MUSIC + MUSICAL THEATER

767 Music Class Hours

229 Music Students

9 Music Teachers

2,303: 30 Private Music Lesson Hours

224 Music Theater Class Hours

52 Musical Theater Students

Music

HSA Music curriculum includes all orchestral instruments, as well as saxophone, piano, organ, guitar, African and Latin percussion, and voice. Its philosophy is to prepare each student to be a proficient performer and reader of Western music as well as of the various musical styles of the African Diaspora.

HSA Musical Theater introduces the fundamentals of musical theater to young actors. Simple pitch recognition, breathing techniques, vocal projection, movement, choreography, storytelling, and teamwork are the main focuses of this department. HSA Musical Theater emphasizes the importance of ensemble performance using show tunes.

“The Advanced Jazz Band was the first time playing in a band outside of school, and it was extremely fun. I enjoyed playing in a small group with both Ben and Levi, and we had a pretty good repetoire. ”

– Advanced Jazz Band Student

Featured Performances

Afternoon Jazz @ HSA: The Marlene Rice String 3-Tet

As part of our afternoon jazz concert series, violinist Marlene Rice, along with her string trio “The String 3-Tet”, presented a workshop and concert at HSA for our students and the Harlem community. This concert was in fulfillment of the Jazz Roads grant presented to our artist-in-residence, Steve Colson, and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “Let Freedom Swing”

Presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “Let Freedom Swing” ensemble in HSA’s Dorothy Maynor Hall, this interactive family concert illustrated the fundamentals of jazz and covered the core tenets of our music: swing, blues, and improvisation.