Upper School Curriculum Guide

The RCDS Music Department is committed to nurturing creativity and confidence at all levels of learning. We honor music as a living art with inherent value. In addition, we are committed to helping students make connections between music classes, other disciplines, and the wider world. Through the teaching and modeling of empathy and collaboration, we seek to have our classes and ensembles embody a unified spirit.

Music is a language that all can appreciate and learn to "speak" with precision and beauty. Many students in the Upper School participate actively in one or more of the many performing groups such as Concert Choir, Honors Choirs, Wind Ensemble, Honors Jazz Band, and String Orchestra – each of which is scheduled within the school day. The Concert Choir, String Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble receive full academic credit as a sign of the School's commitment to the art and discipline of music.

RCDS offers both performance and non-performance-based music electives. Students often participate in the New York All-State and Area-All State music festivals, and the choir joins forces with adult singers from the RCDS community to sing a major work each year with a professional orchestra at the Festival Chorus Concert. Over the years, the Concert Choir has toured internationally in Europe, Asia, Cuba, and most recently, Spain. The Wind Ensemble has traveled throughout the East Coast and to Canada. Our performing ensembles are award winning groups at regional competitions and festivals. Part-time instrumental and voice teachers give private lessons in our teaching studios during the week to approximately 120 students.

COURSE SELECTION GUIDELINES

 All Music classes are considered electives and are eligible to receive arts credit towards graduation.
 
The following courses have no prerequisites:

• Concert Choir
• String Orchestra (prior experience on a string instrument is required)
• Wind Ensemble (prior experience on a band instrument is required)
• Our World in Music
• Music for Social Change
• Music Theory Intensive
• Musicianship 1
• Studio Composing and Arranging 1
• Beginning Band
• Musicianship for Performers
• Songwriting

The following courses require departmental approval:

• AP Music Theory
• Honors Choir
• String Orchestra with Earned Honors Option
• Wind Ensemble with Honors Jazz Band

Students interested in auditioning for any of the Honors Choirs or Honors Jazz Band will need approval from the Department Chair. Final auditions happen in the fall. Students hoping to participate should inquire in the spring.

To take AP Music Theory, approval is required from the Department Chair. While there is no course prerequisite for AP Music Theory, a conversation to discuss the student’s musical background is required along with a placement test if further clarification is required.

Students interested in private lessons should contact the Private Lesson Coordinator at the beginning of September and be on the lookout for information on e-communications from the school. Private lessons are extracurricular and do not receive academic credit or count toward the arts credit.
 

AP HOMEWORK GUIDELINES

AP Music Theory: Students should expect to spend 30 minutes a day on written homework and/or ear training. They should be willing to spend up to 45 minutes, but after that marker, they needn't do more.

DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES REGARDING ENTRY INTO HONORS/AP COURSES

• Admission into any of the Honors Ensembles is determined by audition in the fall. A student already in one of the Honors Ensemble is guaranteed a spot for the next year in an honors group providing they have maintained an A- or better in the previous year. The teacher reserves the right to re-audition and reconsider the admission of students with a lower grade. 
• Admission into Honors Jazz Band or Honors Choir is determined by audition at the beginning of the year and requires participation in another major music ensemble of the school (Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra, or Concert Choir). 
• Admission to AP Music Theory is determined by a student’s previous work in the department or by interview and/or placement test, if further clarification is required. The student’s math grades may also be considered.

Many students commonly take Concert Choir, String Orchestra, or Wind Ensemble for all four years. Although a student may join in any year, most find the four-year cumulative nature of the experience to be most rewarding.

Honors Choirs and Honors Jazz Band are open to students in Grades 9-12 and are auditioned from the larger groups. While they cannot stand alone in a student's program, they comfortably fit into the student's larger schedule.

A combination of more than one performing ensemble can fit concurrently into a student's program. While doing so creates a fuller daytime schedule, there is little evening commitment to these courses. In addition, additional electives in music or other departments can sometimes dovetail with the music ensembles, allowing students to take more than one elective in a single block. For students who are particularly interested in musical theater, many students take Choir along with a Drama class.

Music Theory Intensive or AP Music Theory is mostly commonly taken in the 10th or 12th grade year, though it is open to students in Grades 10-12. Note that these courses are homework bearing. Musicianship for Performers is most commonly taken concurrently with one or more of the performing ensembles. 

There are also several non-performance-based classes offered without prerequisites including listening and hands-on courses. Several of these courses can be continued in a subsequent semester. 

Year-Long Courses

AP MUSIC THEORY
The course fosters an understanding of music by developing a fluency in music notation and ear training skills. Students will study tonal harmony through melodic and harmonic analysis, part writing, dictation, and sight singing (emphasis on ear training not vocal beauty.) Students will take the Advanced Placement exam in Music Theory in May. Preference will be given to students who are members of Concert Choir or Wind Ensemble. (1 unit; Grades 10-12; permission of the department chair required)

CONCERT CHOIR
The Concert Choir creates a community of singers by preparing and performing several varied choral programs throughout the year including at least one major work such as Mozart's Requiem or Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. The choir gives approximately ten concerts annually both in school and throughout the community. Because of the challenging repertoire studied, it is essential that each member of the choir develop musical literacy. (1 unit; Grades 9-12; no prerequisite or audition required)

HONORS CONCERT CHOIR
A mixed chamber choir, a treble choir, and/or  tenor/bass honors choirs are open by audition to students enrolled in the Concert Choir. Singers working at the honors level rehearse and perform additional repertoire appropriate to each group’s smaller size and more advanced level. Participation in Concert Choir is part of the curriculum. (1 unit; Grades 9-12; placed by audition in the fall)

WIND ENSEMBLE
The Wind Ensemble repertoire is chosen primarily from classic band literature encompassing a variety of music styles. The group performs throughout the year at school events, festivals, and in the larger community. Ensemble rehearsals are devoted to developing a strong sense of pitch, dynamics, phrasing and blend. Membership requires a commitment to personal musical growth through daily practice. In addition to four rehearsals per cycle, assessments are assigned through the SmartMusic program allowing for further individual feedback from the instructor. Each student is strongly urged to take private lessons. (1 unit; Grades 9–12; previous instrumental experience or permission of the instructor is required)

HONORS JAZZ BAND
The Jazz Band is open to qualified instrumentalists by audition. Emphasis is placed on a variety of jazz and rock styles as well as improvisational skills. Additional participation in either Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra, or Concert Choir is required. (1 period per cycle; Grades 9-12; placed by audition in the fall)

STRING ORCHESTRA WITH EARNED HONORS OPTION
The String Orchestra provides string players the opportunity to rehearse and perform pieces chosen from the classical repertoire and a wide variety of other styles. The group performs throughout the year at school events, festivals, and in the larger community. Emphasis is placed on the art of ensemble playing using repertoire and additional exercises developing sight reading, intonation, bowing techniques, rhythm, improvisation, and especially listening and adapting. Earned Honors Option: Students will have the opportunity to declare their intent in the first quarter to earn an honors credit. After obtaining departmental approval for their project, a student may do additional work such as preparing advanced solo pieces, participating in a chamber group, or doing community partnership outreach.  They will implement this additional project-based learning and have incremental progress checks throughout the year until the project’s completion in the last quarter. (1 unit; Grades 9-12; previous instrumental experience or permission of the instructor is required)
 

Semester Electives (1/2 Unit)

ADVANCED TOPICS IN MUSIC
This course is designed to allow the advanced student to pursue a concentrated area of interest beyond the RCDS music curriculum. The topic of study must be discussed and planned in the semester prior to taking the course, and students should expect to do additional work on the projects outside the classroom hours. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; department approval required; may be repeated for credit)
 
MUSICIANSHIP 1    
Students in Musicianship will explore the basics of music theory and ear training.  Students will cover the basics of musical notation and become comfortable using Solfege as a sight singing tool.  They will also learn beginning music theory concepts such as using the circle of fifths to learn about major keys, scales, and intervals. Furthermore, they will become comfortable with simple meter and basic syncopated rhythms. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12; no prerequisite).

MUSICIANSHIP 2 
Students in Musicianship 2 will have the ability to continue and expand on the information they learned in the previous course.  In Musicianship 2, students will be able to use Solfege as a tool to take melodic and rhythmic dictation.  They will begin to explore scales and intervals beyond major keys, exploring la-based minor scales and minor intervals, augmented scales and intervals, and diminished scales and intervals.  They will also learn about chords and become comfortable with compound meters. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12; prerequisite: Basic Musicianship or permission of the instructor (through demonstration of the equivalent knowledge.)

MUSIC FOR SOCIAL CHANGE       
This listening based curriculum will explore the role of protest songs, justice songs, and other genres of music that have promoted grassroots social change throughout the world.  By providing  a context for music from a variety of decades and culture and by investigating the way the music relates to the political and social climates of the times, students will learn and experience the power music has to move the people. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12; no prerequisite)

MUSIC THEORY INTENSIVE
This course is for students who would like to study the fundamentals of music theory but do not want to pursue it at the AP level. This fall semester course covers the language of tonal music including reading, analyzing, listening, composing, and sight singing. (1/2 unit; fall; Grades 10-12; no prerequisite)

OUR WORLD IN MUSIC
Experience and understand the exciting and diverse world of music as a reflection of various cultures, traditions, and national identities. Explore popular, folk, and art music as soundscapes from Africa, India, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Through live and recorded performances, discussions, and projects, students will gain an appreciation of how each culture organizes and uses music to make sense of the world and their unique place in it. This course meets 4 times per cycle. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12; no prerequisite)

SONGWRITING: GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Students will develop skills to compose their own songs and lyrics. Through individual and collaborative writing projects, each student will work to create pieces that develop their own compositional voice and get to the essence of their desired musical expression. (1/2 unit; spring; Grades 9-12; no prerequisite)

STUDIO COMPOSING AND ARRANGING 1  
This is a project-based, semester-long course in music production. It is a wonderful way to unleash your musical creativity regardless of prior musical training. Utilizing the program's instrument sound library along with external microphones to record audio tracks, students will create and mix multi-track original compositions and arrangements in Garageband. In addition, students will develop critical listening skills to be able to hear and describe subtleties in musical compositions as a way of reflecting on their own work and offering feedback to the cohort. Because we will be sharing our creative work with one another, it is important we create an atmosphere of trust and respect. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12; no prerequisite)

STUDIO COMPOSING AND ARRANGING 2 
This is a project-based, semester-long course in music production and extends use of the skills gained in Studio Composition and Arranging 1 into more complex projects. Utilizing the program's instrument sound library along with external microphones to record audio tracks, students will create and mix multi-track original compositions and arrangements in Garageband or Logic Pro. In addition, students will continue to use their critical listening skills to be able to reflect on their own musical compositions and offer constructive feedback to the cohort. Because we will be sharing our creative work with one another, it is important we create an atmosphere of trust and respect. (1/2 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12, prerequisite: Studio Composing and Arranging 1; may be repeated)

Semester Electives (1/4 Unit)

BEGINNING BAND
This course is for students with little or no prior experience who wish to learn to play a band instrument. Group instruction in flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba and percussion (drums, mallets, auxiliary) is offered. Topics include the basic skills of producing a proper tone on the instrument, note reading, concepts of rhythm, and ensemble performance. In order to improve at a steady pace and enjoy the instrumental experience, regular practice outside of the class meeting is required. (1/4 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-11; no prerequisite)

MUSICIANSHIP FOR PERFORMERS
For students enrolled in one of the performing ensembles, this class supplements skills covered in the performing ensembles. Focusing on sight reading and ear training, students further their facility with music literacy. (1/4 unit; fall and spring; Grades 9-12)

SPECIAL TOPICS IN MUSIC
This course is designed to allow a student or group of students to pursue a concentrated area of music study beyond the RCDS music curriculum. The topic of study must be discussed and planned in the semester prior to taking the course. (1/4 unit; fall and spring; department approval required; may be repeated for credit)
 

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

PRIVATE LESSONS IN MUSIC
A unique aspect of Rye Country Day School's music program is the opportunity provided for students to study privately with one of the many professional instrumental and voice teachers in our program. One lesson per cycle is scheduled into a student’s free period or after school time. Students who study privately have the opportunity to perform in recitals, school ensembles, as well as to audition for All-County and All-State festivals. Private lessons do not carry any academic credit or fulfill an Arts requirement. Lessons also carry an additional fee billed by the school. 

Arrangements may be made for private lessons by calling the Music Department Office at 925-4580 or on the family portal.

WILDSCATS
WildScats is Rye Country Day’s 12-voice mixed a cappella ensemble. In addition to meeting daily after school, the singers in WildScats also participate in Concert Choir and at least one Honors Choir. Interested students from String Orchestra or Wind Ensemble should contact the Department Chair. Auditions are held in early September each year.