NINTH GRADE MUSIC
For the first semester, all ninth grade students choose
one of the following ninth grade music electives or
Orchestra or Jazz Ensemble. The
curriculum for the second semester centers around the
Ninth Grade musical.
633 Ninth Grade Choir
minor elective
A choral ensemble of 25-30 students, this elective is
for students who love to sing and who want to grow as
choral singers. Emphasis is placed on the development
of musical skills—vocal, aural, rhythmic and sightsinging,
as well as learning both accompanied and
unaccompanied repertoire. Choir 9 performs at the
Thanksgiving and Holiday assemblies.
635 Sight Singing and Music Theory
minor elective
Students in this course learn the fundamental skills
and language of music, with an emphasis on developing
sight reading. Areas of study include interval recognition,
keys, chord construction, and ear training.
632 Music of the Twentieth Century
minor elective
Students in this class explore the broad spectrum of
music in the twentieth century, focusing particularly
on the connections and inter-play among many styles
and genres—classical, jazz, folk, blues, R&B, rock,
punk, hip hop, bebop and Tin Pan Alley. Students
listen to and discuss a wide array of music, including
the music of Gershwin, Stravinsky, Copland, Ives,
Serge Prokofiev, Bela Bartok, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin,
and Nirvana.
634 Jazz, Blues and the Birth of Rock and
Roll
minor elective
Students in this course will take an in-depth look at
the American musical genres of jazz and blues, and
will also explore how a variety of musical genres gave
rise to the phenomena of Rock and Roll, examining
the inter-relationships of these styles in their cultural
context. Students will listen to and discuss music,
read a variety of texts, and watch and discuss segments
of documentary films. Artists we will study include:
Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald,
Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Bo Diddly, Jerry Lee
Lewis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis
Presley, and The Beatles.
MUSIC IN GRADES 10-12
In grades 10-12, students may elect music minors individually,
or form a music-major by combining Music
Theory with Chorus, Choir, Orchestra, Chamber
Music or Jazz Ensemble.
671 Beginning Music Theory
minor elective
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Students in this course study the fundamental skills
and language of music in order to become increasingly
expressive and literate musicians. Course content
includes major and minor scales, intervals, key signatures,
basic harmonic progressions and rhythmic
figures in simple and compound meters. Aural skills
are developed through sight singing with solfege syllables,
rhythmic dictation, interval identification and
melodic dictation. Four-part writing and analysis will
be studied toward the end of the second semester.
672 Advanced Music Theory
minor elective
prerequisite: Beginning Music Theory or approval by Music
Department Chair.
Grades: 11, 12
This course continues work in four-part writing and
analysis through proper voice-leading technique and
advanced harmonic progressions. Strong emphasis
is placed on the development of aural skills through
rhythmic and melodic dictation, as well as intervallic
and harmonic identification. Students explore various
compositional techniques, culminating in a performance
of original works during a spring assembly.
675 Choir - Advanced
minor elective
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Students in this course work to achieve excellence in
the performance of choral music, singing demanding
repertoire from many cultures and time periods.
Through intensive rehearsals and performances, students
develop their vocal abilities, sight-singing skills
and sense of ensemble.
The Choir is open to students in grades 10-12 by audition;
members sing in the Chorus as well. The Choir
rehearsal schedule includes some weekend rehearsals
as well as a required two-day overnight Choir Camp
prior to the beginning of each school year. (For 2011,
the dates are Saturday, August 27th and Sunday,
August 28th.) The ensemble performs frequently
throughout the year and tours every three years.
673 Chorus
minor elective
Grades: 10, 11, 12
Students in this course focus their study on works
drawn from the choral-orchestral repertoire. Through
rehearsal and performance, students seek to develop
their musical skills—vocal, aural, rhythmic and sightsinging.
During the first semester, emphasis is placed
on skill development; as the year progresses, students
learn increasing amounts of repertoire. Study culminates
in performances for the Holiday Concert and
Spring Choral concert. The ensemble is open to all
who wish to learn about choral singing. Chorus meets
two class periods per week, with additional rehearsals
prior to each performance.
652 Madrigals
minor elective
prerequisite: Departmental Approval
Grades: 10, 11, 12
This small ensemble of women sings a range of repertoire,
from Renaissance to contemporary. Through
rehearsal and performance, students develop their
vocal and aural skills and a sense of both independent
and ensemble singing. This group performs at all of
the Upper School choral concerts throughout the year.
680 Orchestra
minor elective
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
The Orchestra is open to all instrumentalists (except
guitar), who display sufficiently advanced technique to
perform the required music, though space is limited
for percussion and piano. The group plays a wide variety
of repertoire including classical favorites, Broadway
selections and pops music, and is featured in many
assemblies, the Holiday Concert and the Instrumental
Music Concert. In addition to learning new music,
students focus on orchestral playing techniques such
as intonation, phrasing and blend. Students are
strongly encouraged to take private lessons to reinforce
fundamental practices. The Orchestra rehearses three
class periods a week, with additional rehearsals prior
to each performance.
679 Chamber Music
minor elective
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Students who enroll in Chamber Music are placed
in duets, trios, quartets, or quintets to experience the
unique give-and-take of playing music in a small group
setting. Ensembles are arranged with reference to
instrumentation and students’ abilities. Students may
also propose their own groups, with the assistance of
the orchestra director.
Performances include community events, GFS functions
and the Instrumental Music Concert in May.
Chamber music groups rehearse once a week. Interested
musicians should speak with the orchestra director
for placement. Participation may be limited.
Co-requisite - With the exception of pianists, students
who wish to take Chamber Music must participate in
the GFS Orchestra.
688 Jazz Ensemble
minor elective
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Jazz Ensemble is available to students who play the
following instruments: flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet,
trombone, guitar, bass, piano and percussion. (Other
interested instrumentalists should speak to the director
of the jazz ensemble before signing up.) Students
in the course perform a wide variety of repertoire, and
also learn the basics of jazz theory and performance
practices. Performance opportunities include GFS
assemblies, special events and the Instrumental Music
Concert in May. Participation is limited and certain
instruments (guitar, piano and percussion) are accepted
as needed. Auditions may be required.