MUSIC

This ensemble is designed for the vocal musician. Students study the characteristics of each style as it applies to their vocal performance and incorporate fundamental vocal techniques and exercises studied in class. Students are also required to listen to recordings of artists who have influenced the growth of the choral and voice literature. All students will be required to remain proficient on their voice and work on building their music reading skills. All students are required to be enrolled in Theory. Full participation is a requirement of this course.

This course is designed to cover the fundamentals of music. The course covers music notation, intervals, major and minor key signatures, scales, chords, cadences and seventh chords along with melodic and rhythmic dictation and sight singing.

This course is a correlated study of the fundamentals of vocal performance through the development of critical listening, musical literacy, stage etiquette, foreign language diction and accurate execution of vocal technique. Performance techniques include the development of proficiency in singing beginning level literature in Italian, French, German, and English.

This class is designed for entering students to work on reading skills. Classwork includes study and practice in melodic and rhythmic dictation and sight-singing using moveable “do.”

This class is designed for advanced students to continue working on their reading skills. Classwork includes study and practice in melodic and rhythmic dictation and sight-singing using movable “do.”

This advanced ensemble explores the musical styles of choral literature including Pre-Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary. Students study the characteristics of each style as it applies to their vocal performance and incorporate fundamental vocal techniques and exercises studied in class. Students are also required to listen to recordings of artists who have influenced the growth of the choral and voice literature. All students will be required to remain proficient on their voice and work on building their music reading skills. All students are required to be enrolled in Theory. Full participation is a requirement of this course. Prerequisite: Concert Choir and concurrent enrollment in Vocal Theory 1 or higher.

This class is required of vocal students. This course reviews and builds upon the foundation established in Music Fundamentals and focuses on more challenging sight singing and dictation (melodic and rhythmic). Students develop the ability to recognize and sing all chromatic intervals, triads, 7th chords and their inversions.

The purpose of this course is to develop skills that will provide lifelong tools for every kind of serious musician. They are: Sight Singing: the skill which enables you to hear musical notation internally, and Ear Training: the skill that enables you to perceive what is happening in music as you hear it. Sight-singing skills will be developed as you perform short examples of rhythms and melodies using a metronome and moveable “do” solfege syllables. Ear-training skills will be developed in listening drills and dictation of rhythms, intervals, melodies, chords and harmonic progressions. This course will also work on keyboard skills that are crucial for any musician.

This class is designed for senior vocal students. It is essentially a review course in music theory that is required for entrance examinations into music colleges and universities. This course will include and review written and aural skills including sight-singing, keyboard, melodic and harmonic dictation. Prerequisite: Must be a senior and have successfully completed Vocal Theory 1 & 2.

This advanced ensemble sings a variety of gospel literature for mixed choir, from spirituals to contemporary gospel. Emphasis is placed on style, form, blend, intonation, independence of parts, as well as accompanied and a capella singing. The ensemble is given the opportunity to showcase its work through various public performances at school and around the city. Students will be required to sing a jury selection demonstrating their advance placement. Prerequisite: Successful audition.

This course offers extensive study in the jazz idiom at an advanced level, stressing vocal technique and audience communication. Singers must be skilled musicians, capable of performing contemporary harmonies. Improvisational skills and microphone technique required. The schedule may include tour and recording sessions, as well as participation in competitive and noncompetitive choral festivals. Extra rehearsal time required. Prerequisite: Successful audition.

The Opera Company, TOC@LACHSA, is a performance-based class offering preparation of two fully-staged productions per year: one opera and one classical musical theatre work, performed with orchestra. The course objective is to train and provide an environment of practical performance experience in opera and classical musical theatre to each student. Instruction is tailored to nurture and support the high school voice in all aspects of performance techniques including: ensemble and solo repertoire, interpretation, acting, movement, foreign language, musicality and presentation. TOC@LACHSA prepares its student-artists for university/conservatory acceptance, scholarship auditions or entrance to the professional stage in an atmosphere of academic and artistic integrity  that nurtures collaboration, creativity and professionalism. Prerequisite: Vocal Fundamentals or the equivalent. Acceptance is by. successful audition. 

This course offers an introduction to the techniques, equipment and software used in creating and recording music. Topics covered include recording, digital sound editing, MIDI sequencing, sound design, and music notation software.

This course offers an advanced study on the techniques, equipment and software used in creating and recording music. Topics covered include recording, digital sound editing, MIDI sequencing, sound design, and music notation software. Students will be required to compose an original song in the Teckwrks concert during the spring. Prerequisite: Music Technology 1.