BPP
Music and Fine ArtsBPP
Music and Fine Arts
Course Description
The individualized theory courses offered cover a wide range of needs and objectives. Theory courses at all levels from naming notes to harmony and counterpoint in preparation for university entrance exams, standard level evaluation theory exams, personal interest and preparation for composition.
Level One A & B (10 to 12 weeks each)
Instruction begins from the very basics of staff, clefs, naming notes, accidentals and enharmonics, intervals, piano keyboard, patterns of letters, through scales, scale degrees and modes, triads and sevenths, to an introduction to diatonic and simple chromatic harmony. All basic aspects of rhythm and meter: beats and subdivisions, notes and rests, and grouping. Melody is explored in terms of steps and leaps, range, register, contour, repetition, motives and phrases, including text, and some work on instrumental families.
In the second course, the emphasis is on the creative application of materials, extending to jazz notation, melody in two parts with consonance and dissonance, simple accompaniment, basic functional harmony, variation, and fundamental melodic analysis.
All work is done in a creative environment that integrates melody writing and compositional skills. The student will need to have a basic music notation program on their computer.
Level Two A & B (10 to 12 weeks each)
Instruction begins with a review of theory basics and starts with diatonic (triads and seventh) chords and simple chromatic harmony (secondary sevenths), and chromatic scale degrees. Mostly tonal in nature, the course continues with the fundamentals of non-harmonic tones, melodic structures, more extended chromatic harmony and modal interchange, motivic transformation, cadences and extensions above the seventh. More complex aspects of rhythm, meter and texture are explored, with continued work on instrumental sonorities. Counterpoint is developed through the concepts of consonance and dissonance in studies and with canons. All work is done in a creative environment that integrates melody, counterpoint and harmony through compositional skills. The student will need an intermediate level music notation program on their computer.
Level Three A & B (10 to 12 weeks each)
A somewhat individualized, integrated approach to tonal harmony through analysis, composition and studies in instrumental sonorities. A basic review of harmony up to the augmented sixth chord leads to the analysis and pre-composition of more complex models. Aspects of non-functional and modal harmony form part of the course. The student will need an intermediate level music notation program, and if desired, a sequencer program on their computer.
Course Packages and Rate
There are three main types of course packages, all taught by instructors specialized in theoretical / compositional teaching, and they are:
(1) Intensive University Preparation (Level One A) $100-200;
offered as a class, or as individual tutorials, these customized courses have the aim of taking the student to university level entrance exams in a very short period of time, usually 4 - 10 lessons, depending upon the incoming student level, and the terminal level expected.
(2) Intensive Preparation of Standard Level Evaluation Theory Exam $100;
10 group lessons - minimum 3 students, maximum 5 - each 60 minutes cover CCM theory exam material.
These courses cover the materials required for each of the CCM levels. This may be combined with the Intensive Preparation of Standard Level Evaluation Ear-training.
(3) On-going skills development and Preparation for Composition (Levels 1 A & B, 2 A & B, 3 A & B) - $300-450;
offered as private lessons, or small groups at a reduced rate, this weekly course is designed to employ current technologies to develop focused theoretical, ear-training and compositional skills. The student entry level is assessed and a 10 - 12 week plan is drawn up that has a balance of theory, ear-training and compositional elements. Some work is done in individual or very small group tutorials, and some work is done on-line.
Materials
Level One: notes, scales, rhythm, melody, chords, analysis, composition
Level Two: harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, analysis, composition, modes
Level Three: harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, analysis, composition