PERFORMING ARTS COURSES PERFORMING ARTS COURSES

Rock Band (year long) (9-12) (Eighth and Ninth Periods)

Performance required.

Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Auditions to be scheduled with the instructor.

The Windward Rock Band is designed to give students the experience of being rock and roll musicians. This class is for guitarists, bassists, drummers, singers and keyboard players in grades 9 - 12 with at least two years of playing experience on their instrument (by audition or invitation only.) The aim of this band is to give students a place to grow musically with others, create and foster musical skills necessary to the modern rock musician, and inspire them to develop their musical inclinations into a full-blown discipline. Students will learn to play in different styles of rock and learn how to play as an ensemble while also learning functional music theory and becoming grounded in the history of rock and roll.

Middle School Music Production (year long) (7-8) (Eighth Period)

There are many aspects to being a Music Producer. They are musicians, composers, audio technicians, recording artists and programmers all at once. In this class, we will learn the basic keyboard skills and rudimentary music theory in which a producer needs to create original music. We will take on various projects as producers such as making beats from scratch, making music for a podcast, and creating original compositions. We will also explore each aspect of making a song, while learning what it means to be a studio musician, audio engineer, and producer. By the end of the year, students will have a deeper knowledge and understanding of how music is created, and will be able to create original music themselves from scratch. After a full year of this course, students can then take their skillset into many different related areas of music, and will in turn be inspired to continue to pursue music as an art and a discipline. No previous music experience is required, beginners are welcome! This class is a full year course.

Music Theory 1 (year long) (Eighth Period)

Music Theory 1 will begin with the essentials of music: pitch notation, rhythmic notation, the overtone series, diatonic scales, key signatures, intervals, and ultimately chordal structure and inversions. As the students gain experience and ownership over the materials, application and implementation of the material will be demonstrated using music that is both familiar and unfamiliar. This class will eventually include discussion and examples of cadences, phrases, loops, grooves, song structures, etc. - all illustrated via numerous musical examples of diverse genres and origins. This class is open to any 9th-12th grade students.

Music Theory 2 (year long) (Eighth Period)

Music Theory 2 will continue the conceptual explorations of Music Theory 1, examining the functionality and purposes of the music theory fundamentals in greater detail. This course will see the implementation of triads, sevenths, cadences, substitutions, melodic and harmonic embellishment. The class will also provide the opportunity for innovative deep dives into songwriting and analysis, and in-class presentations that both engage and ignite our students’ creativity and analytical mindsets. While this is not a performance ensemble class, there may be opportunities for students to take these assignments and materials and present them to the broader Windward community at some of our inclusive showcases. This class is open to 9th-12th grade students who have already taken “Music Theory 1,” or who show an equivalent level of skill, at the discretion of the instructor.

Jazz Theory 3 (year long) (Eighth Period)

The Jazz Theory 3 class continues to build on the tools that have been learned in the previous Theory 1 and 2 classes and thus allows the student to seek an even more thorough understanding of music construction in the specific context of jazz music. Exploring solo-building through understanding thematic and rhythmic elements are part of the class work both in the written work and class jam sessions. At this point the student will be able to compose jazz melodies and solos that echo the great jazz legends, such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins to name a few. Students will also begin to learn to compose and arrange tunes for a combo, which would include composing bass lines, piano and horn voicings as they begin to understand how to create their own compositions and arrangements.

Jazz Theory 4 (year long) (Eighth Period)

Jazz Theory 4 takes the skills and concepts that were learned in the Theory 1, 2, and 3 classes and aims to put all of those components together as the student creates a unique voice as both improviser and composer. Students compose original works in both small and large formats while exploring more complex forms and structures. Students will be using Sibelius music software as an integral part of their compositions. A continuing study of solo-building and a more thorough understanding of thematic and rhythmic elements are part of the class in both the written work and class jam sessions. A deeper understanding of the subtle nuances of scales, chords, and jazz melodic and rhythmic structures is explored as the student becomes both the composer and the improviser and understands that the two are different sides of the same coin. Major areas of focus include: original composition and orchestration, advanced piano voicing, and a further study of improvisation, which would include very challenging jazz tunes, i.e. Cherokee, Giant Steps, and Moment’s Notice.

Theatre

Middle School Acting Core 1 (7-8)

Students are given the opportunity to explore elements of improv, acting, playwriting, and stagecraft in this full-year class. The course begins with an exploration of ensemble work through theatre games and trust exercises. Students then choose, rehearse, and perform monologues and scenes, selecting from a broad range of texts to discover their own unique voices and proclivities as actors and artists. They will have the opportunity to collaborate with others and gain confidence as they perform for peers. They will give feedback, sharing constructive criticism from both an audience’s and a director’s point of view. Improvisational theater is utilized to explore voice, character work, narrative skills, artistic freedom, stagecraft and creativity. Students will have the opportunity to write personal works that explore their own identities, perspectives and histories, as well as study classic and modern theatrical texts to learn from and continue the traditions of this ancient, vital artform. The primary focus is to build group awareness on and off stage, sharpen performance skills, and allow students to explore personal works in addition to the depth and nuances of others’ works. No prerequisite required.