In this semester-length course, explore fundamental musical concepts while engaging with questions such as “What is music?” and “Can music tell a story?”. The course teaches the elements of music including staves, clefs, notes, meter and rhythm, keys, scales, basic harmonization, and form. You will work with music theory software and music notation software to learn the basics and to create your own compositions. Through guided listening assignments, you will explore aspects of music—for example, rhythm and meter, musical style, or featured instruments. In this course, students develop and share their tastes in music by introducing favorite bands, singers, and composers to one another.

Course Materials: Web-based music theory and music notation software are provided online.

Standards met: This course meets the 2018 Minnesota Arts Standards in Music with an emphasis on Creating, Responding, and Connecting.

Credit: 0.5

Honors Opportunity: Yes

Prerequisite: The course is designed for students at all levels of musical experience who want to explore listening to a variety of music and creating their own music. Students should have an interest in working with traditional music notation.

This quarter-length course is designed for students who are studying music in a structured setting or with a structured curriculum outside of MNOHS. This may include students who are taking individual lessons, rehearsing and performing in a band or choir or working on composition/songwriting. If you wish to to see if your music study qualifies you to take this course, please contact your MNOHS counselor or the course instructor: [email protected]

Course materials:  Materials required vary depending on the nature of what is being studied.

Standards met: This course meets the 2018 Minnesota Arts Standards in Music with an emphasis on Performing/Presenting.

Credit: 0.25 per quarter and may be repeated.

Honors Opportunity: No

Prerequisites:  None, but successful completion of Elements of Music is recommended.

If performance is the ‘how’ of music, then theory is the ‘why’. In this course you will learn about concepts and techniques that form the basis of Western musical tradition. From reading musical notation, to understanding harmony and musical form, the knowledge gained in this course will augment your understanding of all other musical areas (composition, music production, performance, and more). Activities will include learning how to read Western classical notation, composing songs, and sight-reading rhythms and melodies.

Course Materials: Web-based music theory and music notation software are provided online.

Standards met: This course meets the 2018 Minnesota Arts Standards in Music with an emphasis on Creating.

Credit: 0.5

Honors Opportunity: Yes

Prerequisite: This course is designed with beginners and non-musicians in mind; all are welcome to enroll!

In this semester length course, you will identify, in written and performed music, pitch, rhythm, meter, intervals, scales/key signatures, expressive elements, musical terms, chords and chord progressions. You will use these skills to notate performed music, sing a notated melody, and compose 4-part music in the common-practice style. The course, which is taught in the fall (Quarters 1 and 2), prepares students for the AP Music Theory Exam. You may choose to enroll in Quarter 3 for guided exam preparation. MNOHS does not administer the AP exam, so you will need to make arrangements with a local district or school.

Course Materials: Web-based music theory and music notation software are provided online..

Standards met: This course meets the 2018 Minnesota Arts Standards in Music with an emphasis on Creating and Performing.

Credit: 0.5

Prerequisites: Introductory Theory: The Minutiae of Music or another high school level music theory course. Prospective students should be able to read and write musical notation and have basic performance skills with voice or an instrument. Understanding of scales, key signatures, intervals and chords is recommended, but not required.

Before you enroll at MNOHS, take our online quiz. Answer all questions and submit your survey to score it. You’ll get a full page of feedback, your roadmap to success at MNOHS!

For detailed technology requirements, please see this page on our web site: https://mnohs.org/enrollment/computer-requirements/.

The MNOHS learning model is mainly asynchronous (not in real time). Although you are expected to complete 5-8 hours of assignments each course each week, you are free to make your own daily or weekly schedule.  Also, you are free to speed up within the week when something is easy for you, and to slow down when it’s not so easy. 

Although you can work on your own time at MNOHS, you will not be working on your own.  Your teacher is available for one-on-one and small group support.

At MNOHS, you can expect useful feedback from your teacher on your learning progress, and opportunities to revise and resubmit work that was submitted on time.

If you have questions about course assignments, MNOHS teachers are available by phone, e-mail and text messaging. Students can also meet teachers in their webinar rooms during online office hours.

If you have an IEP or 504 Plan, please let us know when you are enrolling, so we can implement the accommodations and/or modifications that will help you to succeed in MNOHS courses.

There are two part-time enrollment options available at MNOHS:

Information about course materials can be found in the Getting Started folder of each course, once you are enrolled. Supplemental students may borrow course materials from MNOHS. Tuition students may buy your own course materials or borrow from MNOHS.

As a public charter school, MNOHS also enrolls students full-time. This is called comprehensive enrollment. It means that you choose MNOHS as your district and will graduate from MNOHS. Some students come to MNOHS for just one course and stay for everything.

The AP exam is not given by MNOHS. You will need to set up testing at a site close to your home. For most students who are part time at MNOHS and enrolled at another school, you will take the exam at your enrolling school.

Please speak to your enrolling school counselor or AP coordinator before or at the beginning of the school year to request that they order an AP exam for you. They will give you a MyAP “exam only” join code. You will follow instructions in the MNOHS AP Music Theory course to log into your MyAP online account and add this code. This indicates to AP that you are taking the course at MNOHS but will be taking the test at your other school. You must complete these steps in September or early October to take the AP exam in May.

We’re glad to hear that! Please start on this MNOHS web page: https://mnohs.org/enrollment/before/, and skip any sections you have already read or completed.