Music Program
METHODOLOGY
The goal of the pre-professional music program at Guam Conservatory of Arts is to develop musicians who are performance ready and capable of winning music scholarships on the university level. To achieve this goal, intensive private lessons with experienced teachers and visiting artists as well as participation in ensembles is vital.
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Under the watchful eye and the sharp ears of experienced music educators, each student is held to a high standard of excellence whereby he/she will acquire the skills, technique and habits necessary to attain to the stature of a professional musician.
THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN
Being a musician entails more than mastering a particular instrument. The complete musician is a music-maker who is competent in sight-reading, knowledgeable of music theory and composition, and who has an understanding and appreciation of orchestral instruments (e.g., percussion, saxophone, clarinet, flue, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, etc.) and of nature’s oldest instrument, the human voice. To develop these skills, students attend weekly one-on-one lessons with their instructors. To further perfect these skills, all music students— whether instrumentalists or vocalists and regardless of their chosen instrument, must participate in a vocal chorus and an orchestra.
AREAS OF STUDY
Classical
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Music students at Guam Conservatory of Arts receive classical training through their private lessons and through participation in two performance vehicles: the chorus and the orchestra. The chorus is a natural outlet for students to use their voices to create beautiful and complex choral sounds whilst gaining a deep understanding of the structure of classical arrangements. The other vehicle, the orchestra, is the foundation of the Conservatory’s comprehensive approach to music training and involves every student whether a vocalist or an instrumentalist.
Jazz
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Music students receive jazz training through their participation in the Conservatory’s big band and in various smaller jazz “combo” groups. Jazz is an evolutionary art form best taught by instructors who have performance experience and who can hand down trade skills not learned from text books. The jazz teachers at Guam Conservatory of Arts consists of instructors who perform live in Guam’s local music scene. Off-island visiting artists, performers and instructors are regularly recruited to conduct clinics and workshops.
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LEVELS
Students of all skill and experience levels are welcome to audition for the music program at Guam Conservatory of Arts. Those with little or no prior musical training may require an initial period of private lessons before being eligible for participation in the pre-professional division orchestra and jazz groups.
PRIVATE INSTRUCTION
Instruction in the following instruments are currently available:
Violin
Viola
Cello
Upright Bass
Clarinet
Oboe
French Horn
Piano
INSTRUCTORS
Jan Rudolph (piano, clarinet)
Jiyoung Park (violin, viola, piano)
Judy Nicholson (cello)
Rebecca Grunzke (French Horn)