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The Performing Arts department recognizes the importance of artistic development in the individual and society. Artistic development includes creative artistic expression, technique, knowledge of the classics, a contemporary perspective, and an understanding of the forms and the discipline required of all artists; it also implies an understanding and appreciation of an integrated arts program and of the arts of various cultures and peoples.
The program provides a training environment for beginning and experienced students in theater, music, film study, and dance. Courses include a selection of core-curricular classes together with those that fulfill the needs of highly talented young artists. The Fine Arts requirement in the upper school may be fulfilled by any of the Performing Arts. It should be noted that enrollment in any Performing Arts department course in no way guarantees casting or selection for extracurricular shows or groups.
Assessment Criteria: Assessment in the Performing Arts department is based not merely on talent, but also focuses on what a student does with the talent he or she has. Individual creativity, self-reliance, honorable comportment, discipline, initiative, and especially the ability to work with others as part of a performance ensemble are highly valued and rewarded. The student who does well will stay current with the work of the course, personal practice, and memorization or other course-specific work that is expected outside of the classroom; however, with the exception of Advanced Placement Music Theory and Cinema Studies, Performing Arts courses require very little homework as such.
DANCE
* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California (UC) system’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement. These courses, if they are advanced, will receive UC credit in the elective category. All semester courses do, however, fulfill one-half of the Harvard‑Westlake graduation requirement in Fine Arts.
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The Art of Dance
I
|
1250-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10 and 11 —
Grade 12 by permission of instructor |
This course emphasizes not only body dynamics and identification of movement vocabularies, but also offers an introduction to choreography. Student technical and choreographic development is enhanced by class explorations into dance history and experimentation in various styles and schools of modern dance. Students are required to perform their work in Dance Showcase presentations. This is a full-year course. Seniors, however, may enroll for a semester with permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Introduction to Contemporary Dance, Contemporary Dance Workshop, or permission of the instructor. |
|
The Art of Dance
II
|
1255-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10 and 11 —
Grade 12 by permission of instructor |
|
This course offers an in-depth exploration of dance technique, choreography, improvisation, and performance. Student technical and choreographic development is enhanced by class explorations into dance history and experimentation in various styles and schools of modern dance. Various choreographic assignments and creative projects help students develop and explore their own creative voices. Students are required to perform their work in Dance Showcase presentations. This is a full-year course. Seniors, however, may enroll for a semester with permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Harvard‑Westlake’s Dance Production class in ninth grade, completion of The Art of Dance I, or permission of the instructor.
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Advanced Dance
I: Choreography
|
1265-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 11 and 12 |
Advanced Dance I: Choreography offers an in-depth study of choreography. Although technique and performance are an integral part of this class, the principal emphasis is placed on choreography and the creative process. Students have the opportunity to work on numerous choreographic assignments throughout the year and are required to show their works in a showcase event. Class size is limited.
Prerequisite: Audition. |
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Advanced Dance
II: Performance and Production
|
1270-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 11 and 12 |
This course is designed for the serious dance student interested in choreography and performance. Students are expected to perform and choreograph for the annual dance concert and various dance presentations throughout the year. The advanced dancer is given every opportunity to mature as a young artist. Students must sign up for a full year.
Prerequisite: The Art of Dance I or The Art of Dance II, permission of the instructor, and an audition. |
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Ballet
|
1275-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is intended for students of all levels interested in studying ballet technique. A self-disciplined approach to barre technique, body alignment, and proper movement mechanics is emphasized. Students must sign up for a full year. |
Advanced Dance
Seminar*
|
1260-1 | 1260-2
|
| Two independent semesters —
Grades 11 and 12 |
This semester course is designed for students who have actively participated in the Harvard‑Westlake dance curriculum. Students present one dance project per semester. The subject and nature of the project is determined by each student with the consent of the instructor. A written paper and a performance presentation are required.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. |
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THEATER
AND DRAMA
* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California (UC) system’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement. These courses, if they are advanced, will receive UC credit in the elective category. All semester courses do, however, fulfill one-half of the Harvard‑Westlake graduation requirement in Fine Arts.
Courses in Theater and Drama are offered in a specific sequence, as follows: The Actor and the Stage I–II, Advanced Acting and Directing, and Advanced Performance Studies. (Courses in Introduction to Design of Theatrical Costume and Technical Theater are also offered, but are not part of the sequence.) Only three courses in Theater and Drama may be taken more than once—
Advanced Acting and Directing, Technical Theater I, and Introduction to Design of Theatrical Costume I. The Actor and the Stage I–II is an introductory course and may not be waived.
The Actor and the
Stage I-II
|
1030-0 |
| Full year— Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course combines The Actor and the Stage I in the first semester with The Actor and the Stage II in the second semester. This course must be taken by all students who wish to move on to any other drama course. See following course descriptions.
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The Actor and the
Stage I*
|
1020-1 |
| First semester —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is intended for both the beginning student of theater and for the student who wants a one-time-only theater course. The course provides a brief overview for both the curious nonactor and the experienced younger actor. The course begins with a series of theater games and exercises intended to give the student a basic knowledge of stagecraft, ensemble work, character development, and movement for the stage. The course also combines a smattering of theater history and aesthetic philosophy. Over the course of the semester, several guest artists are brought in to teach workshops on dance, comedy improvisation, and movement. Students perform at least two monologues from the modern and the classical theater, including particular focus on a Shakespeare sonnet. Students are also required to perform in at least two of the scheduled after-school Scene Night showcases before an invited guest audience. |
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The Actor and the
Stage II*
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1025-2
|
| Second semester —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course provides the opportunity to study, act in, and direct various dramatic scenes from full-length plays, which are examined in detail in their entirety. The course, which is fundamental to all of the courses that follow it, seeks to invest the student with a thorough understanding of dramatic structure and character delineation and with a sense of the visual and aural music of the play, its rhythms, and design. Once the play has been studied as a whole, scenes from the play are assigned to students as both actors and directors, as well as lighting, sound, and costume technicians. The play in its entirety is prepared for presentation in a Scene Night showcase held during the course of the semester. Plays that have been studied in the past include Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Jay Presson Allen’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Prerequisite: The Actor and the Stage I. |
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Advanced Acting
and
Directing*
|
1040-1 | 1040-2
|
| Two independent semesters — Grades 11 and 12 |
This course offers detailed work in the crafts of acting and directing. All students engage in both activities, but for some students the course focuses on their work as actors, whereas for others the course focuses on their work as directors. Included in this hands-on, active, rehearsal-and-process-oriented course is work on voice and diction, movement, character analysis, the preparation of a role for performance, and the techniques and concepts of developing a play for production. The class produces scenes and short plays throughout the semester. Student actors and directors are provided practical experience in rehearsal and performance. Students engage in a week’s worth of dance-and-movement classes and an “Acting with Song” workshop as part of the work of the course. All students are required to perform in two scheduled after-school Scene Night showcases before an invited guest audience. This semester course may be taken more than once.
Prerequisite: The Actor and the Stage I–II. |
Advanced
Performance Studies*
|
1050-1 |1050-2
|
| Two identical semesters —
Grade 12 |
Available only by permission of the instructor and limited, whenever possible, to no more than eight students, Advanced Performance Studies takes those students who can demonstrate a readiness for and an ability to undertake fully realized performances in the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Shakespeare, and Chekhov. Advanced Performance Studies features a detailed, comprehensive section of study that focuses on the preparation of classic texts for performance, especially those written in verse. Using Cecily Berry’s The Actor and the Text, this course involves extensive, close work with the texts of the plays in question.
Prerequisite: Audition (if requested by instructor) and all other courses in the regular cycle (The Actor and the Stage I–II and Advanced Acting and Directing).
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|
Introduction to
Design of
Theatrical Costume I-II |
1175-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course provides an introduction to the art and craft of theatrical costume design. Students learn how to read and analyze scripts, research the play, and develop costume designs for a theoretical production. Students also gain familiarity with costume shop tools and machinery through the construction of finished garments.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. |
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Introduction to
Design of
Theatrical Costume I* |
1170-1 | 1170-2 |
| Two independent semesters —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course mimics the curriculum of Introduction to Design of Theatrical Costume I–II outlined in the preceding description. |
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Technical Theater
I-II
|
1165-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course provides a thorough introduction to all aspects of technical theater: stagecraft (building and design), lighting, prop manufacturing, sound, set painting, and computerized show control. Balancing hands-on work with lecture, the course seeks to familiarize students with the tools of the theater technician’s craft. Additionally, the course provides each student with the opportunity to design a set for a theoretical production. Each student is required to work on the crew of at least one Performing Arts production during the year. Enrollment is limited to ten students.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. |
|
Technical Theater
I*
|
1160-1 | 1160-2 |
| Two independent semesters —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course mimics the curriculum of Technical Theater I–II outlined in the preceding description.
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FILM
* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California (UC) system’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement. All semester courses do, however, fulfill one-half of the Harvard‑Westlake graduation requirement in Fine Arts.
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Cinema Studies
I-II
|
1150-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 11 and 12 |
This course combines Cinema Studies I in the first semester with Cinema Studies II in the second semester. See following course descriptions. |
Cinema Studies I*
|
1140-1 |
| First semester —
Grades 11 and 12 |
Designed as a course in film appreciation, criticism, and analysis, Cinema Studies I assumes the further intention of teaching students the art of “reading” film. Students are taken step-by-step through the vocabulary of film with the goal of gaining a command of the language of film and an understanding of how films tell their stories. Students are asked to write one term paper—the analysis of an adapted film’s development from page to celluloid. More than fifty films are viewed in the course, several of them in their entirety. Films highlighted in the course include Battleship Potemkin, The Birth of a Nation, Casablanca, David Lean’s Oliver Twist, and Gallipoli. Directors studied in-depth include Lean, William Wyler, and Stanley Kubrick. Texts include Cinema Studies: A Source- and Notebook (prepared by the instructor), Walter Murch’s In the Blink of an Eye, and Sidney Lumet’s Making Movies. The course concludes with a final examination. |
|
Cinema Studies
II* |
1145-2 |
| Second semesters —
Grades 11 and 12 |
Cinema Studies II continues the work of Cinema Studies I. Using Bonnie and Clyde as a benchmark, the course studies the movements and directors preceding and following that seminal film, including, among others, German Expressionism, Film Noir, Italian Neo-Realism, the French New Wave (particularly François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard), Samuel Fuller, Peter Bogdanovich, John Schlesinger, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. The course also includes a look at late-twentieth-century and post-WWII foreign cinema. As with Cinema Studies I, the purpose is to investigate film in depth—aesthetically, culturally, and politically. Over forty-five films are included in the course, some of which are seen in their entirety. These include, among several others, The Blue Angel, The Bicycle Thief, The 400 Blows, Pickup on South Street, Midnight Cowboy, and Y tu mamá también. Texts include Cinema Studies: A Source- and Notebook (prepared by the instructor), Walter Murch’s In the Blink of an Eye, and Sidney Lumet’s Making Movies. The course includes one term paper and concludes with a final examination.
Prerequisite: Cinema Studies I. |
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CHORAL
MUSIC
* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California (UC) system’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement. All semester courses do, however, fulfill one-half of the Harvard‑Westlake graduation requirement in Fine Arts.
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Wolverine Chorus
|
1350-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Meeting four times weekly, Wolverine Chorus is composed of nonauditioned male voices from grades 10–12. It is designed to teach basic vocal techniques such as vowel production, vocal breathing and range, intonation, blend, and diction. It includes an expansive spectrum of musical styles from the Renaissance to the twentieth century, including classical, barbershop, and contemporary a cappella music. Sight-singing ability, while helpful, is not required for this course. Wolverine Chorus performs in three major concerts during the school year, including “Cabaret,” and may participate in festivals in the spring semester. Some extra rehearsals and a small amount of work outside the classroom are required. |
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Bel Canto
|
1365-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This nonauditioned class meets four times weekly and is composed of female voices from grades 10–12. While it serves as an introduction to choral techniques such as diction, blend, voicing, intonation, and vowel production, advanced choral skills, such as multipart singing, stylistic tonal modification, and vibrato, are addressed. It covers a wide variety of musical styles from the Renaissance to the twentieth century, as well as some arrangements of popular a cappella and Broadway music. Sight-singing ability is not a prerequisite, but it is helpful. Bel Canto performs in three major concerts during the school year, including “Cabaret,” and it also participates in festivals during the spring semester. Extra rehearsals and work outside the classroom, while minimal, are required. |
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Chamber Singers
|
1355-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Chamber Singers is a highly selective soprano/alto/tenor/bass ensemble drawn from yearly auditions. It meets four times weekly, and its membership of thirty-six to forty-four singers is based upon vocal talent, sight-reading, and musicianship skills. Because of its quick pace, sophisticated rehearsal requirements, and additional performing opportunities, Chamber Singers demands a significantly larger amount of outside work than the other choral classes. The extremely advanced repertoire is taken from the full spectrum of the choral art. A particular emphasis is placed upon unique twentieth- and twenty-first-century music, as well as medium-sized works of the great classical composers. The ensemble participates in community events, four major concerts including “Cabaret,” and many festivals during the school year. Chamber Singers also takes a yearly tour during spring break. Extra rehearsals are required.
Prerequisite: An audition to assess vocal character, sight-reading ability, and musicianship skills. |
|
HW Jazz Singers
|
1360-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 11 and 12 |
Comprising eight to twelve skilled members, HW Jazz Singers is auditioned directly out of Chamber Singers. Because the ensemble only rehearses two times per week, sight-singing, vocal versatility, and musical memorization skills are mandatory. Issues such as vocal stylization, harmonic balance, scat-singing technique, and vibrato usage are addressed. Although the HW Jazz Singers repertoire is based primarily upon standard jazz canon, “pop” and contemporary a cappella styles are also performed. The ensemble participates in community events, three major concerts including “Cabaret,” one spring festival, and the Chamber Singers tour during spring break. Extra rehearsals are required.
Prerequisite: Chamber Singers membership and vocal music theory and group vocal stylization auditions. |
Voice Class
(Tutorial)*
|
1370-1 | 1370-2 |
| Two independent semesters —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Participation in voice class is limited to those students who are enrolled in one of the choral ensembles or nonchoral students who have consulted with the choral director. It is designed for the student who wants to gain a broader knowledge of the technique of singing. There are no more than three students in each section of voice class, which covers the complete range of technical skills, such as breathing and support, vowel production and placement, the international phonetic alphabet, and diction. The singer’s repertoire is drawn from the classical style and includes literature in English, Italian, French, and German.
Prerequisite: Membership in Bel Canto, Chamber Singers, or Wolverine Chorus or consultation with the choral director. |
Sight Singing
(Tutorial)*
|
1372-0 |
| Full Year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Participation in sight-singing class is limited to those students who are enrolled in one of the choral ensembles. The course is designed for the student who wants to gain a broader knowledge of effective melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic vocal sight-reading techniques. Sight singing covers the components of intervalic relationships and the construction of major and minor keys, the rhythmic counting system, solfeggio application to actual songs, and modal relationships. Enrollment is unlimited.
Prerequisite: Membership in Bel Canto, Chamber Singers, or Wolverine Chorus. |
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INSTRUMENTAL
MUSIC
Incoming students who wish to join ensembles for which auditions are required should contact the instrumental music teachers to obtain audition requirements; a convenient audition time will then be arranged.
Pianists: A limited number of pianists are chosen for orchestral and jazz groups. Other appropriate courses for pianists would include Music Tutorial, theory courses, music appreciation, and ad hoc chamber music ensembles.
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Concert Orchestra
|
1450-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is a performance-oriented class for string, wind, brass, and percussion players who have their own instruments and have completed at least one year of instrumental training; however, most of the members of the group will have had three or more years of experience. Basic areas of performance skills (tone production, intonation, style, technique, and ensemble balance) are included, and the ensemble may occasionally divide into sectional rehearsals as well as chamber groups. The class meets four times per week with a few after-school rehearsals in preparation for concerts. In addition to appearing with players in other ensembles as part of a combined orchestra for the opening assembly, homecoming, commencement, and community service events, the ensemble presents two main performances during the year in programs with the Symphony.
Prerequisite: Audition. |
|
Symphony
|
1460-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Symphony is an advanced class for string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players who have their own instruments. The repertoire is drawn from a wide range of periods and styles; professional (nonsimplified) editions are mainly used. Members of the symphony are often assigned independent projects in smaller ensembles as an ongoing part of their coursework. The class meets four times per week with a few after-school rehearsals in preparation for major performances. The Harvard‑Westlake Symphony is our most advanced classical ensemble and, as such, is demanding as well as inspiring. Because of ensemble balance requirements, placement after a personal or taped audition should be considered a commitment. In addition to appearing with players in other ensembles as part of a combined orchestra for the opening assembly, homecoming, commencement, and community service events, the ensemble presents four main performances during the year.
Prerequisite: Personal or taped audition. |
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Jazz Band
|
1550-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is designed for experienced to advanced players. Each spring, incoming sophomores and returning juniors and seniors may audition for this class, a band molded from a traditional big-band set-up (five trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, and piano, bass, drums, and guitar). However, students who feel qualified on non-traditional instruments, such as strings, mallets, and Latin percussion, may also audition for placement consideration. The course of study for the ensemble includes advanced high school and college repertoire with the addition of student-written pieces and commissions from professional jazz writers. In-depth areas of jazz and “commercial music” performance skills (tone, intonation, sectional balance, improvisation, jazz technique, and style) are the major focus of the coursework. The class studies big-band charts and classic recordings representing various historical periods and styles of the Big Band genre. The class meets four times per week with additional after-school rehearsals scheduled as needed for concerts, recording sessions, and extra performances. The Harvard‑Westlake Jazz Explorers, the school’s top jazz unit, is selected from members of the Jazz Band only. Additional small combos may be formed at the instructor’s discretion.
Prerequisite: Audition. |
| Studio Jazz Band |
1552-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Designed for the intermediate jazz player, this is a performance-oriented class for brass, woodwind, keyboard, and rhythm-section players who desire an extensive introduction to the world of jazz. Students who wish to improve and refine their skills toward eventual placement in Jazz Band should audition for this course. Classwork focuses upon performance skills, ensemble techniques, reading, improvisation, and specific jazz techniques and styles. The materials are chosen from standard big-band arrangement sheets and combo charts. The class provides a unique opportunity for individuals to develop their overall playing skills while working in alternating settings of small jazz bands and jazz combos. The jazz ensemble and its small combos perform in several concerts during the school year. The class meets four times per week with additional after-school rehearsals scheduled before concerts and as needed. |
|
Jazz Ensemble
|
1555-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
Designed for the less-experienced jazz player, this is a performance-oriented class for brass, woodwind, keyboard, and rhythm-section players who have had at least one year of instrumental training. Students who wish to improve and refine their skills toward eventual placement in Jazz Band or Studio Jazz Band should audition for this course. Classwork focuses upon performance skills, ensemble techniques, reading, improvisation, and specific jazz techniques and styles. The materials are chosen from standard jazz repertoire and classic big band arrangements. The class provides a unique opportunity for individuals to develop their overall playing skills while working in a small jazz band. The jazz ensemble performs in several concerts during the school year. Jazz Ensemble meets four times per week with additional after-school rehearsals scheduled as needed. |
| Jazz Rhythm Section |
1560-0 |
| Full year — Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This class is for students who play rhythm-section instruments (piano, bass, drums, and guitar). It is a beginning-level class and offers an introduction into the important fundamentals of good rhythm-section playing. Issues such as time keeping, functional musical literacy, transcription, and modern performance practices are emphasized. A large portion of the class is dedicated to learning scales, jazz harmony, and improvisational techniques. Additional projects are assigned throughout the year. |
Instrumental
Music-Concert/Studio Jazz Band
Instrumental Music-Concert/Jazz Band
Instrumental Music-Symphony/Studio Jazz Band
Instrumental Music-Symphony/Jazz Band
|
1573-0
1570-0
1578-0
1580-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11,
and 12 |
Before signing up for one of the above courses, please consult one of the music instructors. Instrumental Music accommodates students who wish to play in either Concert Orchestra or Symphony and in Jazz Band or Studio Jazz Band. During the week, students attend the two designated courses for a total of four class periods (two Concert Orchestra classes and two Jazz Band or Studio Jazz Band classes per week or two Symphony classes and two Jazz Band or Studio Jazz Band classes per week, depending upon placement after audition). Some additional participation (on “X” days) is required for concert preparation, sectionals, etc. Placement in each of the ensembles is by permission of the instrumental music instructors.
Prerequisite: Audition. |
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STUDIES IN
THE COMPOSITIONAL, HISTORICAL,
AND ANALYTICAL ASPECTS OF MUSIC
* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California (UC) system’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement. All semester courses do, however, fulfill one-half of the Harvard‑Westlake graduation requirement in Fine Arts.
| Fundamentals and Perspectives in Music I-II |
1720-0 |
| Full year —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is designed as a precursor to Advanced Placement Music Theory. It mimics the curricula of Fundamentals and Perspectives in Music I (Music Theory and Ear Training) and Fundamentals and Perspectives in Music II (Music Literature and History). See following course descriptions. |
Fundamentals and
Perspectives in Music I
(Music Theory and Ear Training)*
|
1700-1
|
| First semester —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is designed for student musicians to provide a basic knowledge of music theory and ear-training skills. Notation (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, phrasing, and the use of three clefs), scales, key signatures, intervals, chords, and chord inversions are covered. The ear-training portion focuses on the development of relative pitch and recognition of rhythms, melodies, intervals, and chords. In addition, structural techniques are discussed, and creative projects in composition are emphasized. Students will find it helpful to have had prior experience with keyboards or other instruments. Students with little prior background in music theory, as well as those with formal music theory training, may elect this course. |
Fundamentals and
Perspectives in Music II
(Music Literature and History)*
|
1710-2
|
| Second semester —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
This course is a continuation of Fundamentals and Perspectives in Music I. The focus shifts from basic elements of music to practical applications and examples of music literature from throughout the history of Western music. It is structured as a broad music-appreciation course that involves listening and score reading and special projects including original compositions.
Prerequisite: Fundamentals and Perspectives in Music I (Music Theory and Ear Training) or permission of the instructor. |
|
Advanced
Placement Music Theory
|
1740-0
|
| Full year —
Grades 11 and 12 |
Advanced Placement Music Theory is conducted as a seminar for musicians, encouraging class participation and independent thinking. The course adheres to the advanced level of work found in all Advanced Placement courses and is designed to prepare students for the national Advanced Placement examination administered in May. All essential elements of theory, harmony, and form (including scales, intervals, chords, counterpoint, and structural analysis as well as melodic dictation) are thoroughly explored. Projects include composing works for solo and small-group instrumentation and preparing class presentations on diverse topics appropriate to this advanced level of study. Students may present special projects in selected concert venues.
Prerequisite: Fundamentals and Perspectives in Music I–II or permission of the instructor. |
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INDIVIDUAL
STUDIES
* Indicates a course that does not fulfill the University of California (UC) system’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement. All semester courses do, however, fulfill one-half of the Harvard‑Westlake graduation requirement in Fine Arts.
Music Tutorial*
|
1750-1 | 1750-2 |
| Two independent semesters —
Grades 10, 11, and 12 |
The tutorial focuses on one or two specific music disciplines (composition, arranging, counterpoint, conducting, orchestration, improvisation, early music, music history, etc.) that are decided upon in a meeting with the instructor before electing the course. Students must be highly motivated and capable of serious independent work throughout the semester. Only three music tutorials are offered during any given semester, but opportunities may exist for several students to enroll in a tutorial should they share the same interest.
The class meets one period per week (arranged with the instructor) with a substantial amount of work assigned between the meetings.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. |
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DIRECTED
STUDIES
A student may apply to the chair of the department for permission to study a subject in the Performing Arts which is not offered as an official class. Opportunities for directed study are determined by the number of students who apply and an instructor’s current course load. Students should be aware that Directed Studies may not be available in all disciplines and subjects. A directed study requires the commitment of a Harvard‑Westlake School Performing Arts department faculty member who agrees to teach the student the subject of choice during regular weekly class or meeting periods. Directed studies include normal coursework and projects and are usually conducted in the context of a current department production or project in which the student may participate. Previous directed studies have included stage management, carpentry, and set, lighting, and costume design for a department-directed theatrical production, as well as studies in music, dramaturgy, and film. Upon completion of the project, the student is required to present his or her work to the department during a departmental meeting. For further information, contact the chair of the department.
(from the 2008-2009 Curriculum Guide) |
