We welcome you to the 12th and strangest year of the Whitney Young Guitar Program. Just to warn you up front: It’s hard to write a syllabus that will cover all the eventualities that may or may not happen this year! So some of this is a “goal” and some may or may not apply depending on the course of events. My motto for this year is “we’re doing our best!"
This guitar program is unique in that it is a rock/popular music-based curriculum, where students are encouraged to start their own bands, write music, solo, and learn to create their own guitar parts. There is a strong performance component to the curriculum. In the Spring it all pays off, where we strive to give the students an authentic rock-club performance experience with lights, fog, and professional sound reinforcement in front of large audiences - often selling out multiple shows.
The vast majority of the curriculum focuses on the heavy-lifting involved with playing guitar in a rock setting. In Beginning Honors Guitar you will learn the nuts and bolts (chords and scales etc) that guitarists use in rock music. You will also learn how songs work, the logic (theory) behind them, and to make your own musical choices when you play. In the Intermediate Honors Guitar you will be required to do a significant amount of home practicing. You will learn songwriting basics, expand your understanding of the theory that rock musicians use, as well as laying the groundwork for Advanced Honors Guitar by a deeper immersion into scale memorization & utilization, triad inversion and many other techniques. In Advanced Honors you will be required to do a significant amount of work practicing outside of class. You begin putting it all together, soloing and part-writing just like the pro guitarists do.
Every class essentially becomes its own rock band, with vocalists, bassists and drummers.
Mr. Jeff Peek (Guitar Program Director) MA, Mus Ed.,
Mr. Peek is entering his 12th year as the Guitar Program Director at Whitney M Young, and 22nd year as a music teacher. He performs regularly (although dramatically less-so lately) in many settings including rock, blues and jazz.
Help is available, most days, preferably by appointment. There’s always something going on so it helps to ask ahead to make sure I’m available.
Contact Mr. Jeff Peek:
Email: jjpeek@cps.edu
Phone: 773.534.7500 x23769
Social Media Presence:
Twitter: @WYoungGuitar
Facebook Page: @WhitneyYoungGuitar
Instagram: @wyoungguitar
Intermediate Honors and Advanced Honors students are required to have electric guitars, guitar picks, cables, spare strings and amps at home to practice. Especially during remote learning, this is critical. For eventual classroom use you will bring a cable and guitar strap, labeled with your name. Advanced Honors Guitar (2nd year students and above) will be working extensively with electric guitars in class.
Beginning Guitar: We will be attempting to make a guitar and pick available to everyone who does not already have one. During remote learning we will be asking as many as are able to purchase their own affordable guitar. Note: everyone who is able and knows how to play should have at least one guitar! And we'll do everything we can to help in situations where this is not possible.
A folder for all students for handouts and assignments. For both remote and in-person. Many documents will be posted on Google Classroom or Google Drive, and you may be required to print them out (unless provided in class) and file in your notebook.
Intermediate and Advanced students are required to have their WY guitar books from last year. You are required to have YOUR book and all handouts in class, whether remote or in person. You may share a book on a music stand, but still have yours at hand. You may not leave your books or supplies in the classroom. Make sure your name is in the book and your folder. You are responsible for your book, folder, cables, straps etc etc in all circumstances.
Note about fingernail length: It’s critical that the fretting hand (the hand that makes chords etc – usually the left hand) has short nails. Since you use your fingertips, you can’t fret properly with a long nail attached to your fingertip. I know, and understand/empathize, that this is an issue for some students. But there’s no way around it – you can’t play a fretted instrument with long nails on your fretting (usually left) hand.
One fee covers both your book and your uniform (which is mostly just a black WY Guitar tshirt). Two for one! You will keep both. This will be due at some point after we return to in-person instruction. You receive credit in class for completion. You must keep your text/email receipt to verify payment. Easy “A,” just don’t lose your receipt!
This is the 5th year we will be using books created specifically for the Whitney Young Guitar Program.
We need T Shirt designs for this year ASAP!! We’d like to get the tshirts printed and in students' hands by October.
We will continue to pursue ways to acquire the funds necessary to maintain and grow a program that effectively serves its primary educational purpose. The past year’s fundraisers were very popular. We are still determining what this year’s fundraiser will be.
Participation from every student is critical, and therefore required.
It's gross to watch other people eat. Oh, and if you don't mute your microphone, then we all get to hear you chew as well. BONUS!
Beginning Honors Guitar
This course is intended for students with little or no previous experience playing guitar. Students will learn songs, fundamental chords and scales, playing techniques, soloing, songwriting, musicianship, as well as some basics in soloing. Beginning Honors students will perform in the Winter Guitar Jam Session and The Spring Guitar Showcase. To really learn how to play the guitar, you will need to practice regularly outside of class, on your own. A home guitar is not a requirement, but is highly recommended to become proficient. You may also check out guitars overnight from Whitney Young.
Intermediate Honors Guitar
Intermediate Honors Guitar is for students who have taken Beginning Guitar or who have demonstrated sufficient knowledge and playing ability to skip Beginning Guitar. Students are required to audition to proceed to this level. To be approved students must have distantly demonstrated the ability to follow basic classroom guidelines, rules and instruction in Beginning Honors. Intermediate Guitar will focus on more advanced theory, chords, chord theory, scales, soloing and songwriting. While the class is very popular and students find the class run and rewarding, grading can be strict and severe. Students will play electric guitars and are required to bring their own cables and straps. An electric guitar/amp at home is required.
Advanced Honors Guitar:
Advanced Honors Guitar students have completed Beginning, and Intermediate Guitar and are ready to receive advanced credit, but are not able to fit the Advanced Performance class into their schedule, or for whom the Performance level class isn’t a best fit given their class load and other commitments. Advanced Guitar is sometimes held in the same periods as Intermediate Guitar and performs some material with them in the concerts. Advanced students receive independent assignments and projects to prepare them for Advanced Performance if they wish to audition for that section the following year.
Weighting
Participation (Decorum) 30%
Assessments (Quizzes etc) 40%
Performance in Concerts 10%
Final Exam (incl. Coursework/Projects) 20%
Grading Scale
90% and above: A
80% B
70% C
60% D
Under 60% F
Classroom Decorum (30%)
The classroom decorum grade is an assessment of the student’s daily behavior and practice skills. Students who focus on the task at hand almost always do exceptionally well, and those who do not will almost always negatively impact not just their own progress, but the entire class. With this in mind, each week you will be allocated 3 decorum points. One point is deducted each time classroom decorum expectations are not met. Early on,if you lose decorum points before you have accrued several weeks worth, it can dramatically lower your grade - temporarily. Each week you accrue 3 more points - so over time it will rise.
You may not ask about decorum deductions during class, but I welcome the discussions during preps, by email, and after school.
Sample of Common Infractions:
Punctuality and preparation (being tardy etc)
Sit in assigned seat. Getting up and putting guitar away early without permission etc.
Instrument, music and equipment care.
Eating/drinking in class.
Professionalism (especially during the concert seasons).
Participation and focus (self-control)
In the unlikely event that no decorum points remain in the Classroom Decorum weighting category, deductions will be made from the overall grade points.
You may not ask about your decorum during class. (See above)
Students who receive 3 or more decorum deduction in a semester will not be eligible for promotion to higher levels or to remain in existing level (Ex: From Beginning to Intermediate, or more commonly Intermediate Honors to the Advanced Honors Performance Ensemble. If a student is in the highest Performance level, they will be ineligible to audition back in at that highest level)
Use of the guitar facilities outside of class will be suspended for the semester, at a minimum.
Continued deductions can result in seat work being given in lieu of playing the instrument.
After 3 decorum deductions, they will double in weight (from 1 point to 2)
*Parents please monitor progress regularly on Gradebook. To avoid disruption and lost classroom instructional time for the other 39 students, decorum deductions will not always be announced at the time it takes place. It will be posted on Gradebook promptly.
Quizzes (45%)
Performance and written quizzes to assess your progress will be given regularly.
Surprise binder checks take place regularly. Come prepared to learn with all materials needed for class.
Performance and Written Exams (20%)
Each semester will end with an exam. Key sections of each exam need to be passed to earn “Completion Credit” for the final exam portion of their grade. Typically the sight-reading and CAGED/Scales/Mode performance tasks require a grade of “B” or better per task to earn Completion Credit.
For students who practice regularly at home for small amounts of time over the course of the year will almost always blow through the finals with ease. It’s designed to catch students who don’t practice, and to motivate them all throughout the year to learn things they will use throughout their lives if they continue to play – and that most guitarists fail to learn. At Whitney Young Guitar, we learn how to really play rock/pop and blues guitar. Not just rote-learn songs and play them on stage.
Note: Due to remote learning, a lot of this is up in the air.
Below is a list of the required performances and other important dates for the upcoming year. Please be aware that over the course of the year that a mandatory performance can be added, and exact times of existing events may be modified.
To be excused from an added performance, set up a meeting with Mr. Peek and your parents/guardians 1 MONTH prior to the performance date.
You have until Parent Night to report any standing conflicts with the mandatory dates on the syllabus. Inform your parents of all performance obligations. Put them in your family calendar now!
For dress, you will wear the guitar program t-shirt, along with dark/black jeans and dark shoes. No light/white shoes or socks or bright flashy clothes.
Arrive on time and in complete and correct dress.
Stay for the entire performance. One of the most important things we do as musicians and students is provide support and encouragement for our peers as they perform. As an added bonus, we get to learn more about music by observing our peers. And if that were not enough, it is also a grievous breach of concert etiquette to excuse yourself in the middle of the performance. Consequently, attendance will be taken at the end of concerts.
Attendance in regularly scheduled class is mandatory for the 5 days preceding concerts, as well as the concert days themselves.
Athletic conflicts are common. You are responsible for letting me know as soon as possible about conflicts due advancing in tournaments etc. Your coach will have to speak with me and we will work it out on a case-by-case basis.
Note about concert rehearsals: You must be silent and focused during the concert and related rehearsals. Infractions will result in a serious grade reduction for all students involved. If you are ejected from a concert rehearsal, it will result in an unexcused absence from the concert and a grade deduction.
(note that with COVID, these plans may change)
Sunday Oct. 18th, Whitney Young Open House From approx. 12pm through @5pm (CANCELLED)
Monday November 30th through December 4th, Guitar Concert Tech ALL CLASSES. During the regularly scheduled school day. Advanced Performance Honors after school tech rehearsals until 5:30pm
Friday December 4th, Winter Guitar Jam Session (Concert) *. ALL CLASSES. Call time 5pm, Tech rehearsal after school until 5:00 or 5:30, with the show(s) starting at approximately 6pm. (There may be two shows, 6pm and 8pm) Also rehearsals during regularly scheduled class-time.
Monday Dec. 14th – 16th. WY Holiday Concert Rehearsal: Advanced Guitar and the entire WY Perf Arts programs, during the regularly scheduled school day.
Wednesday Dec. 16th WY Holiday Concert Top Group. Exact times TBA, usually 7pm. There is sometimes an in-school performance. In-school classroom rehearsals also during the day.
Sunday April 25th: Help clear stage, and/or begin guitar setup for the showcase tech week.
Monday April 26th through Friday April 30th, Spring Guitar Concert Tech Rehearsal. ALL CLASSES. During the regularly scheduled school day and after school tech rehearsal for specified classes until 5:30pm. The after-school component varies, and we will know more as we approach the concert. You may not miss regular classes for any reason during tech week, unless it is cleared in advance with Mr. Peek.
Friday April 30th, Whitney M Young 2020 Spring Guitar Showcase* ALL CLASSES. 2 shows. Times TBA, but usually 6pm show and 8pm. Tech rehearsal after school until 5:30, with professional PA system etc. Also rehearsals during regularly scheduled class-time.
Please note that with COVID, these plans may change.
1. Monday November 30th through December 4th, Guitar Concert Tech ALL CLASSES. During the regularly scheduled school day. Advanced Performance Honors after school tech rehearsals until 5:30pm
Friday December 4th, Winter Guitar Jam Session (Concert) *. ALL CLASSES. Call time 5pm, Tech rehearsal after school until 5:00 or 5:30, with the show(s) starting at approximately 6pm. (There may be two shows, 6pm and 8pm) Also rehearsals during regularly scheduled class-time.
Sunday April 25th: Help clear stage, and/or begin guitar setup for the showcase tech week.
Monday April 26th through Friday April 30th, Spring Guitar Concert Tech Rehearsal. ALL CLASSES. During the regularly scheduled school day and after school tech rehearsal for specified classes until 5:30pm. IF after school, these will be announced in advance. The after-school component varies, and we will know more as we approach the concert. You may not miss regular classes for any reason during tech week, unless it is cleared in advance with Mr. Peek.
Friday April 30th, Whitney M Young 2020 Spring Guitar Showcase* ALL CLASSES. 2 shows. Times TBA, but usually 6pm show and 8pm. Tech rehearsal after school until 5:30, with professional PA system etc. Also rehearsals during regularly scheduled class-time.
We will make all attempts to accommodate emergencies and conflicts