Art and Music

The study of music seeks to cultivate the same power of attention and understanding with the sense of hearing as observation does with the sense of sight. In this way, the qualities and habits needed to read beyond the surface level of a story, to notice mathematical patterns in nature, to distinguish one bird from another, to hear parts of a harmony in music, or to recognize how shadows are effected in a painting by lines, geometrical shapes, and gradations of color are not unlike the qualities needed to recognize the presence of God which, like light, always invisibly surrounds us. Approached in this way, the study of music and art is a kind of preparation for contemplative prayer or adoration, and these in turn, prepare the student to study the world and to live in it in a fully human way.

Art

Art study in both senses should foster an appreciation of beauty, not merely as a subjective preference, as pretty or pleasant, but as an objective feature of reality that expresses the deep truth of what things are.

Students should understand this objective beauty as desirable for its own sake. They should be able to identify its features and think about its effect on the soul, for example, why it is desirable or how it can be profound. Students should be able to explain this with respect to certain works of art (e.g. by being able to say why Cezanne’s apples are important).

Art studied in both senses should therefore be understood not as amusement nor as individualistic creativity, but as aiming for a real, objective beauty. It is, though, appropriate to study how changed understandings of what art is (away from this notion) are reflected in works of art themselves and reveal differing cultural attitudes about the nature of the human person and the objectivity of truth, goodness, and beauty.

The study of art should therefore complement the study of history and be a part of it. It should consider how the art of a culture provides that culture’s answers to the deep human questions and how changes in art reflect changed understandings (e.g., by appreciating the differences between Byzantine iconography and the paintings of Giotto).

The study of art and the practice of rendering should be used to train children how to attend closely to detail, to study shape and proportion, in short, how to see both art itself and the objects depicted by it. The study of art is also training in the art of attention and adoration.

Music

The study of music should be to the sense of hearing what the study of art is to the sense of sight. It should cultivate the power of that form of attention known as listening.

The study of music should complement the study of history, e.g., in the movement from Gregorian chant to polyphony. Children should learn the ‘aesthetics of number’ and learn to ‘hear number’ through learning harmony and measure. Students should learn and experience how music expresses the mystery of God, and the spirit of adoration should be cultivated through acquaintance with the tradition of sacred music, chants and hymnody. Students should be able to sing the Salve Regina, the Regina Caeli, and other prayers that are appropriate to different liturgical seasons. Students should learn the language of music, both in terms of musical notation and the ability of different instruments and notes to ‘tell stories’. If possible, students should participate in a schola cantorum and, if possible, learn to play an instrument in order to internalize music, appreciate its beauty, and foster creativity and discipline.

Lower Elementary (Lower Grammar) Art

-Learn how to look at and begin to interpret paintings

-Study and give rudimentary explanation of Christian art and iconography

-Study and give rudimentary explanation of art related to Egypt, Greece, and Rome

-Begin to know properties, characteristics, and qualities of beauty

-Begin to recognize how art expresses cultural ideals

-Learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art

-Learn to tell the story of a painting

-Begin to render as well as draw imaginatively

-Learn basics of drawing, painting, and sculpting

-Learn to copy according to established rules

-Acquire habits of attending, noticing, sitting still, and concentrating

-Learn discipline from following simple projects through to completion

-Begin to develop eye and appreciation for beauty

-Begin to question art works for their meaning

Lower Elementary (Lower Grammar) Music

-Know elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, pitch, tone

-Begin to think about what music means and why it is or is not beautiful

-Know instruments of the orchestra by sound and sight

-Be introduced to tradition of sacred music

-Begin to understand the symbols in music

-Begin to read music

-Begin to acquire some musical skill singing and playing elementary instruments

-Begin to be able to concentrate on, listen to, and discuss a piece of music

-Begin to develop a love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power

-Begin to understand the relationship between music, prayer, and liturgy

-Acquire the habit and develop their powers of patient, attentive listening

Upper Elementary (Upper Grammar) Music

-Understand the concepts of melody, harmony, and rhythm

-Be able to recognize beautiful music and be able to explain why it is beautiful

-Recognize instruments by sight and sound

-Be able to sing and, if possible, play an instrument

-Be able to read music

-Memorize lyrics and know how to sing liturgical music

-Sing carols, ballads and authentic folk music from periods of history they are studying

-Sing the Hail Mary and Our Father in plain chant

-Recognize forms of music from the periods of history they have studied

-Acquire some musical skill singing and/or playing an instrument

-Be able to concentrate, listen, and discuss a piece of music

-Begin to learn how to sing/play various parts of a musical piece (applying their

understanding of melody, harmony, and rhythm)

-Develop a love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power

-Understand the relationship between music, prayer, and liturgy

-Acquire the habit of patient, attentive listening, and active participation

Upper Elementary (Upper Grammar) Art

-Understand the significance of the Christian contribution to art

-Begin to appreciate an art history perspective in addition to a cultural history perspective

-Study and give explanations of art of relevant time periods, especially Medieval and Renaissance

-Begin to give more complex explanation and interpretation of works of art

-Continuation of rendering

-Develop an understanding of and be able to apply the following principles in artistic work (drawing, painting, and other media): line, shape, texture, color, value, and form

-Recognize and employ basic elements of space and perspective

-Continue to learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art

-Learn to tell the story of a painting

-Learn how to justify why something is beautiful or not

-Begin to reflect on experience of beauty

-Develop drawing, painting, and sculpting skills

-Copy more complex images according to rules

-Deepen the habits of attending and noticing

-Sit still and carefully observe art and whatever is the subject of rendering

-Deepen love and appreciation of beauty

-Begin to look at art contemplatively

-Deepen appreciation of art and beauty in the life of faith

-Be able to question art works for their meaning

Middle School (Logic Stage) Art

-Begin to understand how truth is expressed in the beauty of art

-Understand the significance of the Christian contribution to art and how art reveals the

depth of the Christian mystery

-Compare and contrast pagan and Christian art, and how Christians incorporate or

transform pagan themes in their art

-Appreciate the development of art in its historical, philosophical, and stylistic dimensions

-Give more complex explanations and interpretations of works of art

-Understand how art is the expression of a culture’s desire for truth, goodness, and beauty

-Continue rendering

-Deepen understanding of the principles that constitute a work of art

-Continue to learn how to look at, examine, and see a painting and other works of art

-Give more complex explanations of artworks

-Learn how to justify why something is beautiful or not

-Reflect on the experience of beauty and its relation to longing

-Develop drawing, painting, and sculpting skills

-Develop creativity on the basis of imitation, tradition, and discipline, not in opposition to them

-Deepen the habits of attending and noticing

-Sit still and observe carefully works of art and subjects to be rendered

-Deepen love and appreciation of beauty

-Deepen reflection on the experience of beauty and its effect on the soul

-Begin to look at art contemplatively as revealing objective beauty and truth

-Deepen appreciation of art and beauty in the life of faith

-Be able to question artworks for their meaning

Middle School (Logic Stage) Music

-Understand the elements of music

-Understand the essential differences between genres of music, especially within classical and sacred music

-Appreciate the theology inherent in sacred music

-Recognize the characteristic differences between different composers

-Be able to recognize beautiful music and explain why it is beautiful

-Be able to sing and, if possible, play an instrument

-Be able to read music

-Memorize lyrics and know how to sing liturgical music and traditional Catholic hymnody

-Appreciate carols, ballads, and authentic folk music from different historical periods and Cultures

-Sing plain chant in Latin and English

-Deepen understanding of the mathematics of music

-Acquire some musical skill singing and/or playing an instrument

-Be able to concentrate on, listen to, and discuss a piece of music

-Sing or play various parts of a musical piece (applying an understanding of melody,

harmony, and rhythm)

-Deepen love and appreciation of beautiful music and its power

-Appreciate the profundity and playfulness of music

-Understand the contemplative and mystical dimension of sacred music

-Acquire the habit of patient, attentive listening, and active participation