Music Appreciation & History

Master Teacher: Nedra Kaufman
Duration: One-semester course offered in both fall and spring (16 weeks).
Suggested High School Credit Value: 0.5 credits.
Suggested Grade Level: 9th grade level and up.
Tuition: $379 for HSLDA Members / $429 for non-members.

Description: Music Appreciation & History begins with an overview of the basic elements of music to ensure students understand musical vocabulary. The course utilizes listening examples of influential composers alongside historical context, which helps students realize how and why different musical movements developed. Students explore artistic ideals and issues related to how a biblical worldview is reflected in music. They also consider how contemporary musical compositions, such as film scores, fit within musical history. 

Watch a sample class of an Academy live class session

Sign up for Music Appreciation & History and other courses

Live Online Class Session Schedule

Fall: August 22, 2022 - December 16, 2022

Spring: January 9, 2023 - May 5, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

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• Students will learn

  • How to understand the elements of music: rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, and timbre 

  • How to develop a greater understanding of music in its various stages of development 

  • How to apply concepts of music to musical history 

  • How to understand the major musical periods: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romanticism, and 20th Century 

• How much homework is in Music Appreciation & History?

  We estimate that the course workload will take 5–7 hours per week. During a typical week, students complete the following coursework: 

  • 90 minutes of live class instruction 
  • Recorded lectures 
  • 25–40 pages of reading 
  • Music listening assignments 

  Throughout the semester, students complete three tests, weekly listening assignments, and a 3-5 page research paper. 

• What books will I use in Music Appreciation & History?

  The official booklist for Music Appreciation and History is now available. In the official booklist, you will find information about the editions, book descriptions, and ISBN numbers.

  You can order course materials for competitive prices through the Christianbook.com bookstore. Use the Textbook Finder to locate the required resources for your courses. Please note that while most books are available through Christianbook.com, some titles are not carried and will need to be purchased elsewhere.

• Prerequisites

  No musical knowledge is required for this course. Students should be able to read and write at a 9th grade level. 

• What is a Live Online Class Session in Music Appreciation & History?

  In every HSLDA Academy course, students meet weekly with their instructor and classmates in an online classroom for additional teaching, discussion, Q&A, or group activities. The class sessions are interactive and are conducted using a web meeting software with video, audio, chat, and application sharing capabilities.

  Scheduled, real-time sessions in the online classroom are not the only form of instruction available in a HSLDA Online Academy course, but are offered in addition to lectures or other instructional materials that students are able to access online at their convenience.

  When they register, students will need to select a particular class section and live class meeting time. Additional class sections may be added to the schedule at a later point in the course registration period. Registered students will be notified of any changes to the live session schedule.

• What if I have a schedule conflict with the listed Music Appreciation & History class times?

  All live class sessions are recorded for later viewing. While it is recommended that students attend each live class session, students can make arrangements to watch the recordings and receive full participation credit.

  Students should contact their instructor at the start of their course to inform the instructor of any foreseen schedule conflicts.