Curriculum

Specialization

Specialization classes are for students wishing to train in a specific instrument. Instruction on the instrument of choice occurs one-on-one under the direct tutelage of master instructors. The conservatory offers specialization in piano, violin, cello, flute, guitar, and vocal training. As a matter of practice, new specialization classes on an instrument not currently offered are introduced into the curriculum when interest is expressed by at least five students.

Lark offers weekly private music lessons for each of the 40 weeks of the academic year. Students are required to pass an exam before a faculty jury toward the end of each semester. Instrumentalists in grades II through IX pass an additional technical exam in the middle of each semester.

Musicianship Courses

Theory & Musicianship classes are offered in group settings according to grade level and include the following: Introduction to Music, Sight Singing, Theory, Harmony, Counterpoint & Fugue, Form & Analysis, Orchestration, Composition, Music History, and Armenian Music History.

Introduction to Music: A core class, offered to all students at no charge. Alongside guided listening to celebrated and popular works, this class establishes a base knowledge of musical movements, figures, and accomplishments.

Solfège (Sight Singing) | Preparatory – Grade V: Music notation through aural awareness and oral practice; training in identifying, reading, and singing “fixed-do” scales, intervals, and triads; sight singing exercises in treble and bass clefs; articulation of rhythm and meter; melodic and harmonic dictation.

Music Theory | Preparatory – Grade II: Teaches fundamentals of musicianship literacy; provides an understanding of the building blocks of music.

Harmony | Grades I-III: Study in melodic writing, chord construction, chord succession, harmonic analysis, and 4-part writing. Topics include harmonic practice in classical music of central Europe during the eighteenth century and chromatic harmony & modulation; students perform complex chord progressions and modulations in a tonal setting.

Music History | Grades I-III: Explores music through the ages, delving into the evolution of musical form and practice. Divided into three epochs: Antiquity to 1650; 1650 to 1900; 20th century and contemporary music.

Counterpoint & Fugue: An introduction to contrapuntal forms of the eighteenth century, including species counterpoint, canon, and fugue. Training in the composition of tonal melody and small-scale development; regular assignments include composing fugues in the 18th-century Baroque style.

Form and Analysis: An introductory course examining the relationship of content and form. Students examine the canon, the fugue, the sonata, the variation, and other major forms through the 20th-century.

Orchestration: Examines tonal resources of instrumental and vocal media, and concentrates on arranging and transcribing for band and orchestral instruments.

History of Armenian Music | Introductory Level: A bird’s eye view on the history of Armenian music from antiquity to the 19th century, with special emphasis on the life and achievements of the father of Armenian music, Komitas Vardapet.

Performance Courses

Performance instruction focuses primarily on the performance of music in a group setting with other musicians. This includes training in Choral Ensembles, Orchestra, Hand-Chimes, Percussion, Consorts, Chamber Music, Piano for non-majors, Strings Class, Improvisation, and Conducting.

Piano for Non Majors: Course designed for instrumentalists not specializing in piano. Geared toward familiarizing with and gaining proficiency in keyboard playing. Students above Grade II in their specialization instrument are required to take this class.

Choral Ensembles: Tziatsan Children’s Choir (grouped according to age and experience) exploring the full range of unison, two-voice, and multi-voice singing. Students who pass through this program can graduate into the adult volunteer Geghart Choir and Lark Master Singers.

Chimes Ensemble: Students learn basic ringing techniques and apply these skills to performance. Designed to encourage the ability and desire to work together as a team.

Percussion Ensemble: An introduction to mallet and battery percussion, students learn and perform works ranging from easy to moderate difficulty.

String Consort: An instrumental class for ensemble playing, designed for students specializing in the string family of instruments.

Conducting: Learning fundamentals of conducting technique, score reading, and orchestration.

Graduation Recital: Conservatory diploma candidates either present a graduation recital at the end of their final year, or play a Sonata allegro movement from a concerto.

Elective Courses

In addition to the requisite courses students take in musicianship and performance, the conservatory offers a roster of elective courses on a wide range of topics from specific compositional techniques to a particular composer’s body of work, and much more. Course are scheduled based on interest and student advancement.