West School Music
A Song in
My Heart
Our school district’s elementary music program fosters appreciation for the arts with a nurturing and compassionate spirit. We are committed to enhancing every student’s understanding of music as an expressive force. We continually strive to provide experiences that help our students acquire skills while working cooperatively in a group setting. Our department is proud to offer many student performance opportunities throughout the school year. Check out the Peabody Public Schools Performing Arts Calendar for event details.
The West Memorial Elementary School Music Program features music classes that foster students’ love for music, encourage them to create, perform and respond with musical ideas, and give them a solid musical foundation to build on. Music class is a safe, developmentally inclusive environment for all students. Singing, playing instruments and moving to music, along with musical games, take place in every class. "Sound before symbol" pedagogy means that students move and create in open space to learn the language of elementary music, including resonant and accurate singing tone.
Michael Leventhal
Mr. Leventhal has spent the majority of his 20-year music teaching career in the City of Peabody. In 1999, he began at Brown and South Elementary Schools where he taught for two years, he returned to the same two schools in 2006. Mr. Leventhal also enjoyed teaching music at Burke School, right up the street from where he grew up! Currently Mr. Leventhal teaches K-5 Elementary Music at Brown and South. Mr. Leventhal’s ideas on his teaching job: “I really enjoy working with young people, they lift me up, and make me feel young!
I try to provide for them the same uplifting experience in our 40min weekly music class.” His philosophy is to capture the moment with each class of students and involve students with a musical experience, through singing, moving, playing, and creating musically, and lyrically.
The optimal outcome is for students to walk out of music class with a song, a rhythm or a new idea about making music that will resonate with them for the rest of their day. This is what music can provide for us. Music can elevate our daily learning and create an excitement in
Engaging our own creative proclivities to the learning environment. Along with expanding his abilities as a music teacher, Mr. Leventhal works daily to further his own humble development as a performing, composing Jazz pianist who is the bandleader for his own Jazz Trio: The Michael Leventhal Trio. (Always available for hire!!)
Check out the West Memorial Elementary School Music Curriculum Map to learn more about the music we’re creating at each grade level.
Peabody Public Schools Elementary Music Curriculum and Assessment Documents
Fifth Grade Instrumental Music Program
Fifth Grade Honor Band
All-City Chorus