Music

List of 9 items.

• Lower School

  All Pre-K3 through Grade 4 students have weekly scheduled classes and grade-level musical performances. 

   

  Assemblies and performances are scheduled throughout the year for all Lower School students. A special performance to celebrate parents is presented by the Pre-K4 and Kindergarten students each May. Students may also participate in Cub Choir, a vocal group open to anyone in grades two through four. 

• Music Ensemble 5

  5th grade music students will apply the skills acquired in Lower School music classes by exploring the fundamentals of
  instrumental music performance in our introductory music ensemble, the Beginning band. During class, students will choose
  from Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, or Trombone. The year culminates with a performance in front of a live audience.

• Music Ensemble 6

  6th Grade Band is a year-long course for students with or without any previous experience playing instruments. In this class,
  the students will have two different routes depending on their mastery level: 
  
  • Beginning 6th grade music students, those without any previous experience playing instruments, will learn the
  fundamentals of music notation, instrument care, performance basics, music appreciation, and overall
  involvement in the Arts. During class, students will choose from Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, or Trombone. The
  year culminates with a performance in front of a live audience.
  • Continuing 6th grade music students, those with prior experience, will continue with the development of the
  fundamentals of tone production, rhythmic awareness, sense of pitch, reading notes, and rhythms throughout the
  year. The year culminates with a performance in front of a live audience.

• Music Ensemble 8

  8th grade music students will continue to develop their proficiency on their instruments. The class will concentrate on refining
  fundamentals such as pitch, rhythm, reading notation. All members of the ensemble will have the opportunity to perform
  with the pep-band at varsity football games during the fall semester. During this year, students will participate in Solo &
  Ensemble MPA (Music Performance Assessment), and All-State auditions. In addition, there will be semester concerts for
  students to showcase their work.

• Music Ensemble 7

  7th grade music students will continue to develop the fundamentals of tone production, rhythmic awareness, sense of pitch,
  reading notes, and rhythms throughout the year. During this year, students are encouraged to start working on solos to
  participate in Solo & Ensemble MPA (Music Performance Assessment). There will be performances each semester for
  students to showcase their work in front of an audience.

• Modern Band (8)

  This class is for all music lovers with or without experience in playing non-traditional music instruments such as Guitar,
  Bass, Ukulele, Keyboards, Drum set, and Singing. The course will cover the basics of performing and playing pop music
  using chord symbols and tablature notation. More advanced students will also begin to explore the art of improvisation in
  blues and rock styles. Also, students will spend time learning the basics of recording a piece of music. There will be
  performances each semester for students to showcase their work in front of an audience.

• Modern Band (9-12)

  This course is a multi-disciplinary introduction to the different aspects of music not covered in a traditional concert band setting.
  The curriculum combines Music Theory with music-making covering topics such as Music Technology (Recording), Music
  Theory (Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced with an emphasis in Pop and Jazz music), songwriting, and music media composing.

• Percussion Ensemble/Drumline (9-12)

  This class is designed for all the students that have an interest in learning and playing drums in different settings such as Drumset,
  Percussion Ensembles, and Drumline. This performance-based group is open to beginner and experienced players.

• Advanced Instrumental Music Ensemble (9-12)

  At Canterbury, the emphasis in Advanced Music Ensemble is on the individual musician and how he or she works within an
  ensemble of any size. We do this through:
  
  • Small Ensemble Chamber Concerts & Larger Ensemble Performances – At least two major events a year featuring small
  student directed/arranged performance groups and two large concerts showcasing our larger and smaller ensembles.
  • Canterbury Arts Honor Society Music Recitals – Recitals by CAHS music students are given featuring pieces of music
  that are chosen, arranged, and directed by students. These recitals are performed in front of their peers and faculty.
  • Small extra-curricular ensembles that concentrate on specific styles or instrumentation. Examples might include: Jazz
  Chamber Collective – Rock bands, R & B combos, Contemporary Jazz/Orchestral Chamber Music; Woodwind Quintet;
  A Capella Voices; Music of the 1920s; String Ensemble, Honors Jazz Combo, Basketball & Football Pep-Bands.
  • Inclusion of ANY instrument into our main performance groups. Our student ensembles can contain everything from
  strings, woodwinds, electric guitars, steel drums, etc.
  
  Our music is custom arranged for each individual student by the directors. This enables our directors to target the performer’s
  individual strengths or challenge the individual in new ways. Every year the music department presents a large concert in the spring,
  concentrating on the music of a specific culture or region of the world. For example, concerts may focus on the following: music
  from South America, Cuba, the Continent of Africa, the Caribbean, or Asia. In the winter, we focus on themed music. Since this
  concert is traditionally indoors, we concentrate on larger Big Band based compositions. This concert features a combination of
  ensembles from the middle and upper schools performing works by George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, John Phillips Sousa, Stephen
  Foster, and more.