CORE MUSIC CURRICULUM

Arranging
- Analyze scores.
- Develop high-level harmonic and voicing skills to produce arrangements.
- Explore the use and integration of MIDI technology and sequencing as they relate to rhythm section and
lead-line writing.

- Incorporate combinations of acoustic, electronic, and MIDI instruments into music writing projects.
- Synthesize various contemporary musical styles and the musical concepts that comprise them, including
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writing from the "bottom up" (groove-driven) and "top down" (working with a melody in a lead instrument or
voice).
Develop a practical understanding of the concepts and techniques of writing for rhythm section with and
without a lead-line instrument of voice in a variety of contemporary musical styles;
Notate music both by hand and with notation software.

Contemporary Harmony
- Develop literacy in the fundamentals of contemporary music theory (note identification, intervals, chord
spelling to the 13th, scale construction including (diatonic scales, modes, non-diatonic scales).

- Recognize the basic chord progressions of contemporary popular music (major diatonic with chromatic
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embellishments, minor diatonic with chromatic embellishments, modal with chromatic embellishments) in
written form.
Analyze the chord progressions of popular songs in a variety of styles by employing Roman numeral and
graphical analysis.
Express harmonic functions as chord scales and notate them correctly.
Reduce a written musical arrangement to a lead sheet using standard chord symbols.
Realize harmony represented by standard chord symbols in written form through a variety of voice leading
techniques (i.e. 4-way close, guide tone lines, spread voicings, hybrids, etc.).
Analyze the harmonic implications of a given melody.
Harmonize a given melody in a variety of popular styles.
Compose an original melody and accompanying chord progressions in a variety of popular styles.

Tonal Harmony and Counterpoint

- Compose short works based on the formal, harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, contrapuntal, and textural
practices of the baroque, classical, and romantic eras of European classical music.

- Analyze the harmony, melody, formal, and contrapuntal components of music from the common practice
period.

- Understand and articulate connections between common practice period musical techniques and those of
contemporary popular music and jazz.

- Incorporate common practice period musical techniques into their own creative work.

Ear Training
- Translate music notation into sound and movement, learning to sing and conduct music from notation at
sight, accurately and without the aid of an instrument (given only a reference pitch).

- Translate sounds into notation and musical symbols.

- Develop accurate inner hearing or musical imagination of pitches, rhythms, and sonorities.
- Express their inner hearing through vocal performance and conducting, and through dictation (notation of
heard music).

- Integrate their music reading, inner hearing, vocal performance, and instrumental performance,
connecting their pitch, rhythm, notation, vocal, instrumental, and movement skills in real time.

- Analyze musical patterns and relationships and connect them with sounds.
- Integrate their aural perception of musical relationships, their ability to perform (vocally, rhythmically, and
instrumentally), and their knowledge of music theory.

- Integrate their ear training skills with expressive performance and creative music-making, including
improvisation and composition.

- Evaluate their own processes for learning and practice, and learn to self-diagnose and prescribe solutions,
for a lifetime of increasing skill and understanding of musicianship.

Music Technology
- Use their laptop, the wireless network, and an online learning management system to manage their
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course work.
Configure and troubleshoot the basic MIDI and audio capabilities in a laptop music system.
Identify and use different types of software electronic instruments.
Record and edit audio using their laptop computer.
Produce instrumental, electronic arrangements using music production software.
Distribute their music productions using standard formats.
Understand and use basic music technology terminology.
Recognize and discuss basic music production techniques.

Conducting
- Conduct instrumental and vocal music of a variety of styles and genres, including modern music with
mixed and odd meters.

- Express a variety of tempos, articulations, dynamics, phrasing, and expressions through conducting
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gestures.
Understand the standard setups of an orchestra and orchestral score.
Analyze scores, including standard transpositions and clefs, and expressive/performance terminology.
Make informed interpretive decisions based on score analysis.
Anticipate and plan for rehearsal problems based on score analysis.
Develop deep knowledge of some essential repertoire.

Performance
- Synthesize and integrate knowledge of contemporary and traditional styles into musical interpretation.
- Synthesize and integrate knowledge of posture, breathing, and instrumental technique into their daily
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practice routines.
Demonstrate technical proficiency on their principal instrument.
Demonstrate the ability to sight read music in a variety of styles.
Play music in a variety of contemporary and traditional styles.
Play in ensembles of varying size, instrumentation, and stylistic orientation.
Apply knowledge of musical styles and harmonic practices in improvisation.