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AP Music Theory: Getting Started
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by David Lockart
supervisor of music education
North Hunterdon Voorhees School District
Annandale, New Jersey
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| | Increasing Musical Competence and Confidence
As educational standards are being raised in schools, the implementation of AP Music Theory in your school may be timely and integral to the goals of your AP program. The benefits of this course are many and difficult to ignore.
As music educators, we care about the musical quality of our ensembles as well as the musicianship of the students within the ensembles. Singers and players who take AP Music Theory benefit from improved musical skills. They read better and possess a much greater understanding of the musical score that directly benefits our ensembles. Additional benefits to students include the development of musical leadership and greater aesthetic appreciation. Students who score well on the AP Exam may earn advanced standing in college music programs and/or college credits. Not only will your students compete evenly with those in schools that currently teach AP Music Theory, but they will enter college at or above the musical level of many of their peers. College music programs value the AP Music Theory course because it sends them students with a higher level of musical competence and confidence.
Ready or Not?
Whether your school is public, private, or parochial, there are several preexisting conditions that should be considered when adding AP Music Theory to the curriculum. First, your school should have a fairly healthy music program that provides a viable pool of students for the AP Music Theory course. Second, the school should have a music teacher who appreciates the value that AP Music Theory might provide to the students and the program and has the time to devote to prepping the extra class. Finally, the school administration must support the Advanced Placement Program.
Staffing and scheduling must also be considered. Some schools have existing music theory programs that can be easily transformed into the AP Music Theory course. If not, your school should have administrative support with regard to schedule and staffing so that the program can accommodate the addition of the course. Students will need enough room in their schedules during one school year (preferably their junior or senior year) to allow them to take a second music class, as most will not want to give up their ensemble participation.
The obvious first step for the AP teacher is to understand the scope and sequence of the course material. One common obstacle many face is a lack of confidence in their own theory or aural skills. Though it cannot be denied that a learning curve exists for all teachers venturing into new courses, the skills required for teaching AP Music Theory are well within the capabilities of any professional musician. Most experienced AP teachers relish the academic rigor the course demands of both teacher and student. Finding out about the course can easily be accomplished through several methods: by attending a summer institute or AP conference; by gaining an overview of the course through materials found at this AP Central Web site, such as the Course Description, teaching strategies articles, exam samples and commentary, and teacher resource reviews; or by studying the AP Music Theory Teacher's Guide, available for a nominal cost from the College Board.
Next Steps
Once you have determined that the goal is to implement the class, the next step is to manage the administrative requirements for establishing a new course. Initially, provide a course description and a sample syllabus to the administrator responsible for curriculum. Plan to meet with the administration to explain the program and discuss the implementation schedule. Your administration will probably ask for your help in providing materials for board consideration and approval. Consider costs for implementing the course, which will include a textbook, supplementary materials, and a collection of musical examples.
When approved, you should then begin planning for enrollments. If you have a minimum enrollment requirement for the course to be offered, you might consider taking any and all interested students, with lesser concern for how well your class scores on the exam in the first year or two. Speak to individual students who you know are good musicians and extol to them the virtues of the course. Some students might be tentative about enrolling, due to the "AP" title. Assure students that they will be significantly advantaged having taken the course, even if they might struggle with certain skills. Encourage student musicians who may not be in your program to consider enrolling. These may include pianists, rock or pop musicians, or anyone with an interest in composition.
With enrollment figures in, you can determine the quantity of materials you might wish to use in your course. There are many texts and supplementary materials to choose from. Reviews and descriptions written by AP teachers and college music theory faculty can be found on the AP Central Web site. As previously mentioned, you may enjoy enrolling in a summer institute or workshop in your area. These are also listed on the AP Central Web site.
It may take a year or two to fully grasp the course material and learn to present it in a sequentially logical and clearly understood manner. In those first couple of classes, you may be aware that students are teaching you as much as you are teaching them. In the beginning, do not worry about your students' results on the AP Examination. The goal is to establish the course and to make it viable. Once established, you will soon learn both the joy of teaching AP Music Theory and the tremendous benefit it will have for your students, your ensembles, and your curriculum.
David R. Lockart is the supervisor of music education at the North Hunterdon Voorhees School District in New Jersey. He teaches AP Music Theory, choral music, and voice. A member of the AP Music Theory Development Committee from 1998 to 2002, and a recipient of the AP Music Theory Award of Recognition, David has served as an Exam Reader and lecturer for the College Board since 1992. His compositions are published by Cantate Music Press.
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