Voice Training, Advanced General Music and the Orthodox Tradition

In this course we build on the work from Recorder, General Music and the Orthodox Tradition. Although it is preferred that students take this prerequisite, with instructor approval, students can enroll independently for this class alone.

We will focus on using our listening ears to hear the beauty of God’s creation, and on growing our love of music! Students will begin to develop their musicianship through voice training and song, and the study of advanced music theory including duration, dynamics and expressive techniques, pitch, structure, texture and tone colour. We will cover topics in classical music appreciation, music history and Orthodox music tradition. At the conclusion of the year students will be able to sing classical pieces, including some of the melodies they hear in church, and grow their skills in reading pieces of music. They will also complete a music journal of their observations and practice in music composition. The course may include projects on subjects of particular interest and will include listening to music outside of class. Students should be comfortable singing in the company of their peers.

• 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.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.