– Why we do it –
Music and singing are powerful tools. They have the power to inspire, soothe and move us to tears. God has built music into the fabric of the universe. As Pythagoras found out several hundred years before Christ, there is even a precise mathematical relationship between the lengths of vibrating strings and notes that sound in harmony.
God invites His people consistently to sing and make music to Him. He knows that this is a great benefit to our souls. The entire book of Psalms comprises various songs designed for all of life’s ups and downs. We are not only called to sing to God but to each other, “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19).
Just like the body of Christ, singing and playing music express unity among diversity. When many voices and instruments come together to play the same song, the end result is harmony.
– How we teach it –
Music and singing are present from the beginning to the end of the school day. When the students exit the bus at 8:00am sharp, they are greeted by the bells. These same bells ring out a famous church hymn at the end of the day as they depart.
Upon entering our daily assembly in the morning, students hear Christian music. Every Tuesday (what we call Tune-In Tuesday), we sing the hymn of the month associated with the church season (e.g. Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc.). Every Wednesday we sing the praise song of the month which is typically a contemporary song with an upbeat tune. Every day we sing the doxology a cappella to close our morning time together.
In lower grades especially, teachers often give instruction in song form. Children love to sing. Couple this with the fact that we remember the things that come to us in song form much more readily.
Before lunch, the students sing a song of thanksgiving for the meal that God has provided. At the end of the day all students gather once more in the gym to sing a beloved Christian song. This ensures that our day begins and ends with worship and praise.
Students in kindergarten through eighth grade have weekly choir classes while high school students can participate in choir as an elective. Students practice a variety of songs that they sing for their parents and guests at special events such as Grandparents’ Day, Veterans’ Day, and the Christmas and Spring concerts. Most of the songs lift up the name of Jesus while others hearken back to some of the classic folk songs of the past.
As for instruments, OSNAS students learn the recorder and the violin starting in the third grade. This violin instruction continues for every student into sixth grade. At seventh grade, the student can decide to continue on with the violin or take up a different instrument (such as piano) or elective. Piano instruction is also offered after school starting in first grade.
At the end of the year, all students who have attained a level of proficiency in their instrument are invited to play at the OSNAS Recital. During the recital, each student plays a song or two that he or she has mastered in front of the entire school.