Music
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Ability to play an instrument (piano or guitar)
Description: This course is designed to give the students an opportunity to study techniques of effective songwriting. The important elements of a song, formats of a song and songwriting structure will be taught. Students will first analyze songwriting structure of favorite songs and then progress to creating their own compositions in any contemporary style.
COLOURS ADVANCED CHOIR| Credits: 1 | Terms: 2 | Course #: 51111
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Audition Only
Description: Colours Choir is a select group of advanced singers who are highly motivated to excel in vocal ensemble performance. They have developed strong musicianship skills, sound vocal technique, are experienced part singers and a cappella singers, and understand complex music literacy concepts. This group will perform at the high school throughout the year as well as sing within the community and at various festivals. The program material will include music from all styles including a cappella, contemporary, pop, classical, multi-cultural, folk and jazz.
TREBLE INTERMEDIATE CHOIR| Credits: 1 | Terms: 2 | Course #: 51103
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Audition or Teacher Recommendation/ Pass Music Literacy Pre-Test
Description: Treble Choir is open to female students who have completed either one
year of DHS Concert Choir and have been recommended by the teacher, or several
years of Middle School Choir and have auditioned and/or been recommended by the
teacher. Students in Treble Choir will learn and develop more advanced musicianship
and music literacy skills, three part singing, and continue to work on improving their
vocal technique This group will perform at the high school throughout the year, as well
as sing within the community and at various festivals. The program material will include
music from all styles, including contemporary, pop, folk, classical, multi-cultural, folk and
jazz.
CONCERT BEGINNING CHOIR | Credits: 1 | Terms: 2 | Course #: 51101
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: If enrolling for 2nd Semester only, student must have teacher approval.
Description: Concert Choir is a beginning choir and open to all students who love to sing and would like to participate in a vocal ensemble. Students in Concert Choir will learn and develop basic musicianship and music literacy skills, two and three part singing, and proper vocal technique This group will perform at the high school throughout the year, as well as sing within the community. The program material will include music from all styles, including contemporary, pop, folk, classical, multi-cultural and jazz.
FRESHMAN CHOIR | Credits: 1 | Terms: 2 | Course #: 51102
Grades: 9
Prerequisites: None
Description: Freshman Choir is open to all freshmen, both men and women who like to sing. This group will perform at the High School at least once each semester, as well as throughout the community and at various Colorado festivals. The program material will include music from all styles including contemporary, pop, classical, and jazz.
GENERAL BAND | Credits: 1 | Terms: 2 | Course #: 51010
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: None
Description: General Band is geared toward students playing Wind instruments. In General Band, students perform as a marching band in the fall and as a concert band throughout the rest of the year. Performances include, but are not limited to, concerts, marching and concert band contests in and out of state, solo and ensemble contests, parades and various athletic events. Students enrolled are eligible and encouraged to audition for various local, regional, and national honor bands.
GUITAR | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51080
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: None
Description: This course is designed for beginning students who want to learn how to play the guitar. The class will cover chording, note reading, and tablature reading. Such guitar styles as blues, ballads, rock, folk, and jazz will be explored.
GUITAR ‐ ADVANCED | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51081
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Guitar or teacher approval
Description: Guitar-Advanced is designed for the student who already has a basic knowledge of chords, strumming, tablature, scales, and beginning finger picking or lead playing. Each student will choose specific goals to be accomplished and may be required to purchase some of the materials necessary to reach these goals. More advanced rhythm, note reading, tablature, and bar chords will be covered.
JAZZ ENSEMBLE | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51051
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: None
Description: This course is open to all students in grades 9-12 who have a desire to learn how to play a musical instrument. The purpose of this course is to enable students to develop fundamental basic skills on wind or percussion instruments through the refinement and performance of jazz band literature.
JAZZ ENSEMBLE‐ADVANCED | Credits: 1 | Terms: 2 | Course #: 51052
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Jazz Ensemble or Teacher Recommendation
Description: Jazz Ensemble is an advanced, performance-oriented group that studies and plays a wide variety of musical styles, from traditional to contemporary, jazz, Latin, rock, funk, fusion, and beyond. Jazz theory and improvisation techniques will be studied in depth and utilized through rehearsal and performance. Performances include school concerts, community events and jazz band contests and festivals throughout the state. Basic instrumentation includes, but is not limited to 2 alto saxes, 2 tenor saxes, 1 baritone sax, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 1 bass trombone, piano/keys, guitar, vibes/percussion, bass, drum set.
MUSIC COMPOSITION & TECHNOLOGY | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51192
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Previous musical experience
Description: Music Composition will cover basic music theory as applied to composition, including rhythm, harmony, musical forms and analysis. Students will explore the world of music technology from its origins in history to today’s state of the art software and computer applications. Students will learn about the physics of sound, sequencing, synthesizers, recording techniques and equipment, sound mixing, and music writing software. Projects throughout the trimester will demonstrate their knowledge of all of these different aspects of composition and technology.
MUSIC THEORY | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51130
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Previous musical experience
Description: Music Theory examines the various elements of music, melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, form; and the ways in which these individual elements combine and interact to create a piece of music. This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of music, which involves learning major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, and triads. It also includes the study of time signatures, various rhythms, and note values through rhythmic and melodic dictation.
ORCHESTRA | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51040
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Prior musical experience on violin, viola, cello, or bass.
Description: This class is designed for all classical string instrumentalists. Advanced string orchestra literature from the Baroque to the 20th century will be covered. Activities will include several performances, participation in various festivals, contests and solo and ensemble. In addition to performances, students will be eligible to audition for various regional, state, and national honor orchestras.
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51062
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: None
Description: Percussion Ensemble course is intended to develop students’ technique for playing percussion instruments in a small ensemble group. The Percussion Ensemble course covers multiple genres and styles. There will be performances throughout the semester.
PIANO/KEYBOARD | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51071
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: None
Description: Piano/Keyboard introduces students to the fundamentals of music and basic keyboard techniques such as scales, chords, and melodic lines. May also include more advanced keyboard techniques. Basic music theory will also be taught as it applies to notation for piano music.
PIANO/KEYBOARD ‐ ADVANCED | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 51072
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Piano/Keyboarding
Description: Piano/Keyboard-Advanced is designed for the students who already have the basic knowledge of piano chords, scales, and beginning playing. More advanced rhythm, note reading, chords, and literature will be covered. Students will have to perform on a recital at the end of the semester.
WINTERGUARD | Credits: 0.5 | Terms: 1 | Course #: 80061
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Auditions
Description: Winter Guard emphasizes physical conditioning, fundamentals of movement, group precision, and public performance, often in conjunction with marching band performances.