Western Civilization has a cultural heritage that is incredibly rich. Unfortunately, our knowledge of it is quickly dying. What used to be considered standard to read, memorize, listen to, and sing–resulting in a shared cultural knowledge–has been abandoned along with traditions of all kinds. This has been happening for so long that many of us as parents have very little cultural knowledge to pass on to our own children. We want to begin to rebuild this shared cultural heritage for our children and the families we serve.
There are many benefits to building a working knowledge of the classics in music, art, and poetry. Students will gain practical skills such as increasing their powers of visual and aural observation as they do picture studies of great works of art and composer studies in many different genres of music. Familiarity with the classic pieces of art and music will enhance their connection to the world around them as they recognize them in everyday settings, as well as build their sense of beauty. Likewise, as they study poetry, they will appreciate the beauty of words and the cadence of meter and rhyme and perhaps try their hand at writing their own poems. Hymns and folk songs connect our students to a rich spiritual, regional, and cultural heritage, giving us songs to strengthen our faith, express joys and sorrows, or simply to just have fun.
To meet our unique goals in this area of cultural education, each 1st-8th grade student will receive a copy of The Arts Cycle book, which includes scripture memory passages, hymns, folk songs, poetry, and artist and composer biographies with selected works. Recordings for scripture, hymns, folk songs, poetry, and composer playlists are provided with an easy-to-use QR code. We encourage every family to enjoy these treasures on home days, and every day, as you build a shared cultural knowledge together.
