Course Catalog

The Texas Normal Singing School presents the most robust curriculum of its kind. Our aim is to equip, educate, and inspire our students and graduates to be successful as the primary resource in their local congregation for all matters pertaining to worship, particularly singing. The breadth and depth of our curriculum reflect that goal.

At its fullest, the Singing School presents a four-year certification program that leads a student through a proscribed curriculum. TNSS students may take any courses they like, but students intending to earn the Public Worship Leadership (Men) or Church Music (Women) certifications must complete the required course load.

Click on any of the Course Series labels below to explore the classes offered in those disciplines.

Music Theory Courses (MT Series)

MT101 – Fundamentals of Church Music Theory (“Music Theory”)

MT101SP – Fundamentos de Teoría Musical en la Iglesia (“Teoría Musical“)

Recommended for: Any interested in the basics of music and/or learning how to teach music to a congregation

Required for: All first-year students (A student may test out of this class)

Description: The basics necessary to read music are covered

Goal: To equip the student with the basics of music as it pertains to church music

Topics:

  1. Elements of sound and songs
  2. Absolute pitch notation
  3. Pitch modification
  4. Development of scales
  5. Relative pitch notation
  6. Chromatic scale
  7. Note length notation
  8. Rhythm
  9. Repeats and endings
  10. Volume and tempo notation

MT102 – Applied Music Theory (“Music Theory for Song Leaders”)

MT201 – Music Theory 201 (“Harmony 1” or “Introduction to Harmony”)

Recommended for: Any interested in the basics of music harmony theory

Required for: All second-year students or students that test out of Music Theory

101 (A student may test out of this class)

Description: Introduction to the theory and use of chords in church music

Goal: To equip the student with knowledge and use of the primary major chords

Topics:

  1. Review of Music Theory 101 material
  2. Major diatonic scale
  3. Intervals
  4. Chords of the major keys
  5. Use of the Tonic, Dominant, and Sub-dominant chords
  6. Dominant seventh chord
  7. Inversions
  8. Passing and neighboring tones

MT301 – Music Theory 301 (“Harmony 2”)

Recommended for: Any interested in the basics of music harmony theory

Required for: All third year students not in certification tracks or students that test out of Music Theory 201

Description: A continuation of harmony theory through altered chords

Goal: To equip the student with knowledge and use of the primary and secondary chords

Topics:

  1. Review of Music Theory 201 material
  2. Figured bass notation
  3. Secondary chords
  4. Other seventy and ninth chords of the major keys
  5. Cadences
  6. Altered chords

MT401 – Music Theory 401 (Harmony 3)

Harmony 3 is only offered under special circumstances.

Recommended for: Any interested in advanced church music theory

Required for: n/a

Description: A continuation of harmony theory

Goal: To further equip the student with knowledge and use of advanced techniques with chords and progressions

Topics:

  1. Shaped notes and solphege in the chromatic scale
  2. Intervals based on size and quality
  3. Major and Harmonic Minor scales
  4. Construction, recognition, and use of triads and 4-tone chords
  5. Non-harmonic tones
  6. Structure of musical phrases
  7. Chord progression using both major and minor triads
  8. Concepts of regression and neutral tonic chord
  9. Using dominant-function chords for modulation
  10. Various types of augmented 6th chords
Sight Reading and Vocal Culture Courses (SR Series, VC Series)

SR101 – Sight Reading 101 (“Beginning Sight Reading”)

Recommended for: Any interested in learning how to read music

Required for: All first- and second-year students

Description: Learn to read shaped notes, note length, observe repeats and observe dynamic markings

Goal: To equip the student to read new music and voice parts

Topics:

  1. The major diatonic scale
  2. Determining the keytone
  3. The minor scale
  4. Note length
  5. Rhythm patterns
  6. Voice parts
  7. Repeats and endings
  8. Dynamic markings

SR201 – Sight Reading 201 (“Advanced Sight Reading”)

Recommended for: Any interested in expanding their sight-reading ability

Required for: Those completing any of the certification programs

Description: A continuation of building skills learned in Sight Reading 101

Goal: To equip the student with skills to read more difficult music and conventional notation

Topics:

  1. Tune intervals
  2. Sing and understand major and minor intervals
  3. Sing 3 forms of minor scales
  4. Sing chromatic notes using solfege
  5. Sight read completely unknown material
  6. Lead or rehearse group rehearsals and sectionals for unknown material
  7. Sing solfege of a memorized melody without written assistance
  8. Identify a song by the written melody alone

VC101 – Vocal Culture (“Voice Lessons”)

Song Leading Courses (SL Series, Video Coaching)

SL101T – Song Leading for Teens

SL101A – Song Leading for Adults (“Beginning Song Leading”)

SL101SP – Líder de Canto Enseñado

Recommended for: Any interested in learning to lead singing

Required for: All first-year song leading students Students may test out of this class.

Description: The basics of leading singing are introduced and practiced as a group and individually

Goal: To equip the student with basic skills to lead singing in a congregational environment

Topics:

  1. Announcing a song
  2. Determining pitch
  3. Starting a song
  4. Correct hand motions in different meters
  5. Voice projection
  6. Ending a song

SL201A – Song Leading 2 (“Intermediate Song Leading”)

Recommended for: Any interested in expanding their song leading skills

Required for: All second-year song leading students

Description: More advanced song leading skills are presented and practiced along with using projected song presentations

Goal: To equip the student with more advanced skills used in leading singing in a congregational environment

Topics:

  1. Review of Beginning Song Leading material
  2. Mechanics
  3. Resources
  4. Teamwork
  5. Spirituality
  6. Technology
  7. Issues in song leading

SL301 – Advanced Song Leading

Recommended for: Any interested in expanding their song leading skills

Required for: All third year song leading students

Description: More advanced song leading skills are presented and practiced

Goal: To equip the student with more advanced skills to lead singing in a congregational environment

Topics:

  1. From paper to paperless
  2. Praise teams and beyond
  3. From song leader to worship leader
  4. Individualism to collectivism
  5. Future shock
  6. Train for public assembly leading

SL401 – Worship Leader Dynamics

Video Coaching Lab

Songwriting Courses (SW Series, FS Series)

SW101 – Song Writing

Recommended for: Any interested in writing lyrics and music

Required for: All song writing students

Description: Basics in lyric composition and music authorship to more advanced assignments in arranging

Goal: To write a singable song while in this class

Topics:

  1. Lyric composition
  2. Music authorship
  3. Styles of songs
  4. Arranging

FS101 – Finale® Software (Introduction to Finale Music Publication Software)

Recommended for: Any interested in writing and/or publishing music

Required for: Any song-writing students

Requirements: The student must bring their own laptop to use in class

Description: Basics of Finale and its use in publishing music

Goal: To gain a basic knowledge of the use of Finale

Topics:

  1. Loading Finale on your computer
  2. Setting up Finale for use
  3. Entering music
  4. Entering text
  5. Formatting the page
  6. Formatting endings
  7. Dynamic markings
  8. Using shaped notation
  9. Printing music from Finale
  10. Saving Finale files in pdf format and making slides for PowerPoint®
Music Appreciation and History Courses (MA Series)

MA101 – Music Appreciation 1 (“History of Church Music”)

Recommended for: Any interested in the history of our church music

Required for: All first year students (Open to spouses of paying students)

Description: Biblical music history and stories behind specific songs, authors and composers

Goal: For the student to gain an appreciation for our music heritage

Topics:

  1. Music in the Bible
  2. Post New Testament church music
  3. Reformation music
  4. British hymns and authors
  5. American hymns and authors
  6. Composers and authors from the churches of Christ

MA201 – Music Appreciation 2 (“Trends in Church Music”)

Recommended for: Any interested in visualizing how our music has and is changing

Required for: All second-year students

Description: A survey of church music and changing times

Goal: To equip the student with a basic knowledge of the various styles of church music and how they relate to culture

Topics:

  1. Physical history found in the ACU Library Archives
  2. Music during the Restoration Movement
  3. Sacred Harp singing and Shape Notation
  4. Hymnals during the Restoration Movement
  5. Liturgical materials, A/V resources in worship
  6. Contemporary Music
  7. What does the future hold

MA301 – Music Appreciation 3 (“History of Public Worship”)

Recommended for: Any interested in the history of public worship

Required for: All third-year students

Description: Review of the history of public worship from historical and Biblical perspectives

Goal: For the student to gain an appreciation of customs and heritage in our worship

Topics:

  1. Pre-Mosaic worship
  2. Worship under the Mosaic Law
  3. Jewish synagogue worship
  4. New Testament worship
  5. Home churches
  6. The Roman Church
  7. Worship during the reformation movement
  8. Worship in the Americas
  9. Worship during the restoration movement

MA401 – Music Appreciation (“Science of Sound”)

Recommended for: All fourth-year students

Description: This class focuses on a practical understanding of sound as it relates to singing. Material presentation is through numerous visual aids and demonstrations. Some fundamental math concepts are used, but are thoroughly covered as part of the course.

Goal: To give the student a basic conversational understanding of the principles of sound

Topics:

  1. The four characteristics of sound
  2. Hearing
  3. Singing
  4. Musical scale
  5. Interference
  6. Standing waves
  7. Resonance
  8. Architectural acoustics
Singers Workshop Courses (SC Series)

SC101 – Singer’s Choral Workshop (Singer’s Workshop)

Recommended for: Any interested in singing church music; Any instructor not busy during this period; Open to spouses of paying students.

Required for: All students not in song leading, song writing, or certification tracks

Description: A chorus is formed from all attending students

Goal: To help the student become a better singer, follow direction, and perform before others

Topics:

  1. Breathing control
  2. Vocal warm-ups
  3. Vocal techniques
  4. Sight-reading
  5. Part singing
  6. Blending
  7. Choral performance
Men’s Certification in Public Worship Leadership Courses (PW Series)

PW301 – Men’s Certification Program (Public Worship Development)

Recommended for: Those wishing to be a full-time or part-time worship minister

Required for: Public Worship Certification

Description: Material covered prepares a song leader to be a worship leader

Goal: To provide training and materials to develop abilities contributing to better worship

Topics:

  1. The Public Assembly in the Bible
  2. Hospitality
  3. Prayer
  4. The Lord’s Supper
  5. The Scriptures
  6. Zeal for the Lord

PW401 – Men’s Certification Program (Public Worship Leadership)

Recommended for: Those wishing to be a full-time or part-time worship minister

Required for: Those seeking Public Worship Certification

Description: Material covered prepares a song leader to be a worship leader

Goal: To provide additional training and materials to develop abilities contributing to better worship

Topics:

  1. Ministry of Assembly: An Overview
  2. The 90 Minute Assembly
  3. Emotional Intelligence & Encouragement
  4. Lord’s Supper: Then and Now
  5. Church Growth
  6. Training for the Future

PW302 – Children and Church Music

Women’s Certification in Church Music Courses (WC Series)

Post-Certification Courses (PC Series)

PC501 – Post Certification (Post Graduate class)

Recommended for: Any returning student that has finished all regular track material

Required for: None

Description: Material changes from year to year

Goal: To give the student additional resources in their quest to be the best song/worship leader possible

Topics: As requested in advance by returning students

Escuela de Canto (SP Series)

SL101SP –Líder de canto enseñado en español.

Título: Líder de canto nivel (principiante).

Recomendado: para cualquier interesado en aprender a conducir canto.

Requerido: para todos los estudiantes del primer año. (Los estudiantes que conozcan el tema pueden optar por tomar el examen de esta clase).

Descripción: Los fundamentos del líder de canto se introducirán y se practicarán en grupo y también individualmente.

Objetivo: Dotar al estudiante con habilidades básicas para conducir el canto en un entorno congregacional.

Temas:

  1. Anunciando el canto.
  2. Determinando el tono del canto.
  3. Iniciar el canto.
  4. Movimientos correctos de la mano en diversos tiempos
  5. Proyección de la voz
  6. Conclusión del canto.
  7. Manejar correctamente situaciones básicas durante el canto.
  8. Planificación de servicios de adoración.
  9. Inteligencia emocional.

MT101SP – Fundamentos de la teoría de la música (clase de español)

Recomendado: para cualquier interesado en los fundamentos de la música o aprender a enseñar música a una congregación

Para: todos los estudiantes año primera (si el estudiante conoce el tema puede solo el examen de esta clase)

Descripción: Se cubren los conceptos básicos necesarios para leer música

Objetivo: Para equipar al estudiante con los conceptos básicos de la música en relación con la iglesia

Temas:

  1. Elementos de sonido y canto.
  2. Afinación del tono.
  3. Modificación del tono.
  4. Desarrollo de escalas
  5. Notación de tono relativo
  6. Escala cromática
  7. Notación de longitud de nota
  8. Ritmo
  9. Repeticiones y terminaciones
  10. Notación de volumen y tempo