Information about the Curriculum

Welcome to the Hampden Academy Music Program!

Hampden Academy's highly regarded music program offers performance and non-performance opportunities for students of all skill levels and of varying musical interests. We believe that all students deserve to experience music. It is our goal to help our students work toward excellence in whatever courses they are involved in. Our classes are taught by highly qualified teachers who also partner with community professionals to bring the strongest possible curriculum to our school.

Choral Music

Concert Choir is open to anyone wanting to learn music through singing and all 9th grade singers. No audition is required and it meets during school day.

Treble Choir is open to 10, 11, 12 grade female students by audition. This meets during the school day.

Chamber Singers is open to advanced 10, 11, 12 grade singers by audition and meets during the school day.

Voices Unlimited is a jazz/pop/show choir open to students enrolled in one of the school day choirs by audition. Students sing and dance, learning how to perform. This group performs in the community and at competitive festivals and meets before school.

AcaFellas is open to males who are enrolled in one of the in-school choirs. This group performs both accompanied and a cappella music and meets before school.

Instrumental Music

Symphonic Band is open to all students with previous experience playing a wind or percussion instrument. An audition is not required. This band meets during school day.

Wind Ensemble is a select group for students interested in performing advanced wind & percussion literature. A basic audition consisting of the melody to the Star Spangled Banner, some major scales and a short prepared excerpt is required. This groups meets during the school day.

Jazz Band is offered to any music student with an interest in playing in a traditional Big Band setting. Music is chosen that is geared towards the ability of musicians in the ensemble. This group performs at concerts and local jazz festivals. This groups meet 2 times a week before school and occasionally after school.

Jazz Ensemble is an auditioned group for students having an interest in playing more advanced traditional Big Band music. Styles include swing, latin, funk, rock and ballads. This group performs at concerts and local and out of state jazz festivals. They meet 2-3 times a week before school and occasionally after school.

Jazz Combo and R&B Project are smaller groups offered to students with an interest in jazz improvisation and/or R&B music. Both groups meet after school. Both groups perform at concerts and local jazz festivals.

Non-Performance Offerings

Music Theory 1 and 2 are offered every other year. This class starts with note and rhythm reading, and moves into intervals, key signatures, time signatures, chords, analyzation and composition.

African Drumming is a semester course offered every other year. The teacher partners with a professional African drum specialist to bring African rhythms and culture to life.

Music Industry is a semester course offered every other year. Students learn how to set up all sound systems in our building and the basics of sound amplification and recording. The teacher partners with Main Street Music Studios in Brewer and the class culminates in the producing and performing music of a CD of original music by Hampden Academy student musicians.

Courses Contingent on Budget approval

Beginning Guitar is a semester course available to any student who has an interest in learning to play guitar. Students will practice skills of fingering, strumming, picking and reading notation.

Beginning Piano is a semester class available to any student who has an interest in learning to play piano/keyboard. Students will practice skills of fingering, hand positions, and reading music notation.

Music: A Social Experience is semester course open to all students. Through a series of subjects - from Music and Worship to Music and War and Music and Gender, the course will consist of active listening experiences to experience music's social and cultural impact.