Music Appreciation A is designed for non-musicians and develops the art of perceptive listening and performance in musical composition through experiential activities. Lectures and experiential learning will cover the instruments of the orchestra, composers, performance practice, musical composition techniques, major compositions of the era, baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century eras, and Broadway musicals. Students will have practice in playing instruments, creating, listening to, analyzing, and describing music. They will evolve specific criteria for making informed critical evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of performances and compositions. Students will identify, explain and perform stylistic features of a given musical work. This is an introductory level course, meeting three times per week with extensive participation in musical activities, class projects, demonstrations and live performances.
Orchestra 1A
An audition is required to participate. Auditions are held at the beginning of Fall Semester, and again in December for the following Spring Semester. Students develop technical mastery in all aspects of ensemble playing, including tone production, intonation, rhythmic execution and musicianship. Orchestra performs works from the baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century repertoire from MENC grades 4-5, and will perform at the CMEA festival in the spring.
This course is offered outside of the 9:00 am – 2:45 pm school day, offered after school/evenings ONLY. Meets 1 evening per week, plus performances.
First Semester Taken: Orchestra A (6521)
Second Semester Taken: Orchestra B (6522)
Subsequent Semesters Taken: Orchestra C (9803)
Orchestra 1B
An audition is required to participate. Auditions are held at the beginning of Fall Semester, and again in December for the following Spring Semester. Students develop technical mastery in all aspects of ensemble playing, including tone production, intonation, rhythmic execution and musicianship. Orchestra performs works from the baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century repertoire from MENC grades 4-5, and will perform at the CMEA festival in the spring.
This course is offered outside of the 9:00 am – 2:45 pm school day, offered after school/evenings ONLY. Meets 1 evening per week, plus performances.
First Semester Taken: Orchestra A (6521)
Second Semester Taken: Orchestra B (6522)
Subsequent Semesters Taken: Orchestra C (9803)
Orchestra C
This is the symphonic orchestra for which an audition is required to participate. Auditions are held at the beginning of Fall Semester, and again in December for the following Spring Semester. Students develop technical mastery in all aspects of ensemble playing, including tone production, intonation, rhythmic execution and musicianship. Orchestra performs works from the baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century repertoire from MENC grades 4-5, and will perform at the CMEA festival in the spring.
This course is offered outside of the 9:00 am – 2:45 pm school day. Meets 1 evening per week, plus performances. (Fall: Mondays 2:45-5:00-pm/Spring: Mondays 6:00-8:30pm)
First Semester Taken: Orchestra A (6521)
Second Semester Taken: Orchestra B (6522)
Subsequent Semesters Taken: Orchestra C (9803)
Pep Band 1A
This course is open to all wind, brass, and percussion students. It will include a variety of styles and difficulties of concert band and pep band music. A cornerstone of this ensemble will be developing technical proficiency on each student’s instrument, as well as establishing a strong level of ensemble cohesion. Music of all historical periods (including 20th century and popular music), various cultures, and multiple geographic areas will be studied for performance. Students will participate in a two-week band camp during August (mandatory) to prepare for football season performances. In rehearsal, students will be graded daily on their preparedness and involvement. Additionally, periodic playing tests will be given to assess progress and these are also graded with a rubric that reflects the core concepts of intonation, proper fingerings/positions/sticking, correct rhythms, and overall musicianship.
This course is offered during 0 period. (8:00-8:45 am, Tue, Thu during fall semester ONLY) Meets 2 mornings per week, plus:
-
- 8 home football & volleyball games (and playoffs, if applicable) for the FALL semester
First Semester Taken: Pep Band A (6538)
Second Semester Taken: Pep Band B (6539)
Subsequent Semesters Taken: Pep Band C (9818)
Pep Band 1B
This course is open to all wind, brass, and percussion students. It will include a variety of styles and difficulties of concert band and pep band music. A cornerstone of this ensemble will be developing technical proficiency on each student’s instrument, as well as establishing a strong level of ensemble cohesion. Music of all historical periods (including 20th century and popular music), various cultures, and multiple geographic areas will be studied for performance. Students will participate in a two-week band camp during August (mandatory) to prepare for football season performances. In rehearsal, students will be graded daily on their preparedness and involvement. Additionally, periodic playing tests will be given to assess progress and these are also graded with a rubric that reflects the core concepts of intonation, proper fingerings/positions/sticking, correct rhythms, and overall musicianship.
This course is offered during 0 period. (8:00-8:45 am, Tue, Thu during fall semester ONLY) Meets 2 mornings per week, plus:
-
- 8 home football & volleyball games (and playoffs, if applicable) for the FALL semester
First Semester Taken: Pep Band A (6538)
Second Semester Taken: Pep Band B (6539)
Subsequent Semesters Taken: Pep Band C (9818)
Pep Band C
This course is open to all wind, brass, and percussion students. It will include a variety of styles and difficulties of concert band and pep band music. A cornerstone of this ensemble will be developing technical proficiency on each student’s instrument, as well as establishing a strong level of ensemble cohesion. Music of all historical periods (including 20th century and popular music), various cultures, and multiple geographic areas will be studied for performance. Students will participate in a two-week band camp during August (mandatory) to prepare for football season performances. In rehearsal, students will be graded daily on their preparedness and involvement. Additionally, periodic playing tests will be given to assess progress and these are also graded with a rubric that reflects the core concepts of intonation, proper fingerings/positions/sticking, correct rhythms, and overall musicianship.
This course is offered during 0 period. (8:00-8:45 am, Tue, Thu during fall semester ONLY) Meets 2 mornings per week, plus:
-
- 8 home football & volleyball games (and playoffs, if applicable) for the FALL semester
First Semester Taken: Pep Band A (6538)
Second Semester Taken: Pep Band B (6539)
Subsequent Semesters Taken: Pep Band C (9818)
Photography 1A
The Photography 1A class provides a comprehensive study of photography as an art form. The course will expose the student to fundamental issues unique to the medium through the study of the history of photography. The students will experience a variety of approaches to the medium of black and white photography beginning with photograms and also including pinhole photography and 35mm cameras. Students will create their own photograms, use pinhole cameras to get negatives and make positive images, learn how to process black and white film and enlarge. Portrait photography is a major aspect of the Photography 1A program and the work of portrait photographers such as Arnold Newman, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Yousuf Karsh will be presented in class. At the end of the semester, students will work on a final project on a portrait or self-portrait.
Photography 1B
The Photography 1B class will build on skills learned in Photography 1A. In addition, students will learn basic studio lighting and more advanced darkroom techniques to obtain better results when printing in black and white. Still life is a major aspect of the program and images from the following artists will be presented: Edward Weston, Renger-Patzsch, Minor White and Aaron Siskind. At the end the semester, students will do research on the biography and style of a photographer who has made important aesthetic advances in history. The final project will consist of creating still life images with thematic unity.
Sculpture 1A
A studio-based problem-solving course that uses a variety of materials: paper, wood, plaster, found objects, and wire to explore the design process in 3 dimensions. Study of historical examples of sculpture will serve as a “spring board” for inspiration directed toward solutions to design projects. The work of 20th century sculptors such as Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson and Henry Moore will challenge the student to understand their own creativity. Field trips to local museums and some written work will complement the original work created by the student in the studio and at home.
*This class will be offered pending adequate enrollment.