Congrats!

Hey gang!

Congrats on a great semester of AP Music Theory! Final exam grades are posted in Pinnacle. If you have any questions about the exam, grading, etc. please email me.

Abby - don't forget to come in tomorrow am to make up that sight-singing quiz. Also show me pp. 35-36.

Justin - don't forget to check at home for the pop song dictation.

Have a WONDERFUL winter break!

ms.p

Final Exam

Hey guys,

Just a reminder: your AP Theory final exam will be Tuesday, December 14.

See you Monday & have a great weekend!

ms.p

It's December!

Hey gang,

Welcome back from the break. Only a few more weeks until the semester ends! Wow!

Homework due Thursday:
p. 38 D
p. 39 B
p. 40 A

Please review the rules for melody-writing that we hit just before the Thanksgiving break. We'll need to do a Ch. 5 quiz next week followed by the final exam 2 weeks from now... Be thinking about this; it WILL be comprehensive!

Also, if you've asked me to write a letter of recommendation for you please touch base with me today/tomorrow to make sure I know when they are due. :)

ms.p

Homework due Wed, 17 Nov

pp. 37-38 A-C

Abby: See me re: making up the sight-singing quiz you missed Monday.

m[p

Homework due Monday, 15 Nov

Select 3 popular songs. For each song, choose ~8 bars of melody (probably from the chorus). Determine the key and notate those 8 bars. Make sure you know the sight-singing numbers...each of you will "perform" your song on numbers! :)

(Disregard homework assignment from previous post.)

Week 13 cont'd.

So here we are in the land of perfect melodies...sort of. I know we covered several rules Tuesday. I'm afraid there are more to cover tomorrow, but hang in there. I promise it'll get easier! I'll get your dictations and Ch. 4 quiz back to you in class tomorrow.

Homework due tomorrow is pp. 35-36. Homework due Monday 11/15 is pp. 37-38.

ms.p

Week 13

Dictation quiz Tuesday!!!

Please look over Ch. 5. Get ready for intro to part-writing.

ms.p

Week 12

So once upon a time...in a small classroom...far, far away...with a crazy teacher...

Wait a minute. Sorry, wrong dialogue...

TEST THIS FRIDAY. :)
Friday's test will cover:
*ability to "Roman numeralize" all diatonic chords in major & minor (triads & sevenths)
(i.e. Triads: Major: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii0
Triads: Minor: i, ii0, III, iv, V, VI, viio
7ths: Major: IM7, ii7, iii7, IVM7, V7, vi7, vii half-dim7
7ths: Minor: i7, ii half-dim7, IIIM7, iv7, V7, VIM7, viio7
*given a key & chord, provide roman numeral w/ correct case (I vs. i) and inversion
*roman numeral analysis
ALSO
*dictation quiz

Homework due Friday: p. 34 (& study for test...)

leonardic, right?

ms.p

Week 11

Greetings from Roman numeral land... :)

Homework that should be completed from Ch. 4 (due Monday, 10/25):

p. 31, A & B (majors AND minors)
p. 33, A & B (all)

Monday and Wednesday of this week we'll continue to work with diatonic triads/seventh chords in major and minor. I'll be gone Friday on the Boston trip (are any of you going??) and will leave a video plus a few questions for you guys. (Don't worry, I'm pre-screening the videos. Nothing quite as dry as that last Puccini flick, haha...)

Have a great weekend!

Mih P

YoungArts recordings

Here is the recording schedule for Monday:

4:30-5:00 : Melissa Joseph
5:00-6:00 : Betsy Swanson
6:00-7:00 : Sam Budow
7:00 - 8:00: Megan Zhang

We'll be in the Vocal Room. The remainder of recordings will be scheduled during class on Monday.
Thanks, Ms. P

Weeks 9 & 10

Hey AP-ers,

This week we got started with Chapter 4 and are beginning to use Roman numerals. Homework for both Wednesday and Friday is p. 31, A&B. (Majors and minors.)

Next week we'll continue with the chapter and get into diatonic seventh chords. (woo-hoo!)

I know several of you will be gone on the Model UN trip. Have fun and we'll catch up when I see you on Thursday.

In harmony (haha),

ms.p

Live from the Met HD Broadcasts!

Hey guys!

Here's a great opportunity to catch some of the world's best opera productions right here in the Atlanta area! Take advantage of it!

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events_template.aspx?id=11964

Intro to form in music

Homework for Tuesday, 5 October:

Find an example of each of the 3 forms we discussed in class (strophic, song, & rondo).
You may use songs from any genre. Bring your examples to class via iPod, cd, sheet music, etc. so we can analyze a few of them as a class.

And as always ... LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN! Here's the list of major arias that I distributed in class:

Che gelida manina (Act I)
Si. Mi chiamano Mimi (Act I)
O soave fanciulla (Act I)
Quando m’en vo (Act II)
Donde lieta usci al tuo grido (Act III)
O Mimi, tu piu non torni (Duet: Rodolfo & Marcello) (Act IV)
Sono Andati? Fingevo di dormire (Act IV)

Also, don't forget to get your field trips signed by your parents/teachers.

Have a great weekend! (See most of you in the morning for Solo Festival!)

Ms. P

La Boheme recording info

Here's the info for the recording I gave you in class:

Rodolfo: Luciano Pavarotti
Mimi: Mirella Freni
Marcello: Rolando Panerai
Musetta: Elizabeth Harwood
Colline: Nicolai Ghiaurov
Schaunard: Gianni Maffeo
with
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
and
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, cond.

For the one we watched in class:
Rodolfo: David Hobson
Mimi: Cheryl Barker
Australian Opera
Dir. Baz Luhrmann

Homework for Friday, 1 October 2010

*Listen to Quando m’en vo (Act II, track 21) 3 times through.

*Write the English translation in the provided score. Make sure each word is matched with the corresponding Italian word.

*Listen to the aria 3 more times while following the score.

How does Puccini use the music (not text) to convey Musetta’s character? Write a paragraph giving at least 3 examples. Don’t forget to examine the last 4 bars of p. 138 – the orchestra’s introduction always has something to say about the character! (It might be a good idea to write a verbal description of her character first so you have some direction.)

And so it begins...get ready for our La Boheme series!

Homework for Wednesday: read the La Boheme packet distributed in class. Please be familiar with the plot and characters so we can jump right in with our discussions. It's looking like you guys need the entire class today to finish the Ch. 3 quiz, so we'll finish watching the Australian Opera production in class on Wednesday. I'll also do my best to get your CD's done by Wednesday. :)

'Til then...

Ms. P

Viva la Boheme!

Hey guys!

Congratulations: by the time you read this you've probably made it to fall break. Enjoy the time off!

Update: I'm finalizing the details of our trip to l'opera. We'll be seeing La Boheme as performed by the Atlanta Opera at the Cobb Energy Center on Oct. 7. You should be aware that it's only a 55-minute version, not the full opera. We'll be spending approximately 2 class periods prior to studying the opera as well as Puccini's compositional style and role in music history. If you have a chance over the break, check out some of the music and begin familiarizing yourself with the plot.

The Ch. 3/Autumn Leaves quiz until Monday, September 27. Make sure you're ready for it. There is a good review on pp. 54-55 in your textbook. The quiz will be structured as follows:
Written portion - 80% (ID/writing chords, realizing figured bass, 1 or 2 short answers re: history of figured bass)
Playing Autumn Leaves (1st 8 bars)- 20%

We'll finish watching La Boheme (Australian Opera/Baz Luhrmann) on Monday.

Homework over the break is to prepare for your quiz Monday and check out La Boheme.

Enjoy!

Ms. P

Week 6

We'll have our chapter 3 quiz on Thursday. Be sure to review 7th chords, inversions, figured bass & lead sheet symbols. Part of the quiz will be your ability to play Autumn Leaves with chords & a melody.

No written homework over the weekend, just practice Autumn leaves. Enjoy... :)

Ms. P

On Friday we will continue/finish our Autumn Leaves "project". (Remember that you're supposed to have the chords written out in bass clef as part of your homework.) In class we'll work on playing the chords and hopefully add some of the melody - you guys will get to accompany each other! :)

Homework due is pp. 26-28 (photocopies) as well as chords written out for the first line of Autumn Leaves (the portion as the excerpt from your textbook.)

See you soon!

Ms. P

Week 5

Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day holiday! Back to the grind...at least until fall break, that is! :)

Homework due Wednesday: p. 25 (from the photocopied packet)

I'd like to do a Ch. 3 quiz Friday, so please be preparing for that. In class Wednesday we will do some more with figured bass as well as lead sheet symbols.

Ms. P

Week 4

Labor Day weekend is almost here... :)

This week heralds the arrival of the famous seventh chord. Congratulations AP-ers, we're finally out of theory-review world. Things are about to get interesting!

On Monday I'll return your Ch. 1/2 quizzes. We'll do a quick once-over on triads and then move into seventh chords. Please look over Ch. 3 if you haven't already. Homework due Monday is pp. 19-20 (A-C, plus D #1-15) from the workbook packet. I'd like to do a quiz on Friday 3 September over part of Ch. 3: we'll hit triads & seventh chords at the very least and inversions & figured bass if we get to it this week.

Let's have another go at a group picture for the blog. We'll do it at the end of class Monday.

Happy weekend-ing!

Ms. P

25 August

Hey guys!

Don't forget that you have a quiz over Ch. 1 & 2 on Thursday. Be sure to review all you key signatures, intervals, scale degree names & octaves (C4, C5, etc.) in addition to the newer stuff over beat & meter. Your homework is to study for that.

See you then!

Ms. P

Thursday

Guten abend!

Homework for Monday: finish interval packets & read Ch. 2: Rhythm

On Monday we'll begin with the dictation we didn't get to today. We'll also review scale degree names and begin Ch. 2. I'll have your key signature quizzes graded and ready for you!

Mitchell - I should have a book for you by then. Please help me remember to get you those copies in Chamber tomorrow. :)

Haben eine gute Wochenende!

Ms. P

KS review & Scale Degree Names

Hey gang,

Great class today! Welcome Natalie! Holly, we'll miss you! :(

Thanks for being prepared with your homework - I know it might have been a bit of scale-overload for some of you... BUT, the quicker those scales & key signature come to you, the easier your life is going to be in this class.

Homework for Thursday:
Complete the packet I distributed in class. (Justin, you'll need to come by and pick this up tomorrow.) Make sure you use the key provided to check your work.

Key Signature quiz Thursday. Be prepared to identify any written key signature, write any key signature, write any scale, identify any scale, as well as tell me how many #s/bs are in any key signature. See me tomorrow if you've any questions.

Happye Tuesdaye...

Ms. P

First Day! Here we go...

Hey gang,

I'm thrilled to have each of you in AP this year. We have a lot of ground to cover together, so it's important that you keep up with your assignments, etc. and let me know if you need some extra tutoring on a certain subject. It's going to be a great year!

Homework for Tuesday, 10 August:
*Using provided staff paper, write out all major & minor scales. Include all 3 versions of each minor scale. (Total: 48 scales) Ascending & descending. Clef of your choice.

Key Signature Quiz is coming up Thursday, 12 August. You should be able to identify a given key signature OR provide the key signature I ask for. All major AND minor keys. Be prepared for Alto & Tenor clefs to be used... There are some great exercises in Ch. 1 of your text, fyi...

Have a great weekend!

Ms. P