Music
every boy has a musical voice.
The strong Gilman music program opens boys' ears to music, its many genres, nuances and methods of creation, and gives them a lifelong gift of appreciation. Boys are offered a wealth of diverse opportunities to explore the kinesthetic, creative, collaborative, and just-plain-fun aspects of making music, mastering a musical instrument, collaborating with other students in a performance group, writing or arranging music for a vocal ensemble, or studying the development of Western music.
Lower School
LOWER SCHOOL MUSIC
Instruction in music begins with the very youngest boys. In pre-first and kindergarten, music is integrated into teaching, not as a separate class. Once the boys reach first grade, they begin to take music class. In the fifth grade, boys may choose whether to continue general music or begin to study a band instrument. Grades two through five present a grade level talent show each year. Every fifth grader sings in the chorus.
The philosophy and work of Zoltan Kodály, (1882-1967) Hungarian composer and music educator, provide the foundation for the Lower School vocal program. The boys develop musical skill in pitch, rhythm, form, and harmony and grow in competency in performance, literacy, and appreciation of folk and classical music. The program is designed to be sensitive to child development with particular attention to the emerging understanding of boys' learning styles, their natural strengths, and preferences.
Music Class
Middle School
MIDDLE SCHOOL music
Boys continue to take either general or instrumental music in each of their three years in that division; both general music and band are classes. In fact, in any given year, 70 to 80 percent of Middle School boys participate in a performance group.
The Middle School general music program seeks to build upon students' knowledge and understanding of the basic elements of music (timbre, rhythm, pitch, form, and dynamics) through interaction with musical creation and performance. In class, students play a variety of instruments, imitate the compositions of current and past musicians, integrate an assortment of cultural influences, read works from those with extensive musical careers and experiences, and produce original music in individual and group projects. Boys view each activity through the lens of World Music and American Music, and their goals are deliberately designed to aid students in building a community of intercultural conversation through the language of music. With sound as their guide, boys become musically-experienced advocates of diverse cultural expression.
Performance Experience
Upper School
UPPER SCHOOL music
All boys are required to take a music history course in the sophomore year as part of the humanities program. The tenth course aims to introduce students to major developments in Western art and music, coordinating with the History Department's chronological survey of European culture, the Art Department's survey of Western Art, and the English Department's survey of Western Literature. Western art and music are studied within the context of moral, political, and philosophical principles of each period in Western history, and the survey will take students from Gregorian Chant, through Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern music, all the way to contemporary music and jazz. The course will also introduce students to the fundamental elements of music, enabling students to listen to and to discuss music (whether it be "Classical" music or pop music of their choice) critically and analytically.
Those students who continue in vocal and instrumental music performance groups, either through classes or club activities, are young men who enjoy the study of music.
Continued Study
Music Instructors
Ariel Dechosa
Director of Music
After School Music Program
String Ensemble Director
adechosa@gilman.edu
Cheryl Nkeba
Upper School Music Coordinator
Jazz Ensemble Director
cnkeba@gilman.edu
Peter Lander
Middle and Upper School Band Director
plander@gilman.edu
Elizabeth Sesler-Beckman
Middle School Music Teacher
Middlemen Director
ebeckman@gilman.edu
Robby Ford
Glee Club Director
Traveling Men Director
rford@gilman.edu
Amy Cyman
Lower School Music Teacher
acyman@gilman.edu
Cheri McElroy
Lower School Music Teacher
cmcelroy@gilman.edu