THE SHEPHERD'S HORN CLASSES
BEGINNING BAND
Beginning Band is just that - a class for beginners. It is designed for budding flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone and percussion students. There is no audition. Students younger than fourth grade must get permission from the teacher to join the class.
INTERMEDIATE BAND
Intermediate Band is the band after beginning band. It is the second year level band class. It is for any student who has completed beginning band. It is no an audition group.
CONCERT BAND
Concert Band is designed for students from grades 6th - 12th. There is an audition. It is the training ground for the fundamentals of instrumental performance and upper level ensembles including Wind Symphony.
WIND SYMPHONY
Wind Symphony is designed as a high school level band class. It is by audition only. Students graduating from the Wind Symphony should be equipped to audition for college bands.
LAB BAND
Lab band is our beginning level jazz band. This is an audition-only group and plays grade level 1 - 2 jazz band music.
JAZZ BAND
Jazz band is our advanced level jazz band. This is an audition-only group and plays grade level 2.5 and up jazz band music.
FLUTE CHOIR
Flute choir is an opportunity for players in the Concert Band and Wind Symphony, who are interested in participating, to learn techniques more specific to their instrument in a small group setting. Because of the range of experience in the players, we alternate easy to intermediate/advanced music.
K - 5TH GRADE MUSIC CLASS
K-5 Music classes are primarily singing classes. These classes perform in December and in May.
Basic music concepts are covered as the songs are learned: dynamics, pitch, tempo, counting, listening, intervals, proper vocal placement, posture.
Students learn to function as a group, supporting the desired presentation.
In the K-1 class, there is more movement with the music; and small musical instruments are used when appropriate to the song. Both classes are given music. While there are varying degrees of reading ability, the 2-5 class is expected to have the music in front of them each week and add two part harmony. The concerts are performed by memory.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIR
The TSH Middle School Choir is an ensemble comprised of students from 6th to 8th grade. Weekly Friday rehearsals meet from 8:30-9:30am. Throughout the course of the school year, students work on a variety of musical genres, and are taught the basic building blocks of operating as a choral unit.
MUSIC THEORY
The class is open to 7th - 12th grade students. It is structured to teach the basics of music theory as it would be taught in a AP class. This class will cover musical concepts as reading different clefs, analyzing compositional techniques, and musical form.
CONCERT CHOIR
Concert Choir is designed for students from grades 9-12. There is no audition. It is a training ground for students who wish to audition for the Honors Choir.
HONORS CHOIR
The TSH Honors Choir is an auditioned ensemble comprised of students from 9th-12th grade. Weekly Friday rehearsals meet from 11:10am-12:30pm. Membership into this ensemble is by audition only. Throughout the school year, students are challenged with a plethora of various musical styles, including several professional-level arrangements, for the purpose of pushing them to the next level of musicianship. They are taught key elements of choral studies, and are the featured ensemble of every TSH choir concert.
Beginning Strings
This class is for students with no prior string experience.
Using the Essential Elements for Strings, students will learn to play violin, viola, and cello from the ground up! We start with the basics of proper posture and pizzicato and will advance to playing four part string ensemble pieces together in the spring! We perform once in the fall, and once in the spring. Class taught by Lori Gilbert
Intermediate Strings
This class is open to those with 1-2 years of playing experience. We will work through Essential Elements for Strings (Book 2) and jump into more challenging ensemble pieces. By the end of this class, the students will be familiar with playing in the keys of G, D, A, C, F, and B flat major, as well as D and A minor. The class includes sight-reading exercises and playing tests. This class is similar to late book 1 through book 2 in the Suzuki volumes. We perform once in the fall, and once in the spring. Class taught by Lori Gilbert
Concert Strings
(Violin, viola, cello, and string bass) This group is by audition only. As string orchestra class, there will be emphasis on ensemble playing, musicality, leadership skills, and building upon technique that is already established. Recommended 2-3 years of playing experience. The students needs to be able to play in the keys of G, D, A, C, F, and B flat major, as well as D and A minor, be familiar with shifting, and working on vibrato. Directed by Daniel Gilbert, Concert Strings will participate in 4 concerts per year.
Pre-K Music Class
Using movement, percussion instruments, books, and singing, we explore the wonderful world of music together. This includes learning about musical terms, pulse through movement
developing the ear and learning about the instrument families. Parents are invited to participate. Class taught by Lori Gilbert
