Music

Course Description

Music functions as a means of personal and communal identity and expression and embodies the social and cultural values of individuals and communities. This scenario invites exciting exploration and sensitive study.

A vibrant and stimulating musical education fosters curiosity and openness to both familiar and unfamiliar musical worlds. Through participating in the study of music we are able to explore the similarities, differences, and links in music from within our own culture and that of others across time.

TCS music program provides the opportunity to build on prior experience in music and the appropriate foundation for further study in music.

Course Objectives

The course enables students to develop their knowledge and potential as musicians, both personally and collaboratively. Students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and perception of music in relation to time, place and cultures. They will be able to use appropriate musical terminology to describe and reflect their critical understanding of music, as well as present comparative analysis of music in relation to time, place, and cultures. They will possess critical thinking skills through reflective thought, performance skills through solo or group music making, as well as compositional skills through the exploration, control, and development of the elements of music.

Syllabus Content

The Lower School uses the Kodaly method to develop ear-training, music literacy and general musicianship. By singing simple musical phrases and playing music games, the students learn to identify, read and write various melodic and rhythmic patterns and intervals. Through analysis of these songs and games, they study pitch, timbre, dynamics, form and meter. Students are introduced to playing the piano, with a focus on reading music. Throughout the year, the students develop their performance skills by preparing songs for class plays and various recitals and assemblies. 

In the Middle School, a strong focus is placed on the development of each boy’s voice through group vocal technique lessons. Music literacy and theory are taught through an analysis of the actual repertoire that the boys will perform in concert. The sophistication of the repertoire correlates to the progress of each class. Students will learn to sing music from diverse cultures and in a variety of languages. The historical and cultural implications of each piece will be discussed and applied toward performance practice and style. There is also a strong focus on rehearsal and performance etiquette. As students enter 6th Grade they will study the nature of the changing voice along with the anatomy of singing. It is an expectation that by the end of Middle School the students will be able to sing in up to three-part harmony and read basic musical notation from a choral score. All Middle School students participate in ACC, a chorus that involves the practical application of what they learn in music class. The ACC performs four concerts per year, including one operetta or musical.