Preparatory School

The Mason Gross Preparatory School seeks to nurture the innate artistic abilities of children from infancy through high school. Classroom, ensemble, and private instruction by our distinguished faculty provide a rich environment for development. Classes and lessons are offered on weekday afternoons and evenings and throughout the day on Saturdays. 

Fall Semester: September 12, 2011-January 14, 2012
Spring Semester: January 23-May 12, 2012
Summer Semester: June 4-August 18, 2012

Music

• Music Together®

  Music and movement classes for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the adults who love them

  Introduce your child to the joy of music in this internationally recognized, research-based program. Music Together® classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical and can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning. Music Together® unites families by providing a rich musical environment in the classroom and by facilitating family participation in spontaneous music activity at home.

  $185 for first child, $50 discount for siblings.

  Tuition includes:
  Music Together at Home: Helping Your Child Grow Musically
  Two copies of the class CD
  Illustrated songbook with family activities to enjoy at home

  9:15–10 a.m. or 10:15–11 a.m. Saturdays (fall, winter, and spring sessions)

  Free sample class on September 10
  10-week fall session starts September 17
  10-week winter session starts January 14
  10-week spring session starts April 14

  Music Together art and logo design copyright 1992-2012 Music Together LLC. Music Together is a registered trademark. Mason Gross School of the Arts is licensed by Music Together LLC.

• Young Maestros (Ages 4–5)

  Young Maestros I: 9–9:40 a.m. Saturday
                               5:30-6:10 p.m. Tuesday
  Young Maestros II: 9:50-10:30 a.m. Saturday
                                6:20-7 p.m. Tuesday (spring semester only)

  An ideal introduction to music and piano study for ages 4-5. Students learn basic musical skills (steady beat, rhythm, note values, and note names) through songs, games, and keyboard experiences. The small class size (maximum six students per class) ensures each child receives individualized instruction and develops a firm foundation for musical growth in preparation for private music lessons. Students must have access to a piano or keyboard at home for practice and must be at least 4 years old on the first day of class.  Prior experience in Music Together® is recommended but not required.
  Instructors: Dr. Zoe Doll and Rebecca Choi
  Tuition: $325 per semester (includes books)

• Suzuki Violin and Cello (Ages 5–10)

  Suzuki Education, also known as the “Mother Tongue Method,” is a teaching philosophy based on Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s observation that all children speak their own language with ease and proficiency at a very young age. Similarly, Suzuki teachers believe that “musical ability is not an inborn talent, but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability, just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue.” (Dr. Suzuki)

  There are many aspects of the Suzuki method that mirror a child’s first language-learning experience:
  -          Immersion: Just as babies hear almost constant conversation around them from birth (or before), the Suzuki method encourages parents to play music for their children from as early an age as possible.  Once they begin lessons, students listen daily to a recording of the pieces they are learning, which greatly increases their rate of learning.
  -          Parental involvement: As when a child learns to speak, the parents are involved in the musical learning process.  One parent is usually elected to attend lessons every week.  This parent may learn beginning technique on the instrument as well, in order to be the best “home teacher” possible between the child’s lessons.
  -          Early beginning:  Because the ear develops before the eye, it is highly advantageous to start musical training as early as possible.  Age 4-5 is ideal for beginning string instrument study, but it is never too late!  (Until the teenage years, most children play small violins and cellos; your child’s teacher will help you determine what size is right for your child.)
  -          Repetition: When children learn a word, they repeat it hundreds or thousands of times, and it becomes a part of their ever-increasing vocabulary.  Likewise, Suzuki students add pieces and new technical concepts to their continually expanding repertoire, repeating them until they can be executed with ease, confidence, and eventually artistry.
  -          Encouragement: Babies do not say “mama” only to be asked why they cannot speak in complete sentences – they are praised by every adult in the room, all of whom ask to hear the word again.  So Suzuki parents and teachers praise the student for each small step completed correctly, encouraging further technical progress.
  -          Required Group Classes: Children enjoy learning among their peers.  The Suzuki method provides the individual attention of a private lesson as well as the fun and motivation of a group session every week.  The “group class” time will be used for parent education until beginning students learn enough skills to participate (approximately 4-6 weeks).

  If you have any questions about our program, or would like to discuss whether or not Suzuki violin or cello is right for your child, please feel free to contact our Suzuki instructors at extension@masongross.rutgers.edu.

  15 weeks of 45-minute group classes: $225
  15 weeks of 30-minute private lessons: $450

• Little Knights (Kindergarten–second grade)

  Wednesdays 5–5:35 p.m. September to May
  Little Knights, a division of the Rutgers Children’s Choir, is an experienced designed to prepare young singers for membership in the choir. Age-appropriate vocal training is taught by Dr. Rhonda Hackworth, Mason Gross faculty member and artistic director of the Rutgers Children’s Choir. The children meet for group singing sessions for a total of 20 weeks (10 in the fall and 10 in the spring) with a family singing presentation and social at the conclusion of each 10-week session. No audition is required.
  Tuition: $265 per year

• Private Music Instruction

  Individual instruction with our faculty of conservatory-trained musicians is available in 30-, 45-, and 60-minute sessions in voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, string/electric bass, flute, clarinet, oboe/English horn, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, French horn, baritone, tuba, guitar, drum set, and percussion. All instructors are dedicated professional musicians with advanced music degrees. Faculty bios are available online. Lessons are scheduled by arrangement 4–9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays. We offer 15-week fall and spring semesters and a flexible 10-week summer semester.

  To request placement in our private lesson program, new students may submit a Request for Private Instruction Form or contact the Extension Division office. Each student’s musical and personal needs are taken into consideration during the placement process. Teaching styles and availability vary, so 30-minute trial lessons are recommended and available for $30.

  Percussion Instruction
  Private percussion lessons focus on the development of snare drum, keyboard percussion, timpani, and drum set skills. The curriculum is designed to assist students in becoming well-rounded percussionists and musicians, concentrating on three aspects: hands (technique), eyes (reading ability), ears (listening skills).

  Composition Instruction
  Private instruction is available to all levels. Students explore various compositional techniques through a variety of exercises, as well as through listening and analysis.

  Indian Music
  Individualized instruction with our highly accomplished faculty is available in two styles of singing (Carnatic classical, Hindustani classical). No prior experience is required.

  Private Lesson Tuition (per semester):
  30-minute weekly lessons: $450 ($30 per lesson)
  45-minute weekly lessons: $675 ($45 per lesson)
  1-hour weekly lessons: $900 ($60 per lesson)

  Payment plans are available.

  There is a surcharge for private study with university faculty members.

• Music Theory, Ear-training, and Composition

  Music theory and composition classes, crucial to every young musician’s training, provide insight into the structure of music and aid in the development of essential musicianship skills, including ear-training. All Extension Division students have the opportunity to enrich their musical training by studying the fundamental structure of music. Small weekly classes are available for students in grades 1-12 and adults. Study is graded, and students are assigned homework.

  The many benefits to studying music theory, ear-training and composition for the young musician include improvement in reading music, a greater ability to recognize mistakes in both practice and performance, insights into the structure and style of music, and improving general musical techniques such as scales and arpeggios. Theory courses are taught by Paul Undreiner, Ph.D.
  Tuition: $275 per semester

  First Theory (Grades 1–3)
  9–9:40 a.m. Saturdays
  Students are introduced to the basic concepts of music theory through games, activities, and projects. Students sharpen their note-reading abilities and learn introductory scales, rhythms, and music terminology while developing sight-singing skills.

  Junior Composers (Grades 4–6)
  10:40–11:25 a.m. Saturdays
  A late-elementary music-theory class that prepares students for junior high-level work in the field. Students study scales, rhythm, musical terminology, basic chords, and ear-training.

  Grades 7–8 Theory
  11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Saturdays
  A junior high school-level music theory class that prepares students for high school-level study in the field. Students learn basic intervals and voice-leading, increase their knowledge of chords and scales, and polish ear-training skills.

  High School Theory I
  12:30–1:20 p.m. Saturdays
  A high school-level music-theory class that prepares students for more advanced work in the field. Subjects include scales, chords, voice-leading, intervals, analysis, and ear-training.

  High School Theory II
  1:30-2:15 p.m. Saturdays
  An advanced music-theory class for high school students who have already taken High School Theory I. Subjects include chromatic harmony and techniques, large-scale analysis, compositional techniques, contemporary music theory and analysis.

  Film Music (Grades 8-12)
  5-6:15 p.m. Mondays
  Discover how the soundtrack contributes power and meaning to movies! Watch scenes and listen to music from Hollywood films from the last 50 years. Discussions cover horror movies, thrillers, action films, and comedies. Composers discussed include Bernard Herrmann, John Williams, Danny Elfman and Howard Shore.
  Tuition: $295 per semester

  World Music (Grades 8 – Adult)
  6:30-7:30 p.m. Mondays
  Take your ears on a trip around the globe! Explore cultures from every corner of the earth as we listen to music from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Classical, rock, and film music are discussed, and all students have the opportunity to play live on instruments from a culture other than their own.
  Tuition: $275 per semester

Performing Ensembles

Rutgers Youth Percussion Ensemble (RYPE)
Peter Saleh, director
10 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays (January to June)
Schedule [PDF]

RYPE brings the percussion section front and center. It gives percussion students the opportunity to perform in a wide variety of musical settings, including traditionally performed literature and styles as well as fresh contemporary and cutting-edge music by emerging artists; tasteful arrangements and adaptations of well-known classical composers side by side with entertaining novelty music; and authentic world/roots music, and engaging performance art.

RYPE's mission is to give students experience in all of these styles through both high quality instruction from experienced artists in the field and ample performing opportunities in a variety of settings. RYPE utilizes a variety of repertoire in combination with the development of skills performing chamber music in order to help a drummer or mallet player grow to be a percussionist and a percussionist to develop into a well rounded, confident, and dynamic musician!

The 2012 ensemble is scheduled to perform at:

• NJ Day of Percussion at NJCU
• Randolph Percussion Festival
• Players' Theater in NYC
• Rutgers University Percussion Ensemble Concert
• RYPE Guest Artist Masterclass Series
• RYPE Grand Final Concert at Rutgers University

Tuition: $485 per year

Watch more here.

Rutgers Youth Jazz Ensemble
Thursdays 6:30–8:30 p.m., November to May
This elite group is open to serious high school musicians. The group, under the direction of Dave Miller and the esteemed Mason Gross jazz faculty, meets each week to build a solid foundation for jazz performance in both small and large group settings. Rehearsals incorporate lessons in ensemble playing, ear training, theory, and improvisation. An audition is required. The audition date for 2011-2012 is Thursday, October 27.  Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute participants are exempt from the audition requirement.  Call the Extension Division office at 732-932-8618 to schedule an audition.
Tuition: $485 per year

Rutgers Children’s Choir
Rhonda Hackworth, artistic director

Auditions for fall 2011 are scheduled for August 22. Call 732-932-8618 to reserve an audition slot.

The Rutgers Children’s Choir is a treble-voice choir dedicated to providing age-appropriate vocal training for third- through eighth-grade children with unchanged voices. The choir, now in its 17th year, rehearses September to May and provides an opportunity for young singers from Central Jersey to perform choral music with peers. Children in Kindergarten through second grade may participate in Little Knights, an experience designed to prepare young singers for membership in the choir.

There are three divisions within the program:

Little Knights: Kindergarten–second grade
5–5:35 p.m. Wednesdays
No audition required.
Tuition: $265 per year

Choristers: Third–fifth grade
5:45-7:05 p.m. Wednesdays
An audition is required to evaluate placement according to age, musical skills, and vocal development.

Chorale: Fifth–eighth grade
5:45–7:05 p.m. Wednesdays
An audition is required to evaluate placement according to age, musical skills, and vocal development.

Participation in the performing choir is open to children with unchanged voices in grades three through eight. Choristers and Chorale perform separately and as a combined ensemble. Membership in the Rutgers Children’s Choir is by audition. Auditions evaluate pitch matching as well as rhythmic and melodic reading abilities. These auditions determine choir placement according to age, musical skills, and vocal development. Perfection is not required! To inquire about audition dates and times, call the Extension Division office or refer to our website. Those interested in auditioning should call the Mason Gross Extension Division office to reserve an audition slot.

Membership in Chorister or Chorale: $295 per year

Dr. Hackworth is a member of the music faculty at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. She received a Ph.D. in music education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and holds an M.M. in vocal performance.

• Young Artist Program

  This comprehensive program is available to serious students enrolled in private music instruction through the Mason Gross Extension Division. Entry into the program is reserved for dedicated students with a desire for advanced and intensive musical training. In addition to weekly private lessons and music theory/composition classes, Young Artists learn from and perform for master teachers, including university faculty members, via workshops, master classes, and clinics that take place several times each year. They also receive informal performance opportunities during scheduled performance/musicianship classes in preparation for recitals and jury examinations. To participate in the program, students must be nominated by their private-lesson instructor for a placement audition and interview with the director of the Extension Division. Study is evaluated, as students are awarded grades for their private lessons and music theory/composition classes. Transcripts are available for enhancement of college applications.

  To participate in the program, students must be nominated by their private-lesson instructor for an audition. Study is evaluated and transcripts are available for enhancement of college applications.

  In addition to weekly private lessons and music theory/composition classes with Mason Gross Extension Division faculty, Young Artists participate in the following:

  -Young Artist Forum
  Students gain performance experience and exposure to new repertoire while developing listening skills in a small group setting. Coaches create a supportive environment in which students can “practice” performing and receive feedback from other students and faculty to assist them in preparation for future performances and auditions. Young Artist Forum meets once a month on Sunday afternoons.

  -Workshops, Clinics, and Master Classes
  Guest artists, Extension Division faculty, and university faculty present workshops, clinics, and master classes several times a year during Young Artist Forum and other events reserved especially for our Young Artists. Young Artists are given opportunities to perform for these master artists and faculty members in the master-class setting.

  -Jury Examinations
  Graded evaluations occur at the end of each year. Young Artists perform for a panel of faculty members who provide constructive feedback on student progress.

  -Young Artist Recitals
  One recital each semester is reserved especially for our Young Artists, giving them the opportunity to perform longer, more complex works. Program participants are encouraged to perform their most polished repertoire for Young Artist recitals each semester.

  Young Artist membership: $650 per year
  Membership is by nomination and audition. The membership fee covers participation in performance classes, workshops, master classes, and jury examinations. Students register for private instruction and music theory/composition classes separately.

Dance

Why should your child dance? Dance engages the whole person through simultaneous moving, thinking, and feeling, thus enhancing your child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development.

• Creative Dance

  Ages 5–6: 9:15-10 a.m. Saturday
  Ages 3–4: 10:10-10:50 a.m. Saturday
  Isadora Duncan's unique style, inspired by classical music, poetry, sculpture, myth and literature, is one of the primary roots underlying modern dance. Our Isadora Duncan-based creative dance program gives children the opportunity to explore their artistic and creative capacities in a supportive, noncompetitive, and age-appropriate setting. Creative movement encourages children to express who they are while developing self-confidence, social skills, and motor skills through enriching class experiences with peers. Both boys and girls flourish in creative-movement programs. Our creative dance instructor, Debra Orenstein, also serves as Assistant Director of Education with the Isadora Duncan International Institute.
  Tuition: $225 per semester

  This program is supported in part by the Lily Schrager Endowed Fund, which was established in support of young children exploring creative dance at Mason Gross School of the Arts.

• Young Choreographers

  Ages 7-8: 11-11:45 a.m. Saturdays
  Ages 9-11: 12-12:45 p.m. Saturdays
  Ages 12-14: 1-1:45 a.m. Saturdays
  When you hear music do you imagine action? Do you like making up moves? Do you create your own dance shows at home? Then you are a choreographer—a dance inventor!
  In this class students learn the skills that professionals use to invent new movements, get a style, shape the space, and make a dance. You choose fun topics, try out new ideas, see videos, and build a collection of dances. During our mystery project you have a choreography job—it might be snazzy, quirky, stylin’ or bizarre! At the end you will find out which famous male or female choreographer likes to work the same way.

  Tuition: $255 per semester

• Friday Night Dance Parties

  Kindergarten–fifth grade: 6:30-8:30 p.m. first Friday of every month
  Children learn new dance moves while Mom and Dad enjoy a quiet Friday evening together.

  $20 includes pizza, drink, dessert, and dancing. Option to stay until 9 p.m. is $5 extra. RSVP at 732-932-8618.

• Boyz Only! Hip-Hop

  Ages 7-9: 9:15-10 a.m. Saturday
  Ages 10-12: 10:15-11 a.m. Saturday
  No girls allowed! Boyz Only! Come and learn b-boy basics such as up-rocking, floor work, and fierce finishing moves from a true b-boy pro. Explore the electric boogie, moon walking and popping. Create your own moves and learn the secret to wowing a crowd in a throw-down (dance battle). No prior experience required. Leave your sister at home.
  Tuition: $255 per semester

• B-boy Basics

  Ages 13-18: 11:15 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturdays
  B-boying, often called breakdancing, is a style of street dance that was created in the 1970’s and developed as part of hip-hop culture. B-boy Basics teaches the fundamentals of B-boying in a safe environment in which students learn how to take this highly creative art form and make it their own. Students learn the fundamentals of top-rocking, floor work, power moves and freezes in an environment that stresses the importance of safety, creativity, and respect for one another with Daniel Levi-Sanchez, a true b-boy pro.
  Tuition: $255 per semester

Visual Arts

All Visual Arts courses are 12 weeks.
Fall Semester: September 12–December 10
Spring Semester: January 23–April 21, 2012

• Art making: Ages 6–8

  9:30–10:50 a.m. Saturday
  With expert guidance, children use non-toxic and water-based materials to create artworks they can bring home and proudly share with friends and family. Their confidence increases as they learn basic art-making techniques such as drawing, painting, and collage. Their artistic skills are honed by working with charcoal, pencil, Conté crayon, watercolor, and acrylic paint.
  Tuition: $285 per semester
  Materials fee: $45

• Intro to Drawing: Ages 6–8

  6–7:30 p.m. Tuesdays
  Students learn how to express themselves through the fundamentals of drawing. The course explores memory, imagination, and observation as students learn a new visual vocabulary.
  Tuition: $295 per semester
  Materials fee: $45

• Drawing Basics: Ages 9–12

  9:30–11:30 a.m. Saturday
  Students learn how to translate the three-dimensional world around them into the two-dimensional field of the picture plane. The course focuses on observational drawing with the use of traditional drawing materials such as charcoal, pencil, and Conté crayon.
  Tuition: $325 per semester
  Materials fee: $45

• Intermediate Drawing: Ages 11–16

  9:30–11:30 a.m. Saturday
  Learn the specifics of how to create space on a two-dimensional picture plane by varying line quality to create depth, using tone to create volume, and employing the use of perspective. Students explore drawing from observation and imagination.
  Tuition: $325 per semester
  Materials fee: $45

• Intro to Color: Ages 13–18

  6:30–8:30 p.m. Thursday
  The course introduces basic color concepts as students learn to use color effectively to convey mood or describe other narrative content. Students also explore various media and approaches such as oil pastel, watercolor crayon, collage, and water-based paints.
  Tuition: $325 per semester
  Materials fee: $65

• Portfolio Preparation (Grades 10–12)

  10 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays
  This program is for talented high school students who wish to pursue a career in the fine arts. Students with a passion for visual arts immerse themselves in college-level concepts that help them to develop artistry, creativity, and skills. Emphasis is on drawing and painting with the following objectives:

  Drawing
  -Master the elements of line, shape, composition, perspective, and value to create the illusion of three-dimensional forms in convincing space
  -Work from challenging still-life arrangements
  -Participate in observational work in studio and plein air (open air)

  Painting
  -Learn to mix colors, work with different palettes, and understand the application of paint
  -Learn the historic and contemporary usage of pigments, brushes, supports, and archival preparation
  -Work on group projects that illustrate the significance of site-specific work
  -Visit undergraduate and graduate studios to observe how artists prepare work, formulate concepts, and build careers in the visual arts

  Tuition: $375 per semester
  Materials fee: $75

  Students ages 16–18 may also enroll in the following adult visual art offerings:
  Drawing the Figure
  Human Portraiture in Clay
  Mixed Media: Paper, Paint, Pencils, and Found Objects
  Making Sustainable Sculpture
  Intro to Drawing
  Ceramics Workshops