Welcome to NVUSD Elementary Music!
For Students
For Parents
All 4th and 5th grade students at NVUSD receive music instruction every week, choosing Band, Strings, or Vocal music. Classes are 40 minutes long and occur during regular school hours. Throughout the year your child will be required to participate in group performances, including end-of-year concerts and district-wide festivals.
Learning an instrument is challenging and takes time. How you can support your student:
- Your encouragement and reminding your child to practice and to bring their instrument to class each week makes a considerable difference in their ability and facility on their instrument!
- Many of the most successful students have someone who they play for at home and who continue to ask them to show and demonstrate what they are doing in music class. This support helps the students to solidify what they already know and what they need more work on for future lessons.
- Each week your student will need to practice and keep a practice log. Your supportive ear will help them in completing this weekly assignment.
Class Options
Please take the time to discuss these options with your child as s/he will be in this class for the entire year. Students are most successful when they make a commitment and stick with it for the entire year!
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Band students will learn and perform on one of the following: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, or trombone. Band students will not only learn to perform on their instrument, but they will also learn to read music notation. This includes reading of rhythms and also notes on the musical staff. > Elementary Band
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Strings students will learn and perform on one of the following: the violin, viola, or cello. Strings students will not only learn how to perform on their instrument, but also they will learn to read music notation. This includes reading of rhythms and also notes on the musical staff. > Elementary Strings
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Vocal students will learn and perform music from around the world through singing, games and simple accompanying instruments. Vocal students will also learn to read music notation as well as solfege. This includes reading of rhythms and also notes on the musical staff. > Elementary Vocal
A program of the Napa Valley Education Foundation, Music Connection is located in room 105 of the NVUSD Education Center… The Music Connection is the only music store that offers scholarships for students unable to afford the cost of instrument rental.
Our three local music stores both do a great job of stocking our books and will gladly help you with questions about your instruments, etc.
- RPals
- Napa Music Supply
- Gordon’s Music & Sound (Fairfield)
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Cody is the elementary string teacher for NVUSD. He teaches 40-minute string lessons for both 4th and 5th grade students across 14 elementary schools. Before teaching in Napa, Cody taught in the Sacramento String Project; a nation-wide college program that teaches Suzuki string pedagogy to music education students at California State University, Sacramento, while simultaneously offering group and private lessons to young string students from surrounding school districts. In this program, Cody spent 5 years learning from revered string pedagogues Judy Bossuat-Galic and Timothy Stanley. Outside of teaching, Cody enjoys being the concertmaster in the Napa Valley String Orchestra, and at home, tinkering with computers. |
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| Chris has been a professional musician in and around Napa Valley and the Bay area for over 30 years. He has taught privately, and as an adjunct instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College. Since 2016 he has taught band, choir, strings, and has collaborated in developing the Music Exploration classes offered through NVUSD since 2018. Chris holds a BA in Jazz Studies from Sonoma State University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with distinction in his field. Chris Still enjoys playing music in the Bay Area and Napa Valley, as well as Skiing, Mountain Biking, and hiking. |
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| Wendy is in her 19th year of teaching. Throughout her career she has taught band in grades 4-12, vocal and strings in grades 4-5 and classroom music in grades K-5. Currently, Wendy is an Elementary Music Teacher for NVUSD. She teaches beginning and intermediate band (flute, clarinet, alto sax, trumpet and trombone) at 10 elementary schools, and beginning and intermediate strings (violin, viola and cello) and vocal at one elementary school. Wendy started teaching beginning instruments in elementary schools when she was a freshman and sophomore in junior college. Wendy received her AA from Mendocino Junior College and her BA in Music Education and teaching credential from Chico State University. She earned her CLAD through UC San Diego. In her spare time Wendy enjoys spending time with her family, attending church and going to the gym. Wendy also enjoys teaching her 10 year old son the clarinet and her 9 year old son the trumpet. | |
| Christopher Slough, or “S,” holds a degree in Bachelor of Music major in Music Education with emphasis on Classical Guitar and a minor in Voice. Mr. Slough has 7 years of teaching experience under his belt. He teaches Choir classes for elementary and afterschool classes for Guitar and Ukulele in the district. In his spare time, he enjoys studying and playing music for solo guitar. He also likes to noodle around with the Ukulele, Mbira and other musical instruments. |
| AMERICAN CANYON HIGH SCHOOL | NAPA HIGH SCHOOL | VINTAGE HIGH SCHOOL |
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> Instrumental (Band and Strings) > Vocal |
> Instrumental (Band and Strings) > Vocal |
> Instrumental (Band and Strings) > Vocal |
