• Course Description and Instructional Goals 

    Music Appreciation is a division of musicology that is designed to teach students how to understand and describe the contexts and creative processes involved in music composition. To achieve this understanding, students will learn traditional music notation symbols representing notes and rhythms, music terminology, and music history. Students will examine musical instruments in Western musical tradition and how they are categorized, according to the sound they produce. They will also evaluate typical ensembles and groupings of instruments, paying close attention to their distinctive sound and the type of music they play. Cultural, societal, and media influences on music will be investigated as students explore the history and development of music and composers from the classical era to today’s top hits. Listening will be an extensive journey in which students will learn the vocabulary required to dictate their thoughts on the music they hear. We will listen to a variety of genres, including rock, country, pop, classical, bluegrass, acapella, jazz, and many more. 

    Required Material 

    Students are expected to bring the following materials to every class: 

    • Binder or Folder for Material Storage 
    • Musical Staff Paper (available to print from templates online) and Notebook Paper
    • Pencils 
    • Any Assigned Supplemental Materials