Winslow Elementary School

Along with general music classes, students at the elementary school may participate in the Little Kids Rock modern band program. Students can enjoy a huge inventory of acoustic guitars and ukuleles, as well as several electric guitars, electric basses, keyboards and drum sets.

Units of instruction for chorus include mechanics of singing, musicianship, performing, and critiquing. Students learn to sing with good tone quality, vowel use, and articulation while using proper posture. They are able to distinguish between a well blended choral sound and a soloist sound, and use the appropriate sound for the occasion at hand. Students will learn to read the music, understand the notation and use the written music as a guide and reference and in doing so, will learn to use unit terminology appropriately. While students will work toward a number of performances during the school year, they will go beyond performing and learn how to describe and apply strategies to minimize feelings of nervousness and anxiety in performance settings. Students will practice constructively critiquing individual and group performances after a concert. They will listen to and/or watch performances of other groups and objectively critique them using musical terminology. As students are taught to do in science or English classes, here in Chorus class they will be asked to support an opinion or statement about a performance with reasons and evidence, using appropriate terminology and evaluate growth or performance and set goals based on that evaluation.

Details about the band curriculum will be posted at a later date.

Winslow Junior High School

Units of instruction for chorus include mechanics of singing, musicianship, performing, and critiquing. Students learn to sing with good tone quality, vowel use, and articulation while using proper posture. They are able to distinguish between a well blended choral sound and a soloist sound, and use the appropriate sound for the occasion at hand. Students will learn to read the music, understand the notation and use the written music as a guide and reference and in doing so, will learn to use unit terminology appropriately. While students will work toward a number of performances during the school year, they will go beyond performing and learn how to describe and apply strategies to minimize feelings of nervousness and anxiety in performance settings. Students will practice constructively critiquing individual and group performances after a concert. They will listen to and/or watch performances of other groups and objectively critique them using musical terminology. As students are taught to do in science or English classes, here in Chorus class they will be asked to support an opinion or statement about a performance with reasons and evidence, using appropriate terminology and evaluate growth or performance and set goals based on that evaluation.

Details about the band curriculum will be posted at a later date.

Winslow Senior High School

Chorus is open to all students who show an interest in singing and who have ability for singing. Chorus is scheduled during the school day and is held each day. The activities include representing the school in many different ways, such as exchange concerts, singing for civic groups and clubs in the area. The chorus performs at the Christmas and Spring Concerts.

Band 1: This course is for all freshman and sophomore band students, or junior/senior students who have not previously been in band. Students have an opportunity to learn music through active participation in the Concert and Pep Band. Instrumental skill and technical ability will be developed. Literature from all major musical eras will be explored. Students will be expected to perform with the band in Winter and Spring Concerts, in addition to graduation and other community performances as scheduled. Individuals will perform with the Pep Band for a minimum of 3 performances per semester. Opportunities will be provided for advanced musical experiences for those who desire to further their musical skills in Jazz Band, KV Band and All-State Band.

Band 2: This course is for all Junior and Senior band students with previous HS Concert Band experience. In addition to the above, students will further their study in music. Opportunities for development of leadership skills and musicianship as section leaders and student conductors will be presented.

Introduction to Modern Band: Students will explore the musical capabilities of the instruments common to modern bands. They will learn tuning and the basics of playing the guitar and the bass guitar. Essential chords and common picking and strumming patterns will be emphasized. Fundamental piano and keyboard skills will be taught, focusing on chord formation and accompaniment patterns. Students will also learn to play several basic drum parts. During the course, students will choose an instrument to focus on in order to strengthen ability. The course will conclude with a live or recorded performance of several pieces.

Music From Past to Present: This musical survey class will follow the development of music from the Middle Ages to the present. We will listen to and study compositions from the masters of each era and learn what influenced them and their music. Through listening and history, we will explore the elements of music and trace the development of musical forms to what we use today.

Music Theory I: Music Theory is open to anyone who has an elementary knowledge of music and the approval of the instructor. The subject matter will cover a variety of topics including the language of music, note reading and writing, the study of chords, and music history. The course will concentrate on composition and ear training. Opportunities for original composition will be offered.

Music Theory II: Music Theory 2 will continue the study of applications with a focus on musical composition.