Music
Solebury School offers a comprehensive music program that includes Chorus, Instrumental Ensemble, Jazz and Blues Ensemble, as well as private music lessons on campus. In addition, music electives are offered during our Arts elective times. These electives include Multicultural Music, Twentieth-Century Music, Music Theory and Music History. The Introduction to the Arts course for middle school students includes a semester of music theory and performance.
Our music students perform for the school community four times during the year, and also have the opportunity to perform in several other venues.
Chorus
Director: Phyllis Arnold
Many students who have never sung a note find enjoyment in singing with the chorus and trying something new. Students are encouraged to learn how to read music and understand intervals during warm ups. They then learn new music in small group sectional rehearsals and come together at least once a week to practice as a whole chorus. The chorus has many opportunities to perform live, in venues such as the Trenton Thunder games, the Lambertville Winter Festival, Cabaret Night, Solebury School Graduation and four concerts at the school, all of which are open to the public. The program is choral-based, with emphasis on a full harmonic sound. Several students have been selected for Bucks County Music Educator’s Association County Chorus over the last six years. In addition, several of our alumni have gone on to study music in college.
Instrumental Ensemble
Director: Gregory Lipscomb
This course provides students, who already read music and have a firm grasp of their instrument (violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, or piano), with an opportunity to play with other musicians. Students meet at least three times a week either with the combined strings/flute ensemble or with a smaller group to practice duets and trios. Students perform at four on-campus concerts each year. They are also asked to perform at a variety of other functions throughout the year.
Students are expected to stretch themselves musically, and to develop sight-reading and ear training skills. Although we welcome students of varying ability levels, this course is not set up to provide instruction in any particular instrument, nor is it meant to take the place of private lessons. Students are expected to learn some basic music theory and simple composition.
Jazz and Blues Improvisation
Director: James Rowland
This class offers a hands-on approach to the playing of jazz and blues music. Scales and rhythms are emphasized early in the course. Once this is mastered, the focus shifts to style and study of transcriptions of well-known works by soloists in the jazz and blues traditions (Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Robert Johnson, etc.). Students perform in live concert situations at least four times during the school year.
Private Music Lessons
As a service to students, the music department has arranged for outside music teachers to come to Solebury School to provide private lessons for students. These lessons are at the students' expense and are scheduled during the students' free periods and after school. At the moment, lessons are offered in piano, voice, trumpet, flute, violin, viola, guitar, bass guitar, string bass, saxophone, and drums. A list of music instructors is available upon request.
