Music Theory and Appreciation [Competency Based]

Have you ever wondered why some notes sound great together and others don’t? Or how musicians translate the symbols of sheet music into the music you hear? Music theory—the study of how music works—is essential to any aspiring composer or performer. Students develop their knowledge through listening exercises, drawing and identifying notation, creating basic compositions, and analyzing music samples. In the second part of the course, students focus on music appreciation as they survey the development of music, beginning in ancient Greece and ending with modern western music. Students learn how to distinguish music from different periods and describe how music relates to its historical, cultural, and social context. By the completion of this course, students have a strong foundational understanding of music, preparing them to learn how to play an instrument or continue to more advanced music studies.