Music Classes   Note to new students: Please consult your Barrington High School Course Selection Booklet for the most updated information about each of these classes.   Jazz History This course involves the study of all periods of jazz history including Dixieland, swing, bebop, cool, hard bop, free jazz, and fusion, and composers and performers of each. The class will also study form, chord progressions, instrumentation, and the evolution of jazz through major cities that invented it (New York, Kansas City, St. Louis, West Coast, New Orleans, and Detroit). Activities and resources in this course will include CD's, live performances, magazines, websites, and private collections of materials. Music History This course is dedicated to enriching the individual's knowledge of music and developing a greater appreciation of our musical heritage. Various musical periods and styles are investigated with an emphasis on developing better listening habits. Discussion of the art, social, historical, and literary influences of the period are included as they relate to the music discussed. This course does not require previous musical training and is open to all students. Theory and Composition   This course is available to all students regardless of their musical background and is designed to introduce the fundamentals of music and composition. It is helpful, however, for students to have some prior musical experience. Activities include learning the major and minor scales and various rhythms and melodic intervals. Students write their own compositions. The second semester includes advanced work in these areas, plus additional compositions and orchestration. The harmony section includes major, minor, augmented, diminished, and secondary dominant chords. This course is strongly recommended for band and chorus students. Students who wish to be admitted to only the second semester must have the approval of the instructor. Electronic Music This offering is a "hands on" studio course designed for students with little or no experience in electronic music. Students become familiar with the basic components (synthesizers, amplifiers, reel-to-reel recorders, and other recording equipment) of the electronic lab. Through the use of this equipment,  students will learn to create their own electronic compositions.