PAH AP Music Theory (or other suggestions?)

[hopskipjump]

Has anyone used Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Music Theory class? I believe the teacher for next year may be new (Hannah Jackson)? Has anyone used the audit option for this class? Or - does anyone have suggestions for an AP/College-level Music Theory class?

 

I was hoping to find someone local for my kids as an extra thing to do along with their music lessons over the next two years, but I've not had much luck yet finding someone who will present the information at this level (as opposed to "general" music theory or intermediate music theory... the kids aren't interested in a kinder, gentler approach and that's all we are finding locally)

 

Both kids are heavily invested in music - but we keep hearing that once in college, Music Theory is miserably difficult and generally considered a weed-out class. So both kids have asked about taking it now, in high school, so that when they see it again in college, they won't die.  :angelsad2:

 

(I'm not sure what we're going to knock out of their currently planned classes for next year to make this happen - because I'm sure it's going to take a lot of time each week - so off to the drawing board again... :banghead: )

 

P.S. My kids have tried some of the online options - musictheory.whatever and we have gobs of books for them to self-study here, themselves. They're great about it for a couple of weeks, and then... nada. So accountability is a necessity in this case. We need a real-time teacher to keep them moving forward.

 

I could ask their current music instructors, but I sort of hate mixing-topics, ifkwim? I'm afraid the instructors would get tired of seeing us so many times a week (dd has lessons 2-3 times a week and ds has lessons 1-2 times a week), so I don't really want to heave this upon either instructor. Plus, I have a feeling they would each tend to teach it from their-instrument-perspective, which also isn't what we're really looking for.

[Donna]

Dd took AP Music Theory through PA Homeschoolers this past year. I have no idea what the course will be like with the new instructor but this year dd had to basically self study the entire course. The instructor sent a syllabus and recorded lectures for maybe 2-3 chapters in the book throughout the entire year even though the course description stated there would be lectures...and graded homework. She did not answer questions in a timely fashion, if at all, and suggested dd use a former student as a tutor if she needed assistance because the instructor stated she did not have time to answer questions (dd instead asked questions from friends (a husband and wife) who between them have multiple music theory degrees). 

 

The course was expensive and I wish instead we had asked the friends to tutor dd rather than paying for the course. It was very time intensive and frustrating for dd...not at all what we were expecting. Dd had a very good experience with the high school music theory WTM course the previous year and we were expecting a similar style course with recorded lectures and an instructor who answered questions.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2017 by Donna

[hopskipjump]

Whoa! That is really awful!! And that wasn't the name of the teacher your dd had? (Just making sure this teacher IS a new one!!!!)

 

The class description for next year's class says she'll have required, live classes and that she'll return homework within a week. So- hopefully she'll be more on top of things than last year's teacher was! 😳

 

I'd forgotten that WTMACADEMY had an advanced theory class. I need to re-read their class description.

[Donna]

That is definitely a new teacher.

 

There were no live classes this year which was fine with us because we travel a lot for music but we did expect to have recorded classes for each lesson or week. Homework grades were returned the following week but sometimes dd had a question on something she was learning and sent the teacher a message but the teacher didn't get back to her when she had to turn it in so she was graded on the work she was still having questions on. Dd did fine in the class as far as a grade and felt she did fine on the AP exam itself but we won't know until July.   ;   )    

 

It was just a very frustrating ten months and kinda turned her off of music theory when she enjoyed it the previous year. She also decided she doesn't like AP classes so decided to do dual enrollment next year instead.

 

The WTM Academy class was a good introduction to music theory. Dd took it on the delayed option where she could attend the live classes if able or watch the recorded class later if not. It would not prepare someone for the AP exam though.