AP Music Theory, taught by Karen Irish, is not the typical advanced placement class. Music theory is an in depth study of how music is written. The class is composed of choir, band, and orchestra students. This results in everyone gaining different takeaways from music theory.
“I love passing on musical knowledge and seeing students being able to apply it to the music that they are performing,” Irish said.
There is no typical day in AP music theory. Students practice being able to hear music and writing it down in musical notation, analyzing specific music to see how it is written, writing melodies, and performing melodies.
Karen Irish has recently taken over the role of the AP Music Theory instructor. She took a lot of music theory classes in college, and truly enjoyed it. Now, she is able to share her love for music with her students.
“It’s wonderful when a student tells me that something they learned in my class helped them understand something better when they were playing their instrument or singing,” Irish said. “It’s a really rewarding feeling.”
Irish recommends everyone take AP Music Theory, even with no musical background. However, the class is catered to passionate music students who are curious about how music works. Many colleges and universities don’t take the AP Music Theory credit, even if the student earns a 5 on their AP exam.
“Just as with anything in life, when you understand the why behind why something exists the way it does, you understand the subject much more in-depth, and you can appreciate it so much more,” Irish said.
The love of music is shared by the students and the teachers. Music has the ability to connect people of different descents and backgrounds.
“I enjoy passing on my love of music to students and seeing them take on a new appreciation for something many of them have been doing for 6 to 10 years of their lives,” Irish said.
