HUMANITIES:
MUSIC
Course Outline
Humanities: Drama (1/3 semester) & Humanities:
Visual Art (1/3 semester)
Pinewood requires a semester-long Freshman arts course called
Humanities in addition to the year-long VPA requirement.
Humanities introduces students to six weeks each of music,
drama and visual art, with each of the three disciplines taught
by a specializing teacher. After Humanities, students move
immediately into their chosen VPA track the following semester:
Music, Drama or Visual Art.
Humanities: Music starts with a week of music fundamentals.
Then we launch into five weeks of Western music history and analysis,
chronologically studying the Early Music, Baroque, Classical,
Romantic and Contemporary periods.
VPA Music students then continue with Music Fundamentals,
which starts with five weeks of music fundamentals and theory.
This is followed by three weeks studying instruments and orchestration.
After this comes five weeks of more advanced music fundamentals
and theory. At this point students have developed the skills to
analyze and comprehend all basic aspects of a musical creation.
We apply those skills in the next four weeks of the course by
analyzing the history and fundamentals of Contemporary Western
popular music. Finally, we review and assess what we've learned
the last week of the course.
FUNDAMENTALS
| Lecture |
Subject(s) |
Composer(s) |
Piece(s) |
Homework |
| Pop Goes The Music |
Contemporary popular song structure |
No Doubt |
Just A Girl |
Structure Listening Assignment |
| You Got Rhythm |
Rhythm |
Various |
Various |
Rhythm Listening Assignment |
| Melody For Your Maladies |
Melody / Harmony |
Various |
Various |
Melody & Harmony Listening Assignment |
| Live In Harmony |
Harmony / Texture |
Various |
Various |
Young Punks' Guide Listening Assignment |
| Sound Advice |
Instruments |
Cullinan & Britten |
The Young Punks' Guide To The Orchestra |
Orestes Listening Assignment |
EARLY MUSIC
| Lecture |
Subject(s) |
Composer(s) |
Piece(s) |
Homework |
| Ancient Geeks |
Early Music Period / Music Of Ancient Greece |
Anonymous |
Orestes: Stasimon Chorus |
Chant Listening Assignment |
| Monophonous Monks |
Medieval Chant |
Anonymous |
Mass For The Dead: Day Of Judgment |
Vitry Listening Assignment |
| Da Bossa De Nova! (A Pain In The
Ars...) |
Polyphony / Ars Nova / Isorhythmic Motet |
Vitry |
Roman De Fauvel |
Palestrina Listening Assignment |
| Polyphony Pleases The Pontiff |
Renaissance / Choral Music / Sacred Music / Homophony |
Palestrina |
Pope Marcellus Mass: Gloria |
Handel Listening Assignment |
BAROQUE
| Lecture |
Subject(s) |
Composer(s) |
Piece(s) |
Homework |
| Double-Stuffed Oratorio |
Baroque Period / Textural Development & Variety |
Handel |
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus |
Bach Listening Assignment |
| Pass The Melody |
Fugue / Baroque Organ / Instrumental Music |
Bach |
Toccata & Fugue In D Minor |
Vivaldi Listening Assignment |
| The Rad Priest |
Baroque Concerto / Multi-Movement Works |
Vivaldi |
Lute Concerto In D Major |
Purcell Listening Assignment |
| If It Ain't Baroque... |
Baroque Opera |
Purcell |
Dido & Aeneas: When I Am Laid In Earth |
Study For Music Midterm |
| Oh Know! |
Midterm Jeapardy |
All Of The Above |
All Of The Above |
Study For Music Midterm |
| Punk Torture |
Music Midterm |
All Of The Above |
All Of The Above |
Haydn Listening Assignment |
CLASSICAL
| Lecture |
Subject(s) |
Composer(s) |
Piece(s) |
Homework |
| Papa Haydn's Big Head |
Classical Period / String Quartet / Sonata Form |
Haydn |
"Sunrise" Quartet In Bb Major: Movement
1 |
Mozart Listening Assignment |
| Rock Me Amadeus! |
Classical Concerto / Fortepiano / Classical Homophony |
Mozart |
Piano Concerto #20: Movement 1 |
Liebmann Listening Assignment |
| What? A Man's Job??? |
Female Composers / Theme & Variations / Chamber
Music |
Liebmann |
Grand Sonata For Cello & Harpsichord: Movement
3 |
Beethoven Listening Assignment |
| We Have A Motive |
Symphony / Sonata Form |
Beethoven |
Symphony #5: Movement 1 |
Berlioz Listening Assignment |
ROMANTIC
| Lecture |
Subject(s) |
Composer(s) |
Piece(s) |
Homework |
| Hector Has A Weird Dream |
Romantic Period / Program Music / Rebellion /
Orchestration |
Berlioz |
Fantastic Symphony: Movement 5 |
Schumann Listening Assignment |
| Name That Tune! |
Piano Character Pieces / Lieder |
Robert & Clara Schumann |
Carnival: Butterflies, Harlequin, Chopin / Lorelei,
Ah Pain! |
Arias Listening Assignment |
| Holler For Dollars |
Romantic Opera / Divas / Arias |
Bizet / Puccini / Gilbert & Sullivan |
Carmen: Habanera / Turandot: Nessun Dorma / The
Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General |
Debussy Listening Assignment |
| Impressed With Impressionism? |
Impressionism & The Road To Modernity |
Debussy |
The Sea: Movement 2 |
Stravinsky Listening Assignment |
CONTEMPORARY
| Lecture |
Subject(s) |
Composer(s) |
Piece(s) |
Homework |
| Really Riotous Rhythm |
Contemporary Period / Rhythmic & Harmonic
Shakedown! |
Stravinsky |
The Rite Of Spring: Selections |
Jazz Listening Assignment |
| Ignore The Score |
Jazz / Improvisation / Swing / Theme & Variations |
Gershwin |
They Can't Take That Away From Me |
Williams Listening Assignment |
| Modern Program Music |
Film Music / Representative Themes |
Williams |
Star Wars Soundtrack: Selections |
Study For Final |
| Model Modern Musicologists |
Final Jeapardy |
Cullinan & Sullivan |
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Musicologist |
Study For Final |
| Demystifying Excellence & The Power Of Purpose |
Finding Your Purpose & Maximizing Your Potential |
Cullinan |
In The Doorway, Bright In Your Ways, Something (For Janette) |
Study For Final |
| Active Listeners Talk Back! |
Music Final |
All Of The Above |
All Of The Above |
Be An Open-Minded Active Listener |