Music

The Upper School Music curriculum builds and expands on the strong foundational skills that students develop in Middle School. By learning to play the ukulele, students gain an understanding of music that allows them to recognize, melody, theme, and structure. Students explore arrangement and composing through the use of glockenspiels, xylophones, and percussion instruments. As more age-appropriate skills are introduced, care is taken to make sure that new students, whose former music experience might be limited, are assisted and prepared to move forward. From there, students are able to explore more advanced courses that explore, analyze, and perform sophisticated musical pieces.

List of 5 items.

  • Ukulele

    In this participatory music course, students learn how to play ukulele from the very beginning or build on what they have already learned, exploring chord progressions, strumming patterns, playing techniques, learning how to play different pop songs, as well as singing while accompanying themselves on ukulele.
  • American Musical Theater

    In this study of the art form of musical theatre, students explore the answers to the following questions: What is a musical? What are the elements that go into making a musical? How does a creative team develop the book/music/lyrics? How do those elements work together to create a piece of art? What is the story being told and how is it conveyed on the stage? What makes a musical work or not work? Why are some musicals successful box-office hits while others are flops that last only a few performances? Students also study the classic musicals of the past (e.g. The Sound of Music, The Music Man, etc.) as well as contemporary musicals of today.
  • Music Performance Ensemble

    In this intermediate music course, students begin by examining musical arrangement—how songs are structured and constructed. They then work in small and large ensembles, playing xylophones, glockenspiels, piano, guitar, ukulele, and percussion instruments to explore how multiple instruments come together to form a cohesive whole. Emphasis is placed on composing as a group and working toward performing both existing and original compositions.
  • Music in Film

    In this music appreciation course, students find an introduction as well as an in-depth exploration of the art of film scoring: original music written specifically to accompany a film. Students will investigate the aesthetic relationship between film and music and discuss the many functions of film music with analysis of its most effective application to dramatic situations. This course also explores the work and careers of influential film composers who have had an extraordinary impact on the art of film scoring.
  • Piano Lab

    This course offers beginner and intermediate piano players a classroom laboratory to learn the basics of playing piano or continue to hone their piano playing skills. Students will benefit from both one-on-one and group instruction as they play individual keyboards to improve their skills and to practice for performance opportunities.

The Kew-Forest School

119-17 Union Turnpike
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 268-4667
The oldest independent school in the borough of Queens, The Kew-Forest School is an independent co-educational, college preparatory school for students in Preschool through Grade 12.