Music Courses offered at YHS
*See course descriptions below
Concert Choir, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble
Marching Band, Jazz Band, Music Appreciation, and String Club
Concert Choir
This course is open to all voices, no experience necessary. Students will explore a variety of repertoire from different cultures and genres. Students will learn to sing major scales using solfege and to sight-read an appropriate level of repertoire with pitch and rhythmic accuracy. They will develop the skills needed to sing confidently in unison and harmony, by themselves and in an ensemble. They will read, write, and perform musical notation in treble clef. Students will explore the history and importance of choral music in America and the world, and will develop theory and ear training skills to guide them towards mature musicianship.
Concert Band
Students in the Concert Band will study and practice a wide variety of musical literature, with an emphasis on developing the musical skills necessary for promotion to the Wind Ensemble, including technical facility, mature and expressive musicianship, and advanced aural skills. Students will improve their tone production and musical notation reading skills. Students will learn about the history of instrumental music and its role in America and the world. Students will learn music theory and ear training skills that will help them understand the inner workings of music and improve their overall musicianship.
Wind Ensemble
The YHS Wind Ensemble is a high-quality instrumental ensemble intended for thoroughly developed musicians. Students will be accepted and placed into this ensemble by audition only. Musicians in this ensemble will study and practice a wide variety of wind band literature, with an emphasis on a high level of detail and understanding. Students will dive into the history of instrumental music and its role in America and the world. Students will learn and develop music theory and ear training skills that will help them understand the inner workings of music and improve their overall musicianship. Students will learn best practices for advanced, expressive, mature instrumental playing.
Music Appreciation
A new course at YHS as of 2020-21, This course is open to all students, no musical experience necessary. It is designed to be an introduction to music from various perspectives. Among other topics, this course will cover: music history, how music is made, music as a tool in society, why we enjoy music, and various music careers. Students will listen to, discuss, and analyze music from a variety of genres throughout this course (classical, jazz, folk, pop, rock, etc.) and explore its role in various cultures and societies. Students will also spend a portion of the course tracing the history of western music, with an emphasis on the history of jazz. Students will also learn about and research various careers and jobs in the music industry or related to music.
Marching Band
The YHS marching band meets after school during the Fall semester and is designed to reinforce fundamentals of music-making along with the incorporation of physical motion and show design. This band will perform at all home football games and at selected school and community functions. Class meets from 5:30-7:30PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additional rehearsals may be scheduled as needed. Members of this group attend a one-week band camp the week before school starts. Additionally, there is a concurrent enrollment requirement for this class: All marching band students must also be enrolled in Concert Band or Wind Ensemble. This ensemble includes required performances throughout the school year. Please refer to the Music Calendar for a complete list of events.
Jazz Band
Musicians interested in participating in the Jazz Band must be available to rehearse after school on a consistent basis. All students interested in developing skills in the jazz style are welcome to join, no audition necessary. This ensemble will focus on developing existing musicianship as well as introducing or furthering improvisation knowledge and skills. Students in the Jazz Band will study and practice a variety of jazz repertoire and learn about its history and culture. Students enrolled in Jazz Band must also be enrolled in another instrumental ensemble (Concert Band or Wind Ensemble). There is a concurrent enrollment requirement.
Percussion
This ensemble rehearses and performs a variety of percussion literature. Students will gain experience on all types of percussion instruments, including pitched and non-pitched instruments. Students will explore repertoire written for percussion ensemble as well as for drum line. Students will master the percussion rudiments and further develop technical facility, musical notation reading skills, and rhythmic accuracy.
This class learns all percussion parts for the YHS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, plus their own percussion ensemble repertoire. This ensemble includes required performances throughout the school year. Please refer to the Music Calendar for a complete list of events.
This class learns all percussion parts for the YHS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, plus their own percussion ensemble repertoire. This ensemble includes required performances throughout the school year. Please refer to the Music Calendar for a complete list of events.
