Honors Program

Program Description
This Program offers talented and serious young musicians the opportunity to interact with world reknowned faculty and guest artists. With grants from Friends of the Young Musicians' Camp, Citizens Interested in the Arts, the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, and The Childrens Trust, this Program seeks to bring together students from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to provide them with a college-level experience.

The Honors Program is offered in the areas of Classical Chamber Music, Classic Jazz ( Instrumental and Vocal), Composition, and Voice. Admission is by audition and teacher recommendation. Materials may be submitted on dvd, or YouTube. Enrollment is very limited, so early application is highly recommended. Students will attend 3 classes from the pre-college program and the rest of the day will be spent in the Honors Program. All students will receive coachng on how to prepare for college auditions, as well as advice on careers in music. Students are expected to devote evening hours to practice and class assignments. The Honors Program participants will be showcased in a separate performance. They will receive coaching from our Honors faculty in a small group setting. We highly recommend that students who are considering the Frost School of Music for college, take a private lesson with a UM faculty member. This can be arranged upon request.

• HONORS VOICE PROGRAM:
  This is an intensive program open to high school students who are interested in gaining an advanced level of performance experience. Hours for Honors Program are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.


• Audition Requirements: 2 accompanied musical selections in contrasting sytles.
  
  
• Curriculum: Vocal Lit, Music Theory, Jazz Vocal Ensemble or Classical Vocal Ensemble, Vocal Technique, Honors Classical Vocal Ensemble
  
  
• Faculty: Felicia Kurtz


• HONORS CHAMBER MUSIC PROGRAM:
  This is an intensive program open to high school students who are interested in gaining an advanced level of performance experience. It is under the direction of Dr. Paul Posnak, Professor, Dept. of Keyboard Performance and Director of the Accompanying and Chamber Music Programs at the UM Frost School of Music. The faculty also includes concert violinist Mei Mei Luo. Additional faculty may be added based on instrumentation. NOTE: This program will only be offered during Session B.


• Audition requirements: A live audition, when possible, is preferred. Otherwise, a DVD with good fidelity is required. The audition or DVD should include at least two pieces, or movements of larger works of differing period and style.
  
  
• Curriculum: From the Pre-college Program, students can choose Vocal Literature, Piano Literature, or practice time/ Music Theory/ Orchestra. The Honors Chamber Ensembles will meet daily for 2 hours.

Ensemble repertoire assignments are based upon relative levels of musical and technical ability and upon the best repertoire combinations of duos, trios and quartets. Assignments are made well in advance of the Program, and students are required to come prepared with the repertoire already learned or well along in the process of preparation.

• Applicants for the Honors Program in Percussion will need to submit a tape consisting of a two-mallet or four-mallet marimba/xylophone/vibraphone piece, a snare drum piece, and a work for timpani. Selections should reflect the student's highest skill level.


• Faculty: Paul Posnak, piano, Mei Mei Luo, violin , Suzan De Gooyer, flute, Frank Cooper, harpsichord ,Brian Potts, percussion, plus additional UM faculty depending on instrumentation.


• HONORS CLASSIC JAZZ:
  This is an intensive program open to high school students who are interested in gaining an advanced level of performance experience. Under the direction of world famous multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan, this program is geared towards advanced jazz students who are seeking a performing career.


• Faculty: Ira Sullivan, saxes, flute, trumpet, flugelhorn, advanced jazz improvisation, Brian Murphy, piano, composition, Lisanne Lyons, voice.
  
  
• Audition Requirements: 2 contrasting standard tunes 1 ballad and 1 tempo of your choice by any of the following composers: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker or John Coltrane. The student should perform the melody and then improvise either a capella, with a live rhythm section or with an Aebersold accompaniment. Rhythm section players: Guitar, Bass, Piano - same as above. Drummers: show examples of 4/4, 3/4, bossa nova, and swing playing. A solid time feel will be given more weight than the ability to solo. Vocalists should send a demo of 2 contrasting pieces, performed with accompaniment. Time length: 8 minutes.
  
  
• Curriculum: Music Biz or Jazz Styles / Music Theory/ Jazz Vocal Ensemble or practice time/ Honors Jazz Ensemble ( 2 hours daily)
  


• HONORS COMPOSITION PROGRAM
  This program is designed for high school students interested in developing their composing skills. Under the direction of Dennis Kam, Chairman of the Theory and Composition Department of the Frost School of Music, participants will receive daily instruction in a small group setting. The course will cover different kinds of compositional materials and styles, formal structure, and principles of variation/development in music.

• Faculty: Dennis Kam
  
  
• Audition Requirements: Candidates should submit one or two compositions in any style.
  
  
• Curriculum: Participants can chose courses from any track, plus the honors composition workshop
  (1 hour daily)

Honors Program YouTube Videos

(W.A. Mozart - Sonata for Violin and Piano in C major, K.296: Allegro Vivace )

(George Bizet - Jeux d’Enfants, Op. 22, for Piano 4-Hands
IV. The merry-Go-Round )

( W.A. Mozart - Trio in E-flat, K. 498, For Violin, Viola and Piano
II. Menuetto )

( Johannes Brahms - Sonata in D Minor, Op. 108, for Violin and Piano II. Presto Agitato)


(Tenor Madness)

(Strollin)

(Serpent's Tooth)

(On a Misty Night)

(Chicago Blues)

(Cry Me a River)

(Dig)

(Tell Me a Bedtime Story)