Starting next semester, Chapman will be offering AP Music Theory.

The teacher of the course will be Jeanette Kuhn, who is Chapman’s orchestra director and who wanted the class to happen.

“I pushed for it,” she said. “I saw a need in our students.”

There are many students that have all their credits after their junior year and can, but don’t want to, graduate early, and this offers a new possibility.

Depending on the college, this course could count as an Arts Appreciation, Theory 101 or an elective.

Rebecca Rostron is Chapman’s chorus director, and she recommended some of her own students to sign up for AP Music Theory.

Most students she recommends “will not just be singers but usually they’ll play an instrument as well,” Rostron said.

As musicians, students can benefit from AP Music Theory in many ways. 

“Because your ear is more focused on what you’re listening to, it would develop intonation more as a musician –as you play,” Kuhn said.

The class also works on developing students’ ability to remember and describe pitches, melodies, harmonies, scales and more. But it is an Advanced Placement course, so students will already need to have a foundation on knowledge of music theory if they want to do well.

“You can’t just go in there not knowing anything,” Rostron said. “You need to have a basic understanding of (music) theory and how the notation works.”

Kuhn also shared that music theory is essential for musicians of all types. 

“Theory is the building block for all music, (and) so it just makes you a better musician,” Jeanette Kuhn said.

She wants students to take away as much from this class as they can and realize its importance for all students. 

“I believe for a well-rounded, solid education, music is vital to that. It’s not just math, english, science and social studies,” Kuhn said.