Grades: 9, 10, 11, and 12. This course can be taken over multiple years.
Subject Area/Course Credit: Creative Arts, 1 credit
Prerequisite: Enjoy singing, group collaboration and want to improve!
Vocal and Choral Music is designed for the student who enjoys singing or wants to challenge themselves to learn more about the singing voice and using their body as an instrument. It has a strong performance/presenting component, including both in-class and public performances. Students will work on healthy vocal technique, while being challenged to learn and perform a wide variety of vocal and choral music, from classical to pop, jazz, traditional, and world music, in a variety of languages. Students will have the opportunity to exercise team-building skills as they work in both large and small ensembles, exploring both set compositions, as well as beginning to create vocal improvisations and harmonies. Students will work towards building their vocal and performance confidence. They will learn to respond and use their critical thinking skills through in-class sharing and feedback sessions. Students will look at singing features of their favourite artists, learning to identify components of those artists’ singing techniques, and connect this to understanding how they produce their singing voices. Students may be eligible to audition for the AMIS International Honor Choir Festival or the WER Honor Choir if available. Note: Students who successfully participate in this course may be considered for IB Music or AP Music Theory.