Mark Twain General Music

Students: Click on Student Resources for fun music web surfing and resources for assignments and projects!

Parents and Students: Click on your grade to see what your class(es) has been learning and to view/print handouts given in class. Due to Copyright laws, not all materials can be posted on the Mark Twain General Music Web site.
These materials, such as published sheet music and recordings, are made available to parents and students on Centerpoint. To log into Centerpoint, follow the steps below. Please abide by the copyright warnings and laws on the General Music Course Page within Centerpoint.

1. Go to the ICCSD home page: http://www.iowa-city.k12.ia.us
2. Click on the apple.
3. Enter the information given to you from the ICCSD.
4. View your students classes and click on "General Music".

A parental guide to Centerpoint is available at http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/cp/index.htm

The General Music Program is an integral part of every student's education up through seventh grade. Students gain skills necessary to understand, appreciate and create music. Using these skills students will become literate consumers of music and become aware of the inter-relatedness of the arts and other existing disciplines. Students will also develop a means for self expression. The opportunities provided by the music education program also help students develop self-discipline, self-motivation, positive self-esteem and the ability to function individually or within the confines of a group.

General music teachers meet all students up through the seventh grade in the most appropriate setting for each student. This may mean attending music with their homeroom class, for which lessons are geared to their level and needs; or it may involve mainstreaming into classes of similar age students. At the kindergarten through third grade level students attend music for three twenty-five minute periods per week, while students in fourth through sixth grade attend two twenty-five minute periods per week.  Seventh grade students attend music every day for one trimester and a one trimester general music elective is an option at the eighth grade level. Through working as a group to understand and create a beautiful piece of music, children learn cooperation and self-discipline.

Music today is taught with a hands-on approach. Keyboards, Orff xylophones and a variety of rhythm instruments are used as tools to help students understand the concepts of the way music is constructed. Song literature comes from all areas of the world and involve ideas that allow integration with math, science, social studies and language arts. The skills learned can open the doors for children to express their creativity.

Parents have been very supportive of the general music program. The Iowa City Schools Foundation has purchased electronic keyboards which rotate among all the elementary schools. Individual parent teacher organizations have purchased other instruments and materials for their schools and have helped to make field trips possible.

Mission Statement of the Iowa City Community School District:

The mission of the Iowa City Community School District is to ensure all students will become responsible, independent learners capable of making informed decisions in a democratic society as well as in the dynamic global community; this is accomplished by challenging each student with a rigorous and creative curriculum taught by a diverse, professional, caring staff and enriched through the resources and the efforts of families and the entire community.

Email: Anderson.Patrick@iccsd.k12.ia.us

The Mark Twain General Music web page and all subsequent General Music pages were created by Patrick Anderson.

On behalf of the Mark Twain Staff, I would like to thank Barb McGee for uploading all the Mark Twain web pages.