific units of study that culminate in either a student performance or the attendance of a performance.



Some of this year's experiences include:

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   ♫ 1st grade Christmas Program

   ♫ CUSO In-School Music Education Concert​

   ♫ Thomas Metcalf "OrffCats" assembly