Group Classes
GreenSpring offers a variety of group classes for preschoolers through high school students. MusikGarten is the perfect introduction to music for children aged 2-5. For ages 6+, the Piano Class and the GreenSpring Strings provide an opportunity to learn to make music together with friends. For more advanced students, classes are offered in music theory, music history, jazz improvisation, aural skills/ear training and conducting.
Group classes provide a musical foundation for our youngest students and enhance and augment private instruction for older students. Classes are designed to give students the skills and knowledge they need to become well-rounded musicians.
BEGINNER GROUP PIANO, AGES 4-6
This is a small group class at the keyboard that capitalizes on your child’s delight in making music with others. This class allows children to have success quickly by playing songs they know. Your child will learn to play by ear and begin to read music, resulting in pride and excitement in making music on the piano!
MUSIC THEORY
For middle and high school students, this class provides a working knowledge of fundamental musical structures. These can be applied to the study of an instrument or creating original compositions. All students will take a theory placement test prior to the start of the class to be placed in the appropriate theory class. Students will learn the language, terminology, and mechanics of music plus the fundamentals of sound, notation, intervals, chords, musical forms, and analysis.
MUSIC HISTORY
This 45 minute class is based on the philosophy that in-depth study of masterworks will enable the student to develop an understanding of the musical, cultural, historical context of the piece, era and composer. Students will develop highly refined listening skills, an advanced musical vocabulary, sophisticated musical understanding and, through practical application, be able to apply knowledge of musical style in performance on their own instrument.
AURAL SKILLS/ EAR TRAINING
Claire is a former official examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (2011-2020). This course follows the ABRSM syllabus. Aural skills is about developing the student’s musical ear and their ability to identify pitches, tempo, intervals, melody, chords, rhythms and time signatures. As they progress through the ABRSM levels, they focus on identifying musical detail such as articulation, dynamics, and description of the style and character of pieces, rhythmic repetition and sight singing. The higher levels involve all the skills mentioned previously with the addition of repeating upper or lower 3 part melodies, identifying cadences, naming cadential chords, modulations, sight-singing 6-8 bar melodies and finally listening to a piece and providing a detailed verbal description with regards to musical detail, tempo, texture, structure, harmony, style and period.
CONDUCTING SEMINAR
Middle and high school students will learn basic and intermediate skills of conducting and leading an ensemble. Students will prepare a short score while conducting their peers. Students will also be given a chance to conduct in a concert. With approval from the instructor, advanced conducting students may take private conducting lessons covering skills such as score reading, rehearsal technique, orchestration and more, plus an opportunity to conduct a larger work.
GREENSPRING STRINGS
For ages 6+, this class helps students establish a foundation for playing in an ensemble. Performance opportunities available. Students must bring their own instrument, music stand, and class book. Students must be recommended by their instructor.
INTRODUCTION TO IMPROVISATION &
JAZZ
For middle and high school students, these classes provide a hands-on opportunity to learn improvisation skills using their instrument of choice. In the Introduction to Improvisation class they will learn the basic melodic and harmonic language and the skills the improviser uses to communicate. Building upon the skills learned in the Introduction to Improvisation class, students will continue their study in a collaborative ensemble setting focusing on pieces from the Standard Jazz and American Songbook Repertoire.