Variety is the spice of life; the same holds for students when deciding which classes to add to their class schedule. To increase the variety offered, this year Yutan High School added a Music Appreciation class taught by music teacher Hunter Holoubek to the class roster, and his class promises to help students obtain a better understanding of the music in the world around them.
Initially, the class was added to round out the schedule and to give students more opportunities to take a fine arts class.
“Originally, we were having kind of a hard time finding a shop teacher. And they needed to add some more classes to the schedule,” said Holoubek.
To address this need, Holoubek created a class where students would learn about different music types and how they influenced our forms of music today. The class focuses somewhat on the historical side, starting with the beginning of music and ending in the modern day.
“So we talked about from the beginning of time, when did music start? What did it look like? And how has it evolved throughout time? So we went from the beginning of time pretty much up until the modern period within music,” said Holoubek.
While the class focuses on going through music throughout the eras, it also has another purpose: to help students recognize the beauty of music in their own lives and develop an appreciation for it.
“A lot of people just think of music as something they listened to on the radio or something they listen to to hype them up, but having a true appreciation for what it takes to create that music and truly understanding what that music is, is a kind of a separate thing that we don’t always understand and I want my students to understand,” said Holoubek.
Since the class is new, it may not be on everyone’s radar yet. However, it is packed with variety, meaning there is a little something for everyone.
“Early on in the school year, we were learning music theory. Before that, we were learning about the Baroque period, the Renaissance period, and other historical music periods, but my favorite has been learning about Taylor Swift,” said junior Reagan Wilson.
Not only is the class syllabus diverse, but the structure of the class can vary from unit to unit and day to day, adding an element of the unexpected.
“Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we learn and do notes or something like that and then Tuesday and Thursday do an activity, like this unit we are learning how to play the ukulele,” Wilson said.
The students are enjoying the chance to learn a new instrument.
“This week we’re learning how to play the ukulele, which is a new experience for me. It’s been fun so far. We learn how to do the notes, and we are doing this for Christmas,” said sophomore Madi Ledden.
Whether they are taking notes or playing new instruments, Holoubek’s goal remains the same: he wants music to be part of their lives.
“I want my students to leave my classroom with a better understanding and appreciation of what music is and music in their life” said Holoubek.
