INSTRUMENTAL STUDY AND ENSEMBLES

The Music Department will offer the following large ensembles based on student needs and interests. It is recommended that students interested in large ensembles choose two (2). Please consult with your current instrumental teacher if you need to know more about any group. It is strongly encouraged that students engage in private lessons on his/her instrument. Students must be proficient in reading and sight singing as determined by the department.

LARGE ENSEMBLES

Brass Choir (trumpets, horns, trombones)
Chamber Orchestra (strings and winds)
Consort*(violin, viola, cello, bass, winds)
Jazz Ensemble* all instruments and voice
*requires audition/approval of director

BACH ENSEMBLE: THE STUDY OF THE VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL CHAMBER AND SOLO MUSIC OF J.S. BACH AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES

We will work on many aspects of Baroque interpretation, performance practice, style, ornamentation, tempi, the relationship and interdependence of words and music, and any other topics that come up in the rehearsal and preparation of repertoire. We will explore Bach and his contemporaries from the bottom up, paying close attention to the power and influence of the bass line in these great musical works. Keyboard players will learn how to interpret and realize a figured bass and will learn how to play the portative organ. Limited to advanced vocalists and instrumentalists. Audition.

CHAMBER PLAYERS

For students interested in the challenge of chamber music performance, Chamber Players groups (including piano ensembles) are organized based on enrollment. Duos, trios, and quartets will be coached once a week. An audition is required for all students who will be participating in the chamber music program for the first time. Students presently participating will be placed at an appropriate level.

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

The Chamber Orchestra is a conductor-led ensemble of strings, winds, brass and percussion. This ensemble performs repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary and will participate in concerts throughout the year. Because of the strong skills required for this repertoire all participating students are required to take private lessons. Auditions are required for any student enrolling in a large ensemble for the first time.

CONSORT

The Consort is a group of mixed winds and strings for advanced players. This ensemble performs without a conductor and will participate in all instrumental concerts during the year. The Consort works closely with a director in rehearsal. Students learn the art of section leading and ensemble playing through the study of repertoire that spans all periods. The Consort will rehearse for one double period and one single period each week. Permission of the instructor is required.

JAZZ ENSEMBLE

The Jazz Ensemble performs arrangements of jazz classics from swing to bebop and beyond. All instruments are welcome to join the ensemble. Players develop soloing technique, harmonic understanding, and ensemble skills. Students interested in joining the Jazz Ensemble should be familiar with jazz styles and be able to demonstrate reading ability, knowledge of scales and chords, and technical proficiency on their instrument. Students in the Jazz Ensemble should be enrolled in private instrumental instruction. Interested musicians should prepare an audition that demonstrates their technical level. Prerequisite: see audition instructions.

JAZZ COMBO

An adjunct to Jazz Ensemble. We work in a small-group format: rhythm section plus two lead instruments maximum. Students develop facility in reading charts and creating arrangements. We re-create classic smallgroup arrangements by such icons as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard and Bill Evans. This class is open to members of the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Techniques class by permission of the instructor.

JAZZ TECHNIQUES

A class in jazz improvisation and ensemble playing. Instruction in basic scales and chords provides a vocabulary for improvisation. Students are introduced to the jazz repertoire. All instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome; interested students should prepare an audition demonstrating a grasp of major and minor scales and chords. Students in this class are strongly encouraged to enroll in private lessons.

JAZZ GUITAR ENSEMBLE

This ensemble performs a variety of music arranged for guitars and percussion. The repertoire includes jazz standards, modern jazz compositions and original music. Ensemble members improve their reading, composing, accompanying and rhythmic skills. Members should be very comfortable reading music and charts. Permission of the instructor is required.

ADVANCED GUITAR

This course is designed to enhance performing skills on the guitar through the study of popular, jazz and classical pieces. This course is open to any student who has completed Guitar I, or by permission of the instructor.

PERCUSSION TECHNIQUES: CLASSICAL

This course emphasizes percussion techniques for the large ensemble. Tympani, mallet technique, bass, snare, and other percussive instruments are studied. Members of this class form the percussion section for the larger instrumental ensembles, Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. Prerequisite: Percussion I and II, or permission of the instructor

PERCUSSION: THE DRUM SET

This class explores the role of the drummer in popular music. We study and play techniques that helped define this music, and we listen to recordings of the classic drummers.

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE

This ensemble studies and performs 20th and 21st c. music specifically composed for percussion instruments. Additionally, pieces transcribed from other sources are studied. This ensemble is open only to students who have completed Percussion II in the Middle School, or by permission of the instructor.

VOCAL STUDY AND ENSEMBLES

Vocal study at Saint Ann’s is comprehensive. Our goal is to build better singers, as soloists and choristers. Proper breathing, vowel production, diction and basic singing techniques will be the foundation of our study. Art songs (in English, Italian, French and German) and repertoire from the American musical theater and opera will be studied and performed in solo concert. Additionally, singers will join together to explore the rich and broad canon of western choral music in various voice combinations. Performance opportunities include choral concerts, the spring voice recital and the musical theater workshop. There is no audition required.

THEORY, COMPOSITION, AND MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

THEORY & COMPOSITION I

This course offers an exploration of the fundamentals of notation, rhythm, harmony and melody. Students gain a deeper understanding of all musical styles. We train our ears, develop musicianship skills, and study the evolution of the system of tonality used in most musical cultures. Computers and MIDI are used in composition projects.

ADVANCED COMPOSITION

This course covers the study of harmony and voice-leading, form, counterpoint, notation, style, and instrumentation – including ear training and musicianship skills. Students will work on composition projects using Finale and other notation and editing software. Prerequisites: Theory and Composition or equivalent.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC COMPOSITION

Open to students with advanced skills, an interest in performance/composition, and a facility with music notation, this workshop/class allows students with experience in MIDI and sound processing to realize their creative ideas using the myriad tools of the music lab. Software technology enables composers to achieve unprecedented variety and richness in manipulating recorded sound to create unique compositions. The possibilities are practically limitless. Much like Music & Multimedia, we learn to use digital audio programs, sequencing, possible notation and sampling technology with an emphasis on recording live audio. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor, music lab experience, and facility on an instrument.

MUSIC & COMPUTERS I

We explore the use of electronic keyboards and computers to compose music for a variety of scoring situations. Our focus is the development of specific sequencing and musical notation skills as related to the fundamentals of music theory, orchestration, and composition. Knowledge of basic notation is preferable. Previous experience with composition is desirable, though not necessary.

MUSIC & COMPUTERS II

This more advanced level continues to explore the ideas covered in Music & Computers I, while solidifying skills established through previous music lab experience. We explore the use of electronic keyboards and computers to compose music for a variety of scoring situations. Our focus is the development of specific sequencing and musical notation skills as related to the fundamentals of music theory, orchestration, and composition. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor, and Music & Computers I or middle school music lab experience.

MUSIC & MULTIMEDIA

Building on skills developed in the Music & Computers class, this course focuses on using digital media such as MIDI, digital audio and video to explore contemporary musical idioms. A variety of applications are utilized concurrently to develop technical skills to be used as instruments of self-expression. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor, and Music & Computers I and II or middle school music lab experience.

THEORY & EAR-TRAINING FOR JAZZ MUSICIANS

This course offers a progressive approach to the study of jazz harmony. Students will improve their improvisational skills through the study of intervals, scales, modes, and chord progressions as well as through aural training. Students will enjoy a broader musical vocabulary, enabling more insightful jazz performance. Recommended for any student in Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, or Jazz Techniques.

MUSIC LITERATURE

THE BROADWAY MUSICAL*

We will get to know the seminal works of the Broadway canon, looking at the roots and development of this most American of art forms. Class work involves reading the texts, listening to show tunes, and DVD watching. Class participation will include trips, taking advantage of the rich offerings of the New York Theater scene.

JAZZ HISTORY

Jazz and blues are among America’s greatest cultural achievements, exports to the world community that give powerful voice to the American experience. Born of multi-hued society, this music unites people across the divides of race, religion and region. Jazz history explores freedom, creativity, and the American identity at home and abroad. In this course, we will learn about the development of jazz since its origins at the turn of the twentieth century. We will encounter colorful personalities and amazing artists, taking a look at their specific contributions to the music, in an effort to understand the stylistic evolution of jazz. Trips to major cultural institutions will complement our extensive listening and learning activities.

OPERA*

The extravagant art. We will look at opera from the ground up, from Monteverdi through contemporary works. Class work involves libretto reading, audio listening and DVD watching. Occasional forays into the scandalous lives of the great composers and opera stars. Class participation includes three daytime trips to the Metropolitan Opera and some written work. Maybe even some HD Broadcasts… no need to be afraid of opera anymore…
*These classes are not redundant for students who have previously taken History of Opera and Broadway Musical.Prerequisite: see audition instructions.