Music Courses

Music Banner Hausladen 2019

Music is the most intangible of the arts; yet it has expressed and contributed to the formation of cultures past and present. In the courses described below, students work toward an articulate understanding of music through examination of its language. They become better able to interpret its emotional impact. But, more importantly, they attempt to grasp not only how music is a creative art for composer, performer, and listener, but also what theoretical disciplines and aesthetic laws shape it.

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
This course serves as an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in both practical and theoretical elements of music. An introduction to the fundamentals of music theory will set the stage for a broad exploration of several practical music applications including composition, improvisation, performance, and analysis. Each student will be expected to choose a primary instrument with which to participate in the practical music applications during class. For those students with no instrumental experience or those focused on singing, the student may use his/her voice as an instrument. It is also possible for a student to, with the guidance of the teacher, learn a new instrument as part of the course. Throughout the course, the students will be exposed to diverse styles of music ranging from ancient Greek theatrical music to Beethoven’s symphonies to Radiohead.

Music Adams Wahlberg 2019


MUSIC THEORY AP
The purpose of this course is to provide a broad and intensive curriculum that will delve deeply into the inner workings of music. Aspects of music theory including pitch, rhythm, tonality, melody, harmony, counterpoint, and form will be analyzed in detail. In addition to developing analytical skills necessary for understanding complex musical structures, this course will assist the student in developing aural recognition skills that will allow him/her to both recognize common tonal patterns as well as reproduce these patterns with his/her voice. This course prepares students for the AP Exam in Music Theory.