Music
Young musicians develop advanced musical skills through private instruction, ensemble training, and public performances while exploring diverse opportunities.
Classical | Contemporary | Jazz | World
Overview
Guided by professional, practicing musicians, the Residential High School Music program serves 10th-12th graders and provides studio instruction in brass, percussion, piano, strings, voice and woodwind instruments.
Students receive free private lessons, participate in ensembles and chamber groups, perform solo recitals and attend seminars and master classes with esteemed faculty and guest artists.
All students take courses in music theory and history that shape artistic development by studying music through an analytical and cultural context. They also receive vocal training as a part of their participation in the Governor's School Choir.
Read more details about each Music studio below.
Music Studios
Brass
- Students in the brass studio receive weekly private lessons on their instrument of specialization (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, or tuba), participate in Brass technique classes twice per week, a Brass master class once per week, and perform on Friday student recitals.
- Brass chamber ensembles perform each semester in Smith Recital Hall and are featured in off-campus performances each year.
- Brass students participate in the Wind Ensemble and Sinfonia Chamber Ensemble, can elect to perform with the Jazz Orchestra, and also audition for the Jazz combo.
- Brass faculty members are trained in classical and jazz performance and perform with some of the foremost orchestras and ensembles in the area including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Spartanburg Philharmonic, and the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra.
- Brass students participate in statewide and regional competitions, and they regularly perform in master classes for esteemed guest artists.
Percussion
- Percussion students have access to our state-of-the-art percussion studio which features classical, world, and jazz percussion instruments.
- Our percussion students receive weekly private lessons with our percussion instructor and receive instruction in percussion master class and percussion ensemble twice per week.
- Students perform a percussion ensemble concert each semester and have the opportunity to perform on Friday student recitals.
- They participate in the Wind Ensemble, Sinfonia Chamber Ensemble, can elect to perform with the Jazz Orchestra, and also audition for the Jazz combo.
- Our percussion instructor is trained in classical, drum set, world, and jazz percussion and provides instruction on a wide array of percussion specialties.
- Percussion students participate in statewide competitions, and they regularly perform in master classes for esteemed guest artists
Piano
- Piano students receive weekly private lessons, take classes in piano literature, piano technique, and keyboard skills, perform in piano ensembles, and perform solo works on Friday student recitals.
- Our recital hall features a Steinway D Concert Grand piano, and classrooms have baby grand pianos for classes and practice.
- Our practice rooms are equipped with baby grand and upright pianos for individual practice, and the school owns a McCobb fortepiano and Kingston harpsichord.
- Piano students participate in statewide and regional competitions, and they regularly perform in master classes for esteemed guest artists.
Strings
- String students receive weekly private lessons on their instrument of specialization (violin, viola, cello, or bass), participate in twice weekly string seminar classes, weekly instrument specific master classes, and perform on Friday student recitals.
- String chamber ensembles perform each semester in Smith Recital Hall and are often featured in off-campus performances.
- String students perform with the Concertato String Orchestra which is a conductorless ensemble, the Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, and can elect to perform with the Jazz Orchestra.
- Students participate in statewide and regional competitions, and they regularly perform in master classes for esteemed guest artists.
Voice
- Voice students receive a weekly voice lesson and vocal coaching with our voice faculty.
- Students sing classical, contemporary, musical theatre, and jazz styles in multiple performance opportunities each semester.
- Voice students take classes in vocal diction, acting for singers, movement for singers, and vocal literature, and perform in Opera Scenes, Musical Theatre Scenes, Musical Theatre productions, vocal diction recitals, with the Cantus Chamber Choir, and present solo works on Friday student recitals.
- They participate in competitions hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and YoungArts.
- Students regularly perform in master classes for esteemed guest artists.
Woodwinds
- Woodwind students receive weekly lessons on their instrument of specialization (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or saxophone), participate in twice weekly woodwind seminar classes, weekly woodwind master classes, and perform on Friday student recitals.
- They have access to secondary woodwind instruments including piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, English horn, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, and bari saxophone for performances in ensembles.
- Woodwind chamber ensembles perform a concert in Smith Recital Hall each semester and are often featured in off-campus performances.
- Students perform with the Wind Ensemble, Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, can elect to perform with the Jazz Orchestra, and also audition for the Jazz combo.
- They participate in statewide and regional competitions, and they regularly perform in master classes for esteemed guest artists.
- The woodwind studio emphasizes the importance of community and allows each student to grow at their own pace. In our educational environment, all students are encouraged to take an active role in their education and receive coaching in topics like audition preparation, reducing performance anxiety, and pursuing creative projects.
Opportunities
- Guest Artist Master Classes: Several times a semester, students have the opportunity to take master classes with renowned guest artists that complement their training with new techniques and a variety of artistic perspectives.
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Public Performances: As part of the intensive curriculum, students represent the school through performances in the Governor's School Choir and one or more of the following large groups each semester: Cantus Chamber Choir, Concertato String Orchestra, Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.
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Competitions: Music students can choose to compete in regional and national competitions and have been recognized by organizations such as the American String Teachers Association, Carolina Youth Symphony, Music Teachers National Association, S.C. Band Directors Association, and YoungArts.
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Music Tour Abroad: Every other year, the entire Music Department takes a trip abroad. Previous tours have taken place in Italy and Germany.
Achievements
- In the past three years, 13 students have placed in the SC Music Teachers National Association competition.
- For the past six years, a Govie has won in their instrumental category in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) competition.
- In 2023, a piano student won 1st price in Division II and another won 3rd prize in the Division III category in the W. Darr Wise Piano Competition at Newberry College.
- Students are consistently accepted in the SC Region Bands and All-State Bands and Orchestra.
- Vocalists have either advanced, placed or named winners in the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Classical Singer Vocal Competition, and YoungArts competitions.
- Music graduates have gone on to study at the nation's top colleges, universities and conservatories including Cleveland Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Florida State University, Furman University, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, and University of South Carolina.
