Music

The mission of the performing arts department in Hanover County is to equip students with the skills to communicate through music and drama, with the understanding that these art forms are an important universal language and foundationally basic to our society and other cultures.

Contact

Sandra Linette, Music Teacher

Music at BPES

All Battlefield Park Elementary School Bobcats attend music class once a week for 45 minutes. Students sing, dance, and play classroom instruments. They improvise and compose their own music. We also learn about the music of other cultures and various composers, including Bach, Handel, Beethoven, John Williams, Jake Shimabakuro, and others.

In-Class Instruments

Recorders

Students playing instruments

Students begin their recorder study in fourth grade and continue in fifth grade, enhancing their music reading abilities. Learning to read music while playing the instrument increases students’ knowledge of the fine arts. Students perform fun pieces and compose their own piece using a 20th-century compositional technique.

Ukuleles

Thanks to a music grant, we have a class set of ukuleles. Students in multiple grades learn basic chords and perform simple genres of songs in class.

Opportunities to Perform

Students in first and third grades perform a musical during the day for the student body and in the evening for families and friends. Sometimes, depending on how many students we have in the first-grade class, our second graders join them for the spring musical.  

Fourth and fifth graders get to perform at the annual BPES Variety Show each year.

All fifth graders have the opportunity to audition for our All-County Chorus, which performs every year at the arts and science festival. Ten students from each elementary school are selected to perform in this prestigious group.

Performing Arts Philosophy

We believe…

  • Performing arts education is essential for all students.
  • Performing arts education is a sequential process integrated with other fields of study.
  • Music and theater function together as a universal language that reflects society.
  • Performing arts education teaches history, math, science, cultures, and aesthetics.
  • Performing arts education allows for the manipulation of the expressive qualities of each unique art form.
  • Performing arts education can and should promote the understanding and use of an artistic vocabulary for the purpose of evaluating both student and professional performances.
  • Performing arts education thrives in a safe and positive learning environment.
  • Performing arts education provides opportunities to increase a positive self-concept.
  • Everyone can learn successfully in a differentiated atmosphere.
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