Performances + Events
NEC Prep Classes
Imagination begins at NEC Prep.
NEC Prep empowers infants to 18-year-olds to learn and grow as musicians. With robust resources, world-class faculty, and a supportive community, classes prepare students for a lifelong relationship with music.
Piano Seminars
NEC Prep’s Piano Seminars, led by Angel Ramon Rivera and Konstantinos Papadakis, offer spaces for pianists to interact in a group setting to learn and perform together. Students develop their skills through frequent recitals, special projects, guest speakers, and master classes within each level.
Open by audition to students in the crucial transition to the Intermediate Piano Seminars. Emphasis on technical development and development of good practice habits, musical literacy, reading skills, and practical memorization skills. The students in this seminar are typically 10-12 years old. The year-long course includes frequent in-class performances, master classes, and one class recital per semester. Eligibility: Students must be playing repertoire at the level of Bach’s Little Preludes and 2 Part Inventions as well assonatinas by Clementi, Diabelli and Kuhlau, in addition to scales and arpeggios.
Open by audition to intermediate piano students. Most students in the seminar are ages 10-13. A weekly program of masterclasses, lectures, guest speakers, and art events of interest provides this age group with the opportunity for activities and discussions appropriate to their musical development. Special performance projects are an integral part of the curriculum. At least one recital per semester.
Open by audition to intermediate piano students. Most students in the seminar are ages 10-13. A weekly program of masterclasses, lectures, guest speakers, and art events of interest provides this age group with the opportunity for activities and discussions appropriate to their musical development. Special performance projects are an integral part of the curriculum. At least one recital per semester.
Open by audition to advanced piano students. The seminar is designed to enrich existing keyboard knowledge and performance skills. The class includes guest performers and speakers each week in related arts fields (poetry, graphic arts, other instrumental disciplines) in addition to guest keyboard artists and participating members of the Preparatory School piano faculty. The format includes master classes, lectures, and discussions. Public performances include group recitals and participation in the Festival of Contemporary Music. This course is required for Level IV Certificate piano students. Eligibility: Students must be performing repertoire at the level of Bach Preludes and Fugues Books 1 and 2.
To sight read means to look at a piece for the first time and play it through without stopping. It is a skill that can be improved with practice. In this class, students will be presented with new pieces each week to analyze and learn. Emphasis will be placed on reading ahead, internalizing the rhythm, being aware of other parts (for ensemble pieces), and choosing which notes are most important. Students will be tested on scales, arpeggios, chords, and analytic musical terms. Interested students should be fully comfortable reading the grand staff and have studied (or will be studying this year) Music Theory II or above. Students should be playing repertoire at PLE II or above. This is a one-semester class and is a requirement for Certificate Level II in Piano. An audition is required.
Theory
NEC Prep’s dynamic Music Theory department combines theory and practice. For younger students at earlier levels, theory studies reinforce critical musicianship skills that they encounter in their private lessons: scales, intervals, key signatures, chords, notated rhythms, and note reading in multiple clefs.
Students advancing through the upper levels of theory learn how to write tonal music using common practice harmony and counterpoint rules. Through analytical work, they interpret complete pieces that inform their performances of their own lesson repertoire. Students who successfully complete the upper-level music theory courses are more apt to perform well on the AP Music Theory Exam and often place out of the first year of conservatory/collegiate music theory and musicianship requirements, allowing them to focus on more advanced music theory studies and other musical electives.
Focusing on mastering the fundamentals of reading and hearing, analysis, and writing, the first level of music theory directly supports beginning instrumental study. Mastery of the skills and concepts in Level I result in fluency in the following areas: reading of treble and bass clefs; key signatures; interval content of major and minor scales; relative minor and relative major scale relationships; conducting beat patterns of 2, 3, and 4 while singing; division of the beat into 2, 3, and 4 parts; tonic and dominant chords in all major and minor keys. Writing and composition assignments build on students’ growing mastery of theoretical concepts, music reading, and ear training skills. Analysis work, whenever possible and appropriate, is based on pieces students are studying in their lessons.
Music Theory Level II builds upon the skills, activities, and concepts of Level I. Students continue to develop their reading skills with more challenging melodies in treble and bass clefs and extend the scope of their literacy by learning to read alto clef. Classes in Level II stress the skills and concepts required to quickly identify, recognize, and perform the following: intervals; qualities and functions of triads within a key; fundamentals of figured bass including root position, inversions, and dominant seventh chords; non-harmonic tones, including: passing tones, neighbor tones, suspensions; cadences, including authentic, half, and deceptive; and modulation. Whenever appropriate, analysis work is based on pieces students are studying in their lessons. Prerequisite: Completion of Music Theory Level I-1 and Level I-2.
See above for Music Theory Level I course description. Theory for Teens covers the same material as Level I and Level II, but in one year instead of the two years needed for younger students.
Stephen Savage, Instructor | Thursday, 6:00-7:00 pm (Remote – offered via Zoom)
Margaret McAllister, Instructor | Saturday, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
See above for Music Theory Level II course description. Theory for Teens covers the same material as Level I and Level II, but in one year instead of the two years needed for younger students.
Ian Wiese, Instructor | Saturday, 1:00-2:00 pm
Stephen Savage, Instructor | Thursday, 5:00-6:00 PM (Remote – offered via Zoom)
This course is devoted to developing a high level of reading skill through the use of fixed-do solmization. Emphasis is placed on fluent sight-reading in three clefs: treble, bass, and alto. Appropriate harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic dictation will be given weekly, as will prepared performances from the course texts. Prerequisite: Completion of Music Theory Level II-2.
This course focuses on part writing and figured-bass realization. Harmonic progressions and voice-leading are practiced through four-part (SATB) realizations of figured basses. Students will realize figured-bass lines at the piano and be introduced to common harmonic progressions. Harmonic vocabulary includes triads in root position, inversions, seventh chords, diatonic modulations, secondary dominants, mode mixture, augmented sixths, and the Neapolitan chord. Fundamentals of species counterpoint are introduced. Singing and harmonic dictation will develop and reinforce aural skills. Prerequisite: Completion of Music Theory Level II-2.
This course provides opportunities for students to practice a variety of analytical approaches to the problems of interpretation. The class focuses on specific compositions by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Lectures are supported by appropriate readings. Different recorded performances of single works are compared and critiqued. Prerequisites: Completion of Performance Level Evaluation III, Proficiency in Roman numeral analysis, principles of two-and three-voice species counterpoint, and figured bass realization. Completion of Music Theory Level III-2.
This course integrates advanced musicianship studies with an investigation of 20th-century musical materials. Students sing atonal melodies and dictation in two and more parts. Fluency in five clefs (treble, bass, alto, tenor, and soprano) is demonstrated through performance of Bach chorales in open score and sight-transposition of orchestral scores. Rhythmic notation and polyrhythms are also featured. Prerequisites: Completion of Music Theory Level III-1.
The online AP theory music course is designed for students preparing to take the AP theory exam in May. The course will cover major and minor scales/key relationships, intervals, triads and seventh chords and their inversions, four-part voice leading, form and analysis, and ear training exercises. Students will ideally have completed NEC Prep Level 1 and Level 2 theory courses or the equivalent.
Composition
The Composition Department offers students a variety of ways to explore their interests in music composition. For older students, as well as younger students with more experience, there is the Composition Seminar, which includes students from a large age range, develops the student’s ability to think about composition in cooperation with their peers in serious ways, and creates a community of composers. Composition classes do not have a music theory prerequisite; all of them aim to meet the student at their level of interest and expertise and move from there. Private instruction is also available for students looking for more individual attention, and student composers interested in an organized, developed curriculum can participate in the Certificate Program.
This class gives students the opportunity to develop technique in original composition. Compositions are performed and discussed in class. Performances of student compositions are arranged at workshops and student composition recitals.
This class will give students an introduction to making music with computers. They will learn the basics of working with a DAW (digital audio workstation) so that they can begin creating their own music digitally. The class will also include basic instruction in using recording equipment such as audio interfaces, microphones, and speakers. Additionally, students will be introduced to the basic theory, technical components, and physics of electronic music and sound, which will help to begin creating a solid foundation for further exploration of other audio tools and coding languages in the future.
Students will be exposed to music ranging from experimental, contemporary classical, dance, hip-hop, techno, pop, ambient, musique concrète, and noise. Musical examples will span the early 20th century to today. The students will spend time creating both music of a more experienetial and free-flowing variety and also music that is beat-based and in a more popular idiom as well in various assignments. By the end of the class, students are welcome to make music in whatever style they are inspired by or drawn to for their final project.
Contemporary Musical Arts
In the Contemporary Musical Arts (CMA) Department, students develop their musical creativity while immersing themselves in different improvisational traditions based in World Music and Contemporary Rock. CMA faculty teach the groundwork that students need in aural skills, vocal and instrumental technique, conceptual ideas, and interdisciplinary collaborations – everything required to become a composer/performer/improviser of the 21st century. The CMA Department supports the individual voices of its students and invites them into a vibrant and supportive musical community to push the boundaries of genre and style to innovate and create. Private lessons of 30, 45, and 60 minutes are offered for students of all levels.
CMA ensembles consist of a coach and 3-5 students. The coach functions as a band member, bandleader, and arranger, so students are playing with a professional musician for each rehearsal and performance. Each ensemble has a drummer, a bassist, a chordal instrument (piano and/or guitar) and various melodic instruments (winds, brass, voice, strings, pitched percussion). Students are also encouraged to suggest pieces, compose and arrange for these ensembles if they are interested.
Electives
Open to students ages 12-18, this full-year course provides singers with an introduction to the lyric diction skills necessary for polishing their performance in German, Italian, and French. It will include a study of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as well as practical application of the language skills toward singing performance.
Mindfulness and Ease in Performing. Open to students age 11 and up. Have you experienced tension/pain/fatigue/performance anxiety while playing your instrument or singing? In this class, you will learn tools that will help you find more freedom of movement, ease, and joy in your performance. This class will address how performance anxiety affects the whole body: the mind gets cloudy and the body gets tense: not a good combination for a good performance! We will learn tools to feel more grounded and centered so we can function with more ease. We will work on specific mindfulness techniques for musicians which help develop the awareness of how we use our body in our playing and help change habits that cause tension and pain. In this experiential workshop, we will learn how we usually interfere with the body’s natural alignment and coordination and how to bring ourselves into a more centered, balanced, and a freer way to play and sing. The class will be part lecture, awareness exercises, and performing. For more than 100 years the Alexander Technique has helped musicians, actors, dancers, athletes and others get rid of unnecessary tensions and perform with ease and enjoyment.
Eurhythmics is a study of music through movement and is based on the interaction of the ear, mind, and body. Classes nurture the imagination while encouraging musical exploration and the understanding of musical concepts and skills. Currently offered for ages 6-10, students discover the body as a uniquely expressive musical instrument. Eurhythmics classes are recommended as preparation for instrumental study as well as a complementary music theory component in the early years of private instrumental instruction. Classes are taught through games, problem solving, and improvisations that focus on ear training, musicianship, and music fundamentals such as rhythm, meter, tempo, form, melody, articulation, phrase, dynamics, texture, and notation, drawn from a broad variety of musical traditions. Students will be placed in a leveled sequence of classes, based on age, ability and experience. Placement is at the discretion of the instructor.
This course covers beginning and intermediate oboe reed making from cane selection, shaping, and tying, to the proper scraping and balancing of reeds. Students provide their own reed tools and cane.
Do you know that all the great composers we know, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven… they all used to make music on the spot, a.k.a improvise? Somehow the art of “play” got lost in history. Now is the chance for your child to be among the chosen “select few” in a revolutionary Classical Band that will perform and improvise, just like what Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven did back in the day, plus with theatrical elements of acting, comedy, flash mob, performing to audience given notes, and most important, fun!
Early Childhood
Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) is for infants and young children, ages 0-3 years old, and their caregiver. An excellent introduction to Suzuki early childhood methods. In SECE, students and their caregivers attend a weekly music and movement group class where they develop rhythmic and melodic awareness, and learn through interacting with other children. The repertoire for the class includes traditional lullabies, action songs, poetry, and nursery rhymes. Students hear and have the opportunity to play percussion instruments such as glockenspiel, triangle, drum, xylophone, and shakers. Attention, gross and fine motor skills, pitch and rhythmic skills, and musical vocabulary are all developed in this course. Because of the skills they master in Suzuki Early Childhood Education, most children in the program are ready to begin instrumental studies at a very young age.
Twinklegarten is intended for young pre-instrumental and choral students, ages 3-5, and their caregivers. While there is no prerequisite or additional study required for this course, Twinklegarten serves as an ideal continuation for students who have been through one or more years of Suzuki Early Childhood Education and are turning 4 during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Twinklegarten combines elements from early childhood music education with the skill-building that will support an instrumental or choral path. Twinklegarten students use their voices, play instruments, move their bodies, try out tongue twisters, and tell stories, all while building skills to get them ready for their next steps in music. The course will focus on musical skills such as rhythmic and melodic understanding, social interaction, being part of an ensemble, listening, and pre-instrumental gross and fine motor skills. Using a wide variety of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, Twinklegarten students will learn to sing and accompany familiar and new melodies. They will explore playful music-making, with opportunities for expression, using both ensemble training and creative improvisation.
Music Discovery for Little Penguins is the perfect weekday after-school class for your child (ages 4-6) to explore their interests in singing, creative movement and instrument play in a joyful, experiential group setting. In this piano-accompanied class, students will sing songs and chants in a variety of tonalities and meters, in different languages and styles, with a focus on folk music from around the world. Singing will be supported by movement activities and games, and pitched and unpitched percussion instruments. Students will develop their vocal, social, and fine and gross motor skills while learning the foundations of musical literacy and ear-training through solfege and rhythm syllables. As your child reaches exciting, new musical milestones, this class will encourage active participation and self-expression, building a strong musical foundation for individual and ensemble music-making. Each semester will include special guest musicians from the NEC community, and will end in an informal performance to share with families the skills and songs they have learned. This after-school class complements Saturday programming, including Preparatory Chorus (pre-K to grade 1), Twinklegarten, and other offerings for early learners.
Embark on a musical journey with Musical Explorers, an elective course open to young musicians eager to experience NEC Prep’s diverse programs. Over the course of a year, students in grades K-2 (with potential expansion) will delve into Orchestral Strings, Suzuki Brass, Jazz Woodwinds, Piano, CMA Ukulele and Percussion, and Voice, guided by NEC’s esteemed faculty specializing in young learners. Supported by NEC Teaching Fellow Students and offered on scholarship or through regular enrollment, this exploration aims to introduce students to various disciplines, paving the way for further studies in Suzuki Private lessons, Private Brass Lessons, Jazz Woodwind Lessons, Piano, CMA, and Children’s Chorus. This class will buzz with creativity as students refine their skills in preparation for open classes, inviting parents to witness their musical growth. With tailored support from teaching fellows, this program ensures inclusivity and personalized instruction, fostering a love for music from the very beginning.
This class is for beginning and young Suzuki brass students and the practicing parent. It is crucial for students and parents to learn to work together, as well as lay the foundation for setting up proper technique completely before playing songs. Students will work on fundamentals applicable to beginning and early brass players, as well as Book I repertoire, with beginners developing competent performance of the Twinkle Theme and Variations, and established players material into the end of Book I, by the end of the course. There will be a separate parent-only class scheduled during the first four weeks; parents will be learning about the Suzuki philosophy and how to play a brass instrument. Parents are required to read Nurtured by Love by S. Suzuki, and come to classes with Suzuki Trumpet Book 1 (Suzuki Trombone Book 1 will be provided for those students studying trombone) and an adult-sized instrument. Eurhythmics is highly recommended for all beginners.
The Preparatory Chorus is an ensemble open to singers pre-K to grade 1 (ages 4-7) by placement audition. Rehearsal instruction in Preparatory Chorus emphasizes healthy vocal technique for developing voices, musicianship, ear-training through solfege and Gordon rhythm syllables, as well as beginning notation, score-reading skills, and playing simple rhythm instruments. Students typically sing unison repertoire in a variety of styles and languages, with an emphasis on folk songs, and perform two concerts per year.
Eurhythmics is a study of music through movement and is based on the interaction of the ear, mind, and body. Classes nurture the imagination while encouraging musical exploration and the understanding of musical concepts and skills. Currently offered for ages 6-10, students discover the body as a uniquely expressive musical instrument. Eurhythmics classes are recommended as preparation for instrumental study as well as a complementary music theory component in the early years of private instrumental instruction. Classes are taught through games, problem solving, and improvisations that focus on ear training, musicianship, and music fundamentals such as rhythm, meter, tempo, form, melody, articulation, phrase, dynamics, texture, and notation, drawn from a broad variety of musical traditions. Students will be placed in a leveled sequence of classes, based on age, ability and experience. Placement is at the discretion of the instructor.
Suzuki
In addition to weekly private lessons, Suzuki students attend a weekly group class based on repertoire level. Caregivers are required to attend and participate in the group classes. The group classes serve many pedagogical purposes, some of the main benefits include learning to watch, listen, and follow the teacher. Group classes also provide a larger community of fellow string players and opportunities to perform and learn in a supportive group environment. Rhythm, reading, and music, in addition to the Suzuki repertoire, is also an important part of the group class curriculum that supplements the private lesson
Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) is for infants and young children, ages 0-3 years old, and their caregiver. An excellent introduction to Suzuki early childhood methods. In SECE students and their caregiver attend a weekly music and movement group class where they develop rhythmic and melodic awareness, and learn through interacting with other children. The repertoire for the class includes traditional lullabies, action songs, poetry, and nursery rhymes. Students hear and have the opportunity to play percussion instruments such as glockenspiel, triangle, drum, xylophone, and shakers. Attention, gross and fine motor skills, pitch and rhythmic skills, and musical vocabulary are all developed in this course. Because of the skills they master in Suzuki Early Childhood Education, most children in the program are ready to begin instrumental studies at a very young age.
Gather ’round as we sing, dance, and tell a story. Twinklegarten incorporates elements from Suzuki Early Childhood Education and Suzuki Pre-Twinkle. Twinklegarten students use their voices, play instruments, move their bodies, try out tongue twisters, and tell stories, all while building skills to get them ready for instrumental study. This course will focus on musical skills such as rhythmic and melodic understanding, social interaction, being part of an ensemble, and pre instrumental gross and fine motor skills. Using a wide variety of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments to accompany, Twinklegarten students will learn to sing some familiar and new melodies together, in rounds and with simple harmonies. We will explore playful music making, with opportunities for expression, using both ensemble training and creative improvisation. Twinklegarten is intended for young pre-instrumental students, aged 3-5, and their caregivers. A good continuation for students who have been through one or more years of Suzuki Early Childhood Education and are turning 4 during the academic year.
Jazz
Multiple levels of Jazz Theory are offered to introduce the principles used for analyzing jazz compositions and the vocabulary used by jazz musicians for compositional and improvisational development. Emphasis is on understanding common technical terms and on learning to apply theoretical constructs to playing and/or singing in a performance setting. Recordings of well-known jazz pieces will be used to demonstrate theory concepts. Higher-level class topics can include dominant function, modal interchange, deceptive resolution, diminished chords and scales, and compound chords. The Jazz Theory track’s goal is to educate the student on the inner-workings of music while empowering the student to adopt similar approaches in their own playing and composing.
This year-long course is an overview of Jazz music, tracking its evolution from the music of the African diaspora to the many distinct sub-genres called “jazz” up to the present day. Students will listen to and discuss music from the most influential musicians in jazz history, explore the music of lesser-known, yet highly influential jazz musicians, and investigate the ways in which jazz has both influenced and been influenced by other types of music the world over. Not only will students complete the course with a stronger grasp of the context and inner workings of jazz music, they will also develop stronger aural skills, which, in turn, will support their own artistic growth.
This two-year class alternates material every other year and is designed for 11th and 12th graders. It requires some prior knowledge of theory and is required for Level III and IV of the Jazz Certificate Program. In this class, compositions will be analyzed from both the “big picture” (form, harmony, arrangement, melody and rhythm) and the “little picture” (articulation and methods of improvisation and embellishment). Many students in this class will perform together on Certificate Recitals, so recital preparation is discussed in this class, as are college auditions. Class assignments will include improvisation, model composition, and transcriptions, and are scalable to the amount of time students can put into the course in a given week. Students deliver an in-class analytical presentation at the beginning and end of each school year on a subject of their choice, showing how they would compose, improvise, arrange, and/or practice differently after their research.
This year-long class is designed to give beginning and intermediate jazz students ear training, using musical vocabulary from the many different eras in jazz history. Students learn to identify basic intervals, chord sounds, and rhythms that are crucial building blocks in developing basic jazz aural skills. The class uses recorded source material, and there will be some simple transcription exercises. Designed to complement Jazz Theory I, this class ensures that students are familiar not only with the theoretical terminology and protocol of jazz, but that they also can aurally internalize (hear) and externalize (play and sing) jazz theory concepts.
