Course Description

Music appreciation usually involves music history (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary era), listening and analyzing composer’s works, theory, and learning about the basic orchestral instrument families: strings, brass, woodwind, and percussion. This class will deal with these concepts and go beyond. Most class periods will be “hands on” with standard instruments such as violin, cello, guitar, piano, percussion, recorder, voice, as well as more unusual instruments such as the dulcimer, Irish whistle, autoharp, and more. If you are currently taking private lessons on an instrument, you will learn tools to help you expand your knowledge of the composers, the style from the time period, and why the music was written that way. Even if you’ve never played an instrument before, you will have the opportunity to learn ukulele, an extremely popular, easy-to-learn instrument as well as beginning keyboard, recorder, and note reading. We will also explore careers in music and music therapy, create a group composition, have our own in-class opera and participate in my version of “Chopped – musical style.” Internet access is necessary.

To be successful in this class:

Students will need to spend at least one and a half to two hours outside of class, with listening assignments and practicing. We take a few weeks learning recorder, and spend several months learning the ukulele.  If you have previously taken instrumental lessons, you will get credit for practicing. Bring a notebook with all handouts and materials to class each week, participate and keep up with homework assignments.

Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

Fees: $225 plus $10 supply fee

Course Credit: 0.5 fine arts