My name is Jeff Thornton and I teach music at Scott. I am originally from Mattoon, IL, and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I earned my bachelor and masters degrees in instrumental music education and piano pedagogy. My wife and I married in 2003 and lived in Louisville, KY for four years before moving to the Evansville area in 2007.
In my 18 years as an educator in Indiana and Kentucky, I have had the opportunity to teach piano lab classes, band, choir, and private piano lessons, as well as serving as vocal music director for the Warrick County Summer Musical. More recently, I worked with technology training and support for teachers with the EVSC ICATS. I enjoy spending time with my family and making music as a family. I also enjoy serving as a musician at Oakhill Baptist Church. As the father of three former Scott Tigers, I know that Scott School is an outstanding school with a dedicated staff and I am privileged to be a part of the team. |
Our Musical Goals
Students at Scott School have multiple opportunities to make and create music. Our curriculum starts with a focus on helping students become what we call Tuneful, Beatful, and Artful. My hope for our students is not that everyone becomes a professional musician, but that every student can participate in music throughout their life. We want out students to be lifelong musicians who can tunefully sing Happy Birthday at a party, The National Anthem at a game, or lullabies to their own children someday. Students who are beatful and artful would feel comfortable moving and dancing to music at a wedding reception or even when no one is looking!
Grade Level Curriculum
- Kindergarten - Feierabend's First Steps in Music, year 1
- 1st Grade - Feierabend's First Steps in Music, year 2
- 2nd Grade - Feierabend's First Steps in Music, year 3, Yamaha Music in Education Keyboards, Conversational Solfege
- 3rd Grade - Conversational Solfege, Quaver Music, Yamaha Music in Education Keyboards, Folk Dancing
- 4th Grade - Conversational Solfege, Quaver Music, Yamaha Music in Education Keyboards, Folk Dancing
- Students can begin Spark (beginning violin) in 4th grade
- 5th Grade - Conversational Solfege, Quaver Music, Yamaha Music in Education Keyboards, Recorder Karate
- Students can participate in choir in 5th grade
- 6th Grade - Conversational Solfege, Quaver Music, GarageBand composition, Bucket Drumming, Ukuleles
- Students can participate in choir in 6th grade
- Students can begin band or orchestra in 6th grade
Our Programs
Students will have several opportunities to perform while at Scott School. Below are some of the opportunities in which students may be able to participate:
- 6th Grade - Veterans Day program
- Choir, Band & Orchestra - will have several performances throughout the year
- Spark - will have several performances throughout the year
- 4th Grade - Indiana Program
- 2nd Grade - homeroom program TBD
- 1st Grade - holiday sing-a-long event