Welcome to the music program at ICS! My name is Taryn Long, and I am the music teacher here at our school. This is my 6th year at our school!  I am so proud of all we have accomplished and how much our program has grown since 2017! A little bit of information about me:

• I have a BA in Saxophone Performance from the Hartt school of Music and an MA in Music Education and Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington
• Before teaching in public schools, I used to work as a private teacher, freelance musician, and pit orchestra musician for theatre companies in the tri-state area
• In my free time, I enjoy getting outside into nature through gardening, hiking, and running! I am also a homebody and enjoy board games, playing DnD, and the occasional Netflix binge as well!

My favorite part about teaching music ensembles is helping students to find the confidence to use their own unique voices through the art of performance!

Please see below for your class period to read about what we're currently up to in class and to catch up on concert dates, requirements, and more information about the class in your syllabus.

Period 2 - Choir

This is the biggest choir we have in the history of ICS at a whopping 43 students!! So many new choristers are learning to use proper vocal technique and how to sing in two- and three-part harmony. We are busy with learning the foundations of music theory, rhythm, and note-reading. We are also learning to use Solfege as a method to learn to read and sing music. Finally, we are gearing up for our collaboration with the ICS Library for a "Frightful Fall Feature" video to be shown in homeroom by learning our first piece of repertoire. This video will be shared with families at the end of October!

Click here to read through our Choir Syllabus to learn more about the basics of our class.

Period 5 - MS Orchestra

This is the first year that we have a true Middle School Orchestra during the school day at ICS (we used to be an after school program!). We are off to a great start, and are finding leadership opportunities for older students to help out and collaborate with newer musicians. In class we are currently focusing on the D Major and F Major scales and their common finger patterns, dissecting and understanding basic rhythm principles, and diving into some basic music theory. Finally, we are gearing up for our collaboration with the ICS Library for a "Frightful Fall Feature" video to be shown in homeroom by learning our first piece of repertoire. This video will be shared with families at the end of October!

Click here to read through our Orchestra Syllabus to learn more about the basics of our class.

Period 6 - HS Symphony Ensemble

We are excited to see our high school music class grow this year with many new members! We are off to an exciting start for high school musicians - we just got done with our first "performance" experience where we performed a few popular pep band songs at our school's ASB Assembly on September 21st. We have dived right into building sight reading skills and are working on communication, balance, and blend of our new ensemble. Finally, we are gearing up for our collaboration with the ICS Library for a "Frightful Fall Feature" video to be shown in homeroom by learning our first piece of repertoire. This video will be shared with families at the end of October!

Click here to read through our Symphony Ensemble Syllabus to learn more about the basics of our class.

Period 7 - Concert Band

This is the first year that we have a true Middle School Band during the school day at ICS (we used to be an after school program!). We are excitedly working our way through the first Method Book, reviewing some old concepts in music literacy and learning some new ones along the way! We have many new musicians who are taking their time to learn proper technique, fingerings, and notation basics. Our band's favorite song to play through so far is called "Farm Out" (a hip new take on "Old McDonald Had a Farm" - it's all the rage with our students!). Finally, we are gearing up for our collaboration with the ICS Library for a "Frightful Fall Feature" video to be shown in homeroom by learning our first real piece of repertoire. This video will be shared with families at the end of October!

Click here to read through our Concert Band Syllabus to learn more about the basics of our class.

0 Period - Jazz Band

Congratulations if your student made it into our Jazz Band this year! Rehearsals will begin next week on Tuesday 10/4. Because the ICS camp is happening during the remainder of the week, this will be the only time Jazz Band meets next week. Our next rehearsal will be on Monday, 10/10 and we will continue on with our regular schedule. Our Jazz Band will meet regularly this year Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during 0 Period from 6:40 AM to 7:25 AM. I look forward to getting started with this group next week!

Our syllabus for Jazz Band will be sent home with students next week.