Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
School of American Music Fall 2017
SCHOOL OF AMERICAN MUSIC
at the THREE OAKS ARTS & EDUCATION CENTER
14 Maple Street, Three Oaks, MI
To register, call and leave a message: (269) 409-1191, email us: schoolofamericanmusic@gmail.com, check our website:www.schoolofamericanmusic.com. Preregistration required.
Introduction to Music: Drum, Move, Sing
Instructor: Donna Mitchell Contact: dmm8635@mac.com
Wednesday 2:30-3:45pm Begins January 17 - May 9th
Age: 8-12
Description: To learn to make rhythm, move with the beat, and sing along.
- Teaches the basic elements of music using world drumming, movement, singing and improvisation
- Explores non-traditional, percussion instruments – some made by the students
Syllabus
CLASSES BELOW START THE WEEK OF JANUARY 29TH
THE ART OF RECORDING I and II - Only Ears
Instructor: Evan Margol. Contact: evanmargol01@gmail.com
CUSTOM DAY & TIME
Grade: 6th - 12th
100 minute group sessions, 10 weeks. Contact for time.
Description: This course, held in our new, state-of-the-art Recording Studio, will enable any student to be prepared for audio recordings in today’s modern studio. Learn how to record live drums, guitars, vocals and bands in our acoustically tuned and treated performance room. Proper use of microphones, studio setup and software basics will be taught. This course will be as fun as it will be insightful. Featuring a very “hands on” approach, the student will quickly “get in the field” and start recording almost immediately. No materials necessary for this course, only your ears. No special requirements.
Location: Three Oaks Arts & Education Center, 14 Maple St., Three Oaks, MI
Syllabus I
Syllabus II
ROCK ENSEMBLE I
Instructor: Evan Margol Contact: evanmargol@gmail.com
CUSTOM DAY & TIME - Middle & High School age, 3 to 5 students
100 minute sessions, 10 weeks. Contact Evan for day and time.
Want to learn your favorite AC/DC, Black Sabbath or Nirvana song and play with other like-minded individuals? After all, playing Rock & Roll is so much more fun in a group and this class will get you and a few other musicians up and jamming in no time. All classes take place in our awesome sounding, live room which doubles as a recording studio. Once the band is cranking, we can record a demo and upload it to the web for the entire world to see!
Location: Three Oaks Arts & Education Center, 14 Maple St., Three Oaks, MI
Syllabus
READING MUSIC
Instructor: Priscilla Lee Hellenga, Contact: schoolofamericanmusic@gmail.com 269-409-1191
CUSTOM DAY & TIME, 1 hour, 16 weeks
Middle & High School age. 1 to 4 students.
Description: Be able to read music by obtaining the basics of understanding music and the dynamics of music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Dynamics, Timbre, Reading Music Scales, understanding keys, Singing or Playing Music
Prerequisite: purchase Color-Coded Flash Cards, by Alfred, available on Amazon.com
Location: School of American Music, 3 North Elm Street, Three Oaks, MI, 2nd floor.
Syllabus
COMPOSING MUSIC I
Instructor: D. Garth Taylor Contact: schoolofamericanmusic@gmail.com 269-409-1191
Age range: Middle & High School, 1 to 5 students
CUSTOM DAY & TIME, 75 minute session, 13 weeks.
Learn to:
- Hear the rhythm and melody in daily life and write it as a tune in musical notation,
- Write tunes with chords and accompaniment (known as a Lead Sheet, they type of musical score used by rock/pop/jazz musicians),
- Write tunes in several different American Musical Tradition – country, rock, bluegrass, etc.,
- Transpose songs to accommodate needs of singers or instrumentalists,
- Export the lead sheet as a .pdf, .wav, .mp3 or .mid file for playback.
- Familiarity with music notation (treble clef notes, time values, rests, sharps/flats);
- Laptop computer with free MuseScore software installed and tested (https://musescore.com); and
These classes cover material required for the follow-up class: COMPOSING MUSIC II.
Location: Three Oaks Arts & Education Center, 14 Maple Street, Three Oaks, MI
Syllabus
MUSIC ENSEMBLE
Instructor: D. Garth Taylor Contact: schoolofamericanmusic@gmail.com 269-409-1191
Age range: Middle & High School 3 to 5 students
CUSTOM DAY & TIME, 75 minute sessions, 13 weeks.
Description: Develop you musical technique and performance skills by playing in a band. The Music Ensemble will put together a small group of instrumentalists of a compatible skill level (including but not limited to guitar, bass, violin, flute, piano) who will meet each week in a group lesson to learn/rehearse a repertoire of music; and then perform this repertoire in public settings, i.e. parks, Farmers Market, A&E Center recitals, etc. The music repertoire is based on American Music Styles: rock, folk, country, blues, bluegrass, jazz, religious. The repertoire will be presented in such a way that students are learning bite-size chunks of musical theory along the way. As the course develops, the learning will extend to improvisational techniques.
Requirements: Basic musical knowledge: the chromatic scale, ability to recognized notes on the treble clef staff, some sight reading. Guitar players should know how to build major/minor chord triads in the easy keys. Other instruments should be able to comfortable read and perform a melody line.
Location: Three Oaks Arts & Education Center, 14 Maple Street, Three Oaks, MI
Syllabus
Private lessons are available at the School of American Music (SAM)
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced: Guitar
Slide Guitar
Bass Guitar
Ukulele
Banjo
Piano
Violin/Viola
Voice
Contemporary
Classical
Jazz
Blues
Gospel
Bluegrass
Rock-n-Roll
All lessons are one-on-one instruction with an experienced instructor who is also a performing musician. To enroll contact us and we will schedule a day of the week and a time of day that works best.
Guitar, Bass, Violin students need to bring your own instruments or contact us for guidance in renting or purchasing an instrument. If you need a keyboard to practice at home, we do have a loaner keyboard or we can guide you in purchasing one.
Private lessons are held in the music school located upstairs in the Three Oaks Township Public Library, 3 North Elm Street, Three Oaks, MI
*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
Teacher of Record: Mandy Jankoviak