Wee Ones Music: (K-1st Gr.) w/ Dani Mckinley Tuesdays 4:15-5
The K-1 general music class at Taos Youth Music School is all about exploration and discovery.
We are exploring our voices as we develop pitch matching and expressiveness through singing. We are learning about dynamics, tempo, and form through movement to music. We are playing percussion instruments as we discover the music language ( notes and symbols) and learning to listen and recognize other instrumental voices.
We will even begin to create our own music through playing, singing, and writing simple rhythms.
We are future noteworthy musicians!
General Music (2nd/3rd Gr.)W/ Robert Quijano Wednesday 4-5pm
A general music class for 2nd and 3rd grade students. The kids will dance, sing, and play along to selection of songs aimed at teaching them the fundamentals of music.
Into to Violin (4th Gr. and up) w/ Rachael Penn Wednesday 4-5pm
This beginner violin class is designed for students who are new to the instrument and excited to start making music. Students will learn the fundamentals of violin playing, including how to hold the instrument and bow, basic technique, simple melodies, and how to listen and play with others. Classes are supportive and engaging, with plenty of encouragement as students build confidence, develop good habits, and experience the joy of creating music together.
Elementary Choir (K-6th Gr.) w/ Jed Margolis Thursday 4-5pm
This beginner choir class introduces elementary students to the joy of singing together in a fun and supportive environment. Students will learn basic vocal skills such as breathing, pitch matching, rhythm, and how to sing as a group, while exploring songs that are engaging and age-appropriate. Through games, movement, and teamwork, young singers build confidence, develop listening skills, and discover the excitement of making music with others, with opportunities to share what they’ve learned in performances each semester.
Garage Band 101: (6th - 12th Gr.) w/ Harlan Kesson and Michael Virga Monday 4-5:30pm
Garage Band 102: (6th - 12th Gr.) w/ Harlan Kesson and Michael Virga Thursday 4:30-6:00pm
Ever wished you could be in a rock band? Now is your chance! The Garage Band class explores rock band instrumentation, performance techniques and functional teamwork in the most fun way possible: rocking out! Taught by two professional Musicians who are currently in bands themselves, the class offers a hands on approach to learning how to be in a band. We will learn contemporary music and the class will introduce students to the Nashville Numbers system.
By learning this system, students will learn to transpose any song to any key effortlessly and will learn how chords are constructed and how they relate to each other. This system leads naturally to learning to read and write notation but is a great starting point as it provides an easy to understand and execute foundation and makes learning, charting and transposing easily accessible to students right away. The only requirement to join this class is that you MUST be willing to sing if you want to be in Garage Band. We will do vocal warm-ups at the beginning of every class. We don’t require singing proficiency, but you have to be willing to try as this is such an important aspect of becoming a musician: it is essential for pitch recognition, interval recognition and relative pitch.