At Our Lady of Mercy, music is an important part of school life. While the OLM music program involves learning the fundamentals of music, it also focuses on fostering a love for music, using music as a form of artistic expression and a tool for spiritual growth.
All students receive music instruction twice a week. In the primary years, students focus on singing in tune, keeping a steady beat, dancing, playing cooperative music games, creating, and playing classroom instruments. In the intermediate years, students learn to read music, play in an ensemble-like settings and learn to play the xylophone, the recorder, percussion instruments and the guitar.
Students from kindergarten to grade 7 have many opportunities to sing at OLM and can be heard sharing their voices at school masses, assemblies, and during our annual Christmas Musical.
OLM also offers a choir program for students with a passion for singing. The OLM School Choir is offered to students in grades 3-7 and runs from September to May. During choir rehearsals, students work on singing in tune, vocal technique, singing in harmony, performance techniques, and reading music. Through this program, students are exposed to a variety of different musical genres. Some of our past performances and workshops include performing for OLM’s Remembrance Day assembly, performing Christmas songs at Lougheed and Brentwood Mall, workshops with our neighbouring high school, Saint Thomas Moore, and performing in the Chancellor Music Festival and the Kiwanis Festival.