Mr. LaPine�mlapine@shsd.org

Chorus (A), Concert Choir (A),

Madrigals (H), Music Technology 2,

Music Theory and Musicianship 1 and 2

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About Music Theory & Musicianship 1

• Music Theory is the study of how Western Music is constructed and why it is constructed the way it is. The focus of Music Theory is on developing the student’s musical literacy (not just reading music, but also writing, analyzing, and creating, too).
• Musicianship is putting that learned theory into practice through aural skills (ear training), dictation, sight reading, and composition.
• MT&M 1 is a one semester class (MP 1 and 2)
• Students will have assessments throughout the semester
• There will be homework assignments throughout the semester, but they will mostly be classwork that wasn’t completed during class time or studying/preparing for an assessment.

Communication with Students

• Google Classroom will be the primary means of posting information to students this year. Parents should ask students to see any new notifications on the class’s Google Classroom page.

Grading

• Our grading categories are as follows:
• Major Assessments (tests/quizzes/projects): 60%
• Minor Assessments (classwork/musicianship skills): 30%
• Homework/Participation: 10%

Course Outline

1. What is music?
1. What is music?
2. Why is music important?
3. How do musicians generate creative ideas?
4. How do performers select repertoire?
2. The Organization of Music: Pitch
• How can sound be organized?
• How can music be organized?
• How is music preserved and shared with others?
• How do musicians make creative decisions?
3. The Organization of Music: Time
• How can sound be organized?
• How can music be organized?
• How is music preserved and shared with others?
• How do musicians make creative decisions?

Course Outline

4. Musical Relationships: Pitch Collections, Scales, and Major Keys
1. Why did the early creators of Western music create the system of tonality?
2. How could the music we listen to today be different if the early creators of Western music used a different system for creating musical relationships?
3. How do musicians make creative decisions?
4. How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?New Ways to Organize Music: Compound Meters
5. Why might a composer choose a compound meter rather than a simple meter?
5. New Concepts in Tonality: Minor Keys and the Diatonic Modes
• Why might a composer choose to have a pitch other than the solfege syllable “Do” be the tonal center of a piece of music?
• How may the pitch tendencies change for each solfege syllable in the diatonic modes?
• How do musicians make creative decisions?
• How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?
6. Pitch Relationships: Intervals
• Why do some intervals sound “good” together (consonant) while others sound “bad” together (dissonant)?
• What makes an interval sound “good?”
• How do musicians make creative decisions?
• How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?

How to Contact Me

• The fastest and best way to contact me is via email:

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mlapine@shsd.org

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• I am also available for extra help or discussions about planning for college or possible music careers during the lunch block.