Music Theory
These classes explore musical construction of western classical music through singing, listening, composing, and building language around musical concepts.
Topics of focus in the music theory classes include harmony, chords, solfege, key signatures, scales, intervals, and analysis. Ages 13 and up.
Rhythm Creator focuses on rhythm, feel, notation, improvisation, and sight-reading for musicians of all skill levels. Ages 10 and up.
Music Theory is offered in three classroom settings:
Music Theory 1: Introduction to Music Theory
Music Theory 2: Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory
Rhythm Creator
Music Theory Descriptions
Music Theory 1 — Introduction to Music Theory
This class is designed to get students grounded in the basics of music theory through experiential learning. Students will be introduced to solfege and intervallic recognition, learn to read bass, treble, and alto clefs, learn to write, recognize, and play chords and scales on the piano, and learn structural elements key to basic theory and notation. No prior theory is needed. Ages 13 and up.
Music Theory 2 — AP Music Theory
Students will develop a more sophisticated chord language and form analysis, begin dictation, and continue in concepts present on the New York State AP theory exam. Students who have not taken Theory I may join if they can demonstrate basic chord and note reading skills. Ages 13 and up. AP Music Theory is for advanced students planning to take the AP Music Theory Exam in the spring. Please note that KSMA cannot offer the AP Exam itself and students must register with their local school.
Rhythm Creator
One of our favorite things to teach is rhythm! Come join us in a class focused exclusively on rhythm, where we will dive into feel, notation, sight-reading, and improvisation using Teaching Rhythm by Joel Rothman as a textbook: Rothman-Teaching Rhythm | Steve Weiss Music. This class is for all musicians from beginner to advanced. Ages 10 and up.