About Our Program
The music program at MAT provides a comprehensive and dynamic music experience to hundreds of students each year. Unlike some city school programs that offer only a limited introduction to music education, the MAT music program ensures that each student has a firm grounding in music theory, instrumental technique, performance skills, and music history. Students learn advanced techniques in reading notes and counting rhythms, and will learn to play their instruments at a young professional level. By the time our students reach the 8th grade, several of them play well enough to successfully audition for many of NYC's most prestigious music/arts high schools. Regardless of whether MAT students choose to continue to be instrumentalists, all of them leave MAT with a rich appreciation and deeper understanding of music's ability to enrich their lives and communities.
Students can choose to join the Concert Band or Percussion Ensemble programs as their 3-year "major" course of study. The Concert Band instruments are: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone horn, and tuba. The Percussion Ensemble students learn to play basic orchestral percussion instruments including snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbals, xylophone and other mallet percussion instruments. Both of these groups give public performances throughout the year.
For students seeking the opportunity to play even more challenging music, they can audition for the Advanced Band (a Concert Band made up of the top 6th-8th students that meets twice weekly before school), and the Jazz Lab (a jazz combo for 8th-graders focusing on improvised music that meets twice weekly after school).
ENSEMBLE DESCRIPTIONS
Concert Band (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays / 6th-8th grades)
This course is a class for wind ensemble students. Students learn advanced techniques in reading notes and counting rhythms, but also learn to play their instrument "by ear." The main emphasis is on performance and ensemble (group) skills. Students learn music vocabulary and terms. Students learn to play their instrument in tune and blend and balance with other students. Students listen to and analyze band and classical literature. Students learn scales, technical exercises, and concert selections. Public performance is an integral part of this class.
Percussion (Thursdays & Fridays / 6th-8th grades)
This course is a class for percussion ensemble students. Students learn advanced techniques in reading notes and counting rhythms, but also learn to play their instrument "by ear." The main emphasis is on performance and ensemble (group) skills. Students learn music vocabulary and terms. Students learn to play basic orchestral percussion instruments including snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbals, xylophone and other mallet percussion instruments. A major focus of this class will be on snare drum rudiments, keyboard instrument note-reading, and correct technique for all percussive instruments. Public performance is an integral part of this class.
Advanced Band (Wednesdays before school, Thursdays after school / 7th-8th grades)
This is an audition-only concert band made up of the HARDEST WORKING band students, regardless of grade. They serve several functions throughout the year, acting as the basketball band (pep tunes), learning more challenging music to perform at concerts, experimenting with modern styles (movie soundtracks, programmatic music, jazz, pop), and performing at the 8th Grade Promotion ceremony in June.
6th-grade students may only audition for this group if they ALREADY play an instrument. If they're learning an instrument for the first time in my class, they should wait for their 7th-grade year to audition. In other words, no beginning musicians can participate in this group.
Jazz Lab (Tuesday & Wednesday after school, 3-4PM / 8th-grade students only)
This is our most advanced group, focusing on improvisation and jazz/blues/world music styles. Jazz Lab is typically small, and members are expected to play their instruments at a high level. It's also the most publicly visible group, performing at a variety of community events and at clubs around the city.