Course Information

Beginning Band (Concert Band 1)
Grade: 9 - 12
Credit: one
Free required

Student develop skills as individual musicians and as members of a musical group. Course content includes beginning-level technical ensemble skills necessary for performance. Some performance opportunities are provided. Beginning level band students develop skills on woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments. Guidance will be given by the instructor in the selection of an instrument. Simple duets, rounds, and other ensemble literature will be performed in the class. Rehearsals and performances outside of normal school hours may be required as a part of this course.

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Intermediate Band (Concert 2, 3)
Grade: 9 - 12
Credit: one
Prerequisite: Beginning Band or successful audition
Fee required

Students continue developing as individual musicians and as members of a musical group. They learn intermediate-level technical and ensemble skills necessary for performance. After school rehearsals and performances are required of all students as an integral part of the course. Marching band techniques and performances may be included.

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Advanced Band (Concert 4)
Grade: 9 - 12
Credit: one
Fee required
Marching Band is included as a portion of the course. Exceptions made at the discretion of the instructors.

Students in this course form the representative-performing band for the school. Emphasis is placed on the sequential development of advanced technical skills and on the study of related literature. Based on successful completion of sequential concepts for each level, students will continue as specificed in course level. After school rehearsals and performances are required of all students as a part of the course.

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Advanced Band (Symphonic Band)
Grade: 9 - 12
Credit: one
Prerequisite: successful audition
Fee required
Marching band is included as a portion of the course.

Students in this course form the representative-performing band for the school. Emphasis is placed on the sequential development of advanced technical skills and on the study of related literature. Based on successful completion of sequential concepts for each level, students will continue as specificed in course level. After school rehearsals and performances are required of all students as a part of the course. Marching band rechniques and performances are included in this course.

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Instrumental Jazz
Grade: 9 - 12
Credit: one
Prerequisite: successful audition or permission of instructor
Fee required
Photos of the Robinson Jazz Bands

The instrumental jazz ensemble curriculum emphasizes improvisation and styles of the jazz idiom. Content includes the study of blues scale patterns and harmonic progressions innate in jazz music. Content also includes the study of the appropriate jazz literature and rehearsal and performance techniques from the jazz idiom. Performances and rehearsals both in and out of school may be required. Instrumentation of the jazz ensemble is at the discretion of the jazz instructor.

Robinson Jazz Combo
Video 1 - "Summertime"
Video 2 - "Tenor Madness"

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Music Theory 1
Grade 9 - 12
Credit: one

Students are instructed in basic music theory which will develop their understanding of and skill in recognizing and notating all major and minor scales, rhythms in simple and compound meters, and triadic chord structures. Composition written in standard notation of simple melodies, with accompanying chords and keyboard performance of simple tunes, may also be included. Students will become acquainted with appropriate musical terms, as well as music literature from medieval to twentieth century through listening and following scores.

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IB Music (Performance Option)
Grade: 11 - 12
Credit: one
(grade weighted +.5)
Prerequisites: participation in an appropriate music department ensemble or recommendation of music teacher
Fee required

Students engage in advanced study of musical performance. An in-depth study of the historical perspective of music including Western society and other world societies will be included. Students will study cultures and traditions of various regions of the world and gain an insight into the political, social, and economic conditions that impact composers and performers. The study of traditional music in the western society will focus on broad periods of time in history. Included will be specific style, form, and structure of vocal and instrumental music with analyses of specific works of those periods. This course will also provide a solid foundation of the fundamentals of music including intervals; pitch and rhythmic patterns; chords and chord progressions; and musical terms applicable to listening to and performance of musical literature. Students are required to be a member of an advanced level performance ensemble to participate in the course if the ensemble's instrumentation is appropriate. (Students are required to take the standard level examination for which college credit and/or placement may be given if a qualifying score is achieved.) Required summer assignment.

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Trombone Choir
Extra-curricular
The Robinson High School Trombone Choir, directed by Krista Pezold, is a small ensemble in its fifth year of existence. The choir performs several times throughout the year, both at Robinson and around the metropolitan area. This year, the group is comprised of students from Robinson's advanced bands, Concert IV and Symphonic, although the ensemble is open to any trombone player who is willing to put forth the extra effort required for this performing group.
Each year, the ensemble performs at the Tiny Tots concert in December, the Robinson Area Band concert in the spring, and Solo/Ensemble Festival in April. Solo/Ensemble performances have consistently received superior ratings. In March 2002, the group joined with the Lake Braddock Trombone Choir and the University of Texas @ Austin Trombone Choir to perform at the Eastern Trombone Workshop at Ft. Myer in Arlington, Virginia, and in May 2002, the Robinson and Lake Braddock Trombone Choirs combined to perform at the Gala concert held at the George Mason University Center for the Arts.

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