Creative Writing: Music and Lyrics

Coming Soon

Course Materials Coming Soon!

Dr. Ross B. Williams is excited to join Scholé Academy as an instructor for the 2022-2023 school year! Dr. Williams is currently the Director of Music and Principal Organist at St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church in Hilliard, Ohio, and he is the Director of Music at St. Catharine School in Bexley, Ohio. Dr. Williams and his wife, Elizabeth, maintain a very active household of homeschooling their nine children. Dr. Williams’ research investigates sacred music of the Catholic Church, as participation in rituals such as classrooms, rehearsals, concerts, and worship services draw a closer relationship to Christ through song. In addition to directing choirs and playing the organ, Dr. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a master’s degree in percussion performance from the University of Southern California, and he recently completed a doctorate in music education from Boston University. His performance experience tends toward creative and improvisatory idioms such as such as Ngoma (singing-drumming-dancing) in Nairobi, Kenya, dragon lantern drumming and dancing in Hong Kong, and the hammering of almglocken from ancestral apprenticeships in Barau, Switzerland. In 2022, Dr. Williams and his family launched a YouTube channel called DRUMNBUDDIES, as an educational resource for children learning how to play the drums!  rwilliams.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

1. Visit zoom.us/download.
2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.