Elective Classes

These classes are taken by students in the Band, Choir, Piano and Strings camps. Students are divided by age for these class periods, but share classes with students from the other camp tracks. You may rank five classes on your registration form and will be placed in two. 

Afro-Caribbean Drumming: 

The music of Cuba is the music of the Americas! This class will focus on rhythms, sounds, and cultural ideas of the music of Afro-Cuba. You will learn a lot, make lots of structured sounds, and have fun! 

Art of Solo Performance: 

Discover the exciting world of solo performing. You will listen to great solo performances, discuss the similarities and differences between ensemble and solo performance, and have the opportunity to perform for your peers. 

Beginning Conducting:  

Students will learn basic conducting patterns in 2/4, 3 /4 and 4/4 in legato, staccato and accented styles with various dynamic ranges.  This course is excellent for those students who want to learn the basics of conducting so they can be a future section leader for their concert or marching band. 

Beginning Improvisation: 

Create and perform your own music! This class introduces students to basic improvisation concepts such as the blues, chord changes, and melodic embellishment.  

Beginning Music Theory: 

Music theory is the foundation for understanding music. Students will be introduced to intervals, triads, and chord progressions.  

Beginning Piano:  

Start to develop your piano skills! Students will learn about the grand staff, proper hand position, and how to play their first song on a digital keyboard. 

Beginning Ukulele: 

Learn the basic chords and start playing simple songs on the ukulele – no previous experience required! Students will learn about the history, anatomy, and basic playing techniques through group activities and how to read multiple forms of ukulele notation fluently. Students will be provided with their own ukulele to use during class.

Broadway Hits: 

Calling all lovers of the musical! In this class, you will learn about the history of the Broadway musical, learn about and watch some of the classic musicals, and get in touch with the modern musicals of today.  

Ear Training: 

Exercise your ears! The more you hear, the more you can develop as a musician. Students will work on interval training, beginning dictation, and more! 

Exploring Your Voice: 

Discover the inner workings of your voice. In a course designed for vocalists, students will study how the human body produces speech and song. 

Listening to Jazz: 

Get to know some of the greats! In addition to listening to some of the jazz legends, you’ll learn about different subgenres in jazz from the big band swing era to world fusion.  

Music Technology: 

This workshop describes how we make music with computers and other devices. It covers basic audio concepts, acoustics, analog and digital audio, MIDI, and songwriting. Students in this workshop are given class time to apply these concepts to their own creative work. 

Sounds of Superheroes:  

Following a brief introduction to film music, learn how stories of our favorite cinematic superheroes are brought to life through music and sound!