Music Department Courses

PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLES: Concert Choir, Orchestra, and Symphonic Band are scheduled across all 3 trimesters. These performance ensemble classes will be scheduled simultaneously during the same period. Students can be in multiple ensembles through shared enrollment.
Students should select between 1.0-1.5 credits of performing arts course work per year.

PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS
BT1051 Symphonic Band + Concert Choir + Orchestra (1.5 credits)
BT1053A *Symphonic Band + Concert Choir (1.0 credit)
BT1053B *Symphonic Band + Orchestra (1.0 credit)
BT1053C *Concert Choir + Orchestra (1.0 credit)
BT1052A *Symphonic Band Major (1.0 credit)
BT1052B *Orchestra Major (1.0 credit)
BT1052C *Concert Choir Major (1.0 credit)

*With Performing Arts groups 1053 and 1052, an additional .5 credit elective should be selected from Performance Arts Scheduling Options list at bottom of this page.

CONCERT CHOIR
CONCERT CHOIR GROUPS (See PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS list at top of page.)
DETAILS: 3 Trimester grouping
CREDIT: 1.0-1.5 (for Performing Arts Group)
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12/boys, 10-12/girls
PREREQUISITE: An audition and/or teacher recommendation is needed for this course.
The Concert Choir is offered to female students in grades 10 through 12 and boys in grades 9 through 12 who have auditioned and have been accepted in to the chorus. Music of many different styles and time periods will be performed in several concerts per year. Concert Choir students will attend one sectional during the Wildcat Period every six-day cycle. Attendance at all performances is required. Grading in Concert Choir is based on a combination of class participation, attendance, sectional grades and individual singing grades.

ORCHESTRA
ORCHESTRA GROUPS (See PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS list at top of page.)
DETAILS: 3 Trimester grouping
CREDIT: 1.0-1.5 (for Performing Arts Group)
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: None
Orchestra is an elective course open to any string player. One class per cycle will be designated as a string rehearsal and one as a full orchestra rehearsal including strings, winds, brass, and percussion. The orchestra will explore music from all the periods of music from Baroque to the 20th century. All string students will attend one string sectional during the Wildcat Period every six-day cycle. The orchestra performs a fall concert in November, a holiday concert in December, and the Spring String Festival and Spring Orchestra Concert in May. The Orchestra also participates in the Graduation Commencement in early June. Attendance at all performances is required. All exact concert dates may be found on the school calendar. Grading in orchestra is based on a combination of participation, attendance, group performance, and individual playing grades.
**ALL WINDS, BRASS, AND PERCUSSION STUDENTS will be subject to audition. All winds, brass, and percussion students must be part of the performing arts rehearsal schedule and must be in the band program.

SYMPHONIC BAND
SYMPHONIC BAND GROUPS (See PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS list at top of page.)
DETAILS: 3 Trimester grouping
CREDIT: 1.0-1.5 (for Performing Arts Group)
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: An audition and/or teacher recommendation is needed for this course.
Symphonic Band is an elective course open to students who have experience and skill on wind instruments, percussion instruments or the string bass, which are common to the instrumentation of today’s modern symphonic or marching bands. Music of various periods and styles are introduced and performed by the band. This is an academic class in which membership is considered a co-curricular organization that includes many rehearsals and performances outside of the regular school day. The band class includes one sectional during the Wildcat Period every six-day cycle. Attendance at all performances and rehearsals is required. Grading is based on a combination of participation, attendance, group performance and individual playing grade.

GIRLS CHORUS
(T1052A) GIRLS CHORUS FALL
(T1052B) GIRLS CHORUS WINTER
(T1052C) GIRLS CHORUS SPRING
DETAILS: 1 Trimester each
CREDIT: 0.5 each
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: An audition and/or teacher recommendation is needed for this course. Students may elect to take this course more than one trimester.
The Girls Chorus is offered to female students in grades 9 through 12 who enjoy singing. This is a performing group. Emphasis will be made on improving music reading skills and singing techniques in preparation for auditions into Concert Choir. Girls chorus includes a weekly sectional. Attendance at all performances is required. Grading in Girls Chorus is based on a combination of class participation, attendance, sectional grades and individual singing grades.

MUSIC HISTORY
(T1058) MUSIC HISTORY
DETAILS: 1 Trimester
CREDIT: 0.5
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: None
This music elective course will trace the development of music, covering the major periods from the Renaissance through the twentieth century. The study of the development of Jazz will also be included. A study of the major composers for each period in the evolution of music will be the focus of this class.

MUSIC KEYBOARD LAB
(T1060) MUSIC KEYBOARD LAB
DETAILS: 1 Trimester
CREDIT: 0.5
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: None
Keyboard class is a music elective course that is generally open to students in grades 9 through 12. This course is aimed at primarily beginning musicians and keyboard players. In the Keyboard class students will learn how to play the piano/keyboard or improve those skills already learned. Emphasis will be placed on reading music, rhythm, technique and performance of basic piano solos and duets.

MUSIC THEORY I
(T1055) MUSIC THEORY I
DETAILS: 1 Trimester
CREDIT: 0.5
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: None
Music Theory is a course designed to give any potential music major the fundamentals required for entrance into any music school. Emphasis is placed on solfeggio (sight singing using syllables), basic ear training (including rhythm, intervals, melodic and harmonic dictation), scale and chord studies, and basic composition (using primary chords) following the rules of harmony and figured bass.

MUSIC THEORY II
(T1056) MUSIC THEORY II
DETAILS: 1 Trimester
CREDIT: 0.5
GRADE LEVEL: 10-12
PREREQUISITE: Music Theory I
This course is a continuation of Music Theory I with emphasis continued on the basic development of solfeggio and ear training, a continued study of harmony and part writing, and an introduction to more complex harmonic analyses, composition, and arranging.

MUSICAL THEATER
(T1057) MUSICAL THEATER
DETAILS: 1 Trimester
CREDIT: 0.5
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: None
The Musical Theater class will look at the history of musical theater, the development of the parts of the musical theater including sets, set designing, dance, makeup, costumes, acting and singing.

VOICE
(T1059) VOICE
DETAILS: 1 Trimester
CREDIT: 0.5
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: None
This course is available to all students in grades 9 to 12. The course involves the study of the vocal instrument, the elements of good voice production and polished singing (consonants, vowels), sight singing, and solo singing. It is especially recommended for students who wish to develop a "solo voice." This is a non-performing group.

Performance Arts Scheduling Options

Students should select between 1.0-1.5 credits of performing arts course work per year. For students that are committed to three performance groups, a half credit per ensemble will be obtained for a total of 1.5 credits. Students that are committed to one or two performance groups will obtain a total of 1.0 credit. These students will have the option to obtain up to an additional half credit from elective courses listed below:

0 Credits - Study Hall (year long-counts as one study hall) Two study halls max per year.
.5 Credits - Gifted Seminar
.5 Credits - Career Internships (Juniors and Seniors only)
.5 Credits - Personal Health-Blended
.5 Credits - Physical Education
.5 Credits - Concert Choir Enrichment (may only be taken w/Concert Choir)
.5 Credits - String Orchestra Enrichment (may only be taken w/String Orchestra)
.5 Credits - Symphonic Band Enrichment (may only be taken w/Symphonic Band)
.5 Credits - Cyber Art History
.5 Credits - Cyber Digital Art
.5 Credits - Cyber Music Theory
.5 Credits - Cyber Personal Financial Literacy
.5 Credits - Cyber Psychology

Performing Arts.pdf 801.06 KB (Last Modified on June 16, 2016)