Music Theory Classes

Students who take private lessons at the Music School now have the opportunity to take part in ongoing music theory classes free of charge. Topics covered will include basic notation, key signatures, time signatures, scales, intervals, chord structures and more. There will also be sightsinging, ear training and dictation exercises.

Music Theory Classes

This is an Applied Music Theory Class. All work will be done on the piano keyboard or the students’ own personal instrument. Students gain skills and understanding in areas including ear training, major scales, diatonic intervals, minor scales, chromatic intervals, and building chords to build a solid foundation that will allow the pursuit of original composition.

Students must commit to the full 10 weeks. A student is welcome to join the class at any time with the knowledge that this is a cumulative, structured program that presents information methodically in progressively difficult steps.

Instructor: Romeo Melloni
Start Date: Sept. 19 – December 5
Time: 6:00 – 7:00pm *Students will be placed in Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes determined by their level
Prerequisites: Able to read music notation, able to play a major scale on their instrument or piano keyboard
Ages: 10 and up (under 10 with approval)
Tuition: FREE for MCMS Private Students, $199 for General Public

Pre-registration required. Call 603-644-4548 to register!

Romeo’s Philosophy of Teaching:

I believe that an important goal of education is to promote critical thinking in students. The ability to think critically can be transferred from a specific subject, such as music, to every area of a person’s life. A person who has the capacity to think critically will have a better chance of orienting himself in the world. Critical thinking leads to self-knowledge and self-discovery. I see music and art in general, as a spiritual discipline. By providing insights into the inner world of the artist and into the truth of the experience, a work of art can become alive, and challenges us to evaluate and deepen our lives.

In order to think critically about music, a student must achieve a foundational level of mastery of the material. I believe that the understanding of basic principles is the first step in this process.

A principle is a concept that explains many things, while providing a clear reference point for the things that it cannot explain. Details can be remembered easily once the principles are understood. After the student understands the basic mechanics, it is important to collocate a specific subject within its historical context and its specific aesthetic. Sometimes an interdisciplinary approach provides help in clarifying the characteristics of a certain work or concept. Hopefully the student will appropriate these concepts, evaluate them, and decide whether or not they are valuable to his work and maybe, even to his life.

I consider teaching a collaborative effort that benefits both parties. Learning is a lifelong process for everybody.  I am grateful to my students because their questions always invite me to deepen my understanding of music. I also understand that teaching can be a delicate process especially when it involves young people that are still in a formative phase of their lives. For these reasons I meet my students respectfully and professionally at their level.  I do my best to create an emotionally safe environment in the classroom where they do their work without fear of judgment.