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Music Department
Aimee Vining - Band Director/General Music
472-6829
Christy Porter - Orchestra Director
472-6830
General Music
All students at Johnson attend general music class once a week for 30 or 40 minutes.
In music class, students will have fun learning musical concepts through the integration
of speech, song, movement, and performance on classroom instruments. This year,
Johnson Elementary students will learn traditional American songs and dances, as well as
music from around the globe!
Orchestra
Orchestra is where we learn to play instruments from the "String Family" - more specifically,
Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass. August is the time Miss Porter begins recruitment to the fourth
grade students here at Johnson. Students electing to participate in Orchestra come to Miss Porter's
classroom two times per week for 30 minute lessons. Since Orchestra is held during the school day,
students will miss some classroom instruction and need to be conscientious about making up missed
work. I have found the teachers at Johnson to be very supportive of the music program. They go
the extra mile to help students stay up to date in their school work.
In 4th grade we start by learning about our instruments and how to take care of them. We then learn
about the correct way to hold our instruments and we start reading music.
5th grade involves refining the skills we have already learned as well as incorporating new skills such as slurring.
We start to learn our major scales and of course, the music is more challenging!
6th graders begin playing in harmony, which means that the person sitting next to you may have a different
part! This requires students to be able to listen and make their part fit with everyone else. We
continue to progress on scales and we start preparing for the Jr. High School Orchestra experience.
Miss Porter is always glad to hear from you. If you have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to
give me a call. My number at school is 472-6830. I will do my best to answer you calls as soon as possible.
Please note that I am at Johnson on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as Friday mornings.
Band
Welcome to the Johnson Band program! Students have the opportunity to play a band instrument beginning in
the 5th grade. The following instruments are available for beginners:
- Flute
- Clarinet
- Alto Saxophone
- Trumpet
- French Horn
- Trombone
- Baritone
- Percussion
In 6th grade band we add the following larger instruments to the ensemble to achieve a proper balance:
- Tenor Saxophone
- Bass Clarinet
- Tuba
Band classes meet twice a week for thirty minutes. During these lessons, band students learn how to sit
and breathe properly in order to get a good sound on their instrument. They also learn how to read and
play rhythmic patterns and the notes on the staff. Playing in the band is like being a part of a team -
everyone works together to achieve a common goal! Being involved in a musical ensemble is a very rewarding
and enjoyable experience. If you have any questions, you can reach Miss. Vining in the band office at
480-472-6829 or e-mail her at akvining@mpsaz.org.
Happy Music Making!!
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