Welcome to Smith and Heritage Elementary Music!
I am Mrs. Laveirge and I teach Y5-4th Grade Music at Smith and Heritage Schools in Stockbridge Michigan. I am so glad that you stopped here for a visit! This is a place for parents to see what their children are doing in music, and for kids to explore music outside of my classroom. Click on in and check things out!
About Mrs. Laveirge
This is my 15th year teaching music! I hold a B.A in music education from Michigan State University where I played the clarinet in the Symphony Band, and the Saxophone in the Spartan Marching Band. I also hold an M.A. in Educational Technology from Madonna University. I chose to teach elementary music because the early years of a child's life are the most important for creating a music environment and establishing a foundation for music learning. As a music educator, not only do I teach music, but I am also responsible for building, maintaining, and improving a child's life long potential to learn music. I live in Howell with my husband, my son, and my three cats named Ellie, Shasta and Minnow. I have a 2 year old son named Dominic and a 5 month old daughter named Mary. Outside of school I enjoy playing and listening to music, going on adventures, exercising, and kayaking!
About Mrs. Laveirge
This is my 15th year teaching music! I hold a B.A in music education from Michigan State University where I played the clarinet in the Symphony Band, and the Saxophone in the Spartan Marching Band. I also hold an M.A. in Educational Technology from Madonna University. I chose to teach elementary music because the early years of a child's life are the most important for creating a music environment and establishing a foundation for music learning. As a music educator, not only do I teach music, but I am also responsible for building, maintaining, and improving a child's life long potential to learn music. I live in Howell with my husband, my son, and my three cats named Ellie, Shasta and Minnow. I have a 2 year old son named Dominic and a 5 month old daughter named Mary. Outside of school I enjoy playing and listening to music, going on adventures, exercising, and kayaking!
Music at Smith and Heritage Elementary:
Goal:
The goal of general music at Smith Elementary is to provide students with an enriched and challenging music experience, which will serve as a readiness and foundation for music instruction and lifetime of musical enjoyment! Music Learning Theory Method: I utilize the Music Learning Theory in my classroom. Research suggests that children learn music and language in a similiar manner. Children need extensive amounts of immersion and experimentation with language before they actually learn to speak, read, and write a language. Similiarly, children need to hear a wide variety of music before they can sing, move to and eventually read and write music. Objectives: Music classes at Smith Elementary are designed to create a rich environment for the student to interact in. The primary objectives for Smith students are to develop audiation, foster beautiful singing and develop an awareness of how music and movement are connected. |
What is audiation:
Audiation is to music as thinking is to language. Audiation takes a child from imitating the musical sounds around them to critically thinking, engaging in, and creating new musical sounds. A student who audiates music is able to identify and give meaning to music. Tonal and rhythmic patterning is the fundamental part of audiation development. Pattern instruction, similar to learning the vocabulary of language, offers many benefits. Pattern instruction is tailored to each students ability to encourage musical growth. Through individual attention, students are able to reach their highest musical potential. What do we do in music? During classroom activities, students are actively engaged in music making. Students are involved in singing, chanting, moving, playing instruments, dancing, musical play, and games which are all important parts of our musical growth and development. |
"Music is learned like a language. "Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best." |
"Music is the happiness of life." "If you can walk you can dance. If you can talk you can sing." |