Nancy Scoggin’s recently published book, “AP Music Theory,” isn’t pleasure reading for the average bookworm hooked on mysteries, biographies and historical novels.
But it can be appreciated by the average reader with an elementary grasp of music.
“The first chapter starts, ‘This is a staff’ and ‘This is a clef,’ and there’s more than one staff and more than one clef,” the 29-year Joshua ISD music teacher said at a Saturday book signing at Borders in Burleson.
A musician, on the other hand, can follow Scoggin’s work like the letters of the alphabet.
“There are 22 chapters and two exams in the book,” Scoggin said. “At the end of each chapter are questions in the form of an exam. The two full exams are the same length and quality. The purpose of the book is to prepare students for an exam, and the best way to prepare for an exam is to take a sample exam.”
Scoggin’s connection with her publisher, Barron’s, evolved through her teaching of summer college classes in music theory to students and fellow teachers. Her position at Joshua evolved as well.
“I started at Joshua High when it was a 2A school,” she said. “There were only two of us, the band director and me. I was assistant director for six years, then was head director for 15 years. I now teach elementary music and AP [advance placement] theory. I got involved in AP toward the end of my time teaching at the high school.
“Then my life took a little different turn. I really found my niche when I became a consultant for the College Board and started teaching in the summer at various colleges and AP institutes, meaning I teach week-long courses to other high school teachers who are about to teach theory to their students. I found I really enjoyed that.”
Barron’s noticed.
“I’d been teaching in college in the summers,” Scoggin said, “and I’d been a [College Board] grader. There are nine questions on a music theory exam that have to be graded by human beings. That was in 2006. Then it was a question of networking and people knowing who I am. In 2007, I got an e-mail from Barron’s, asking if I would consider writing a chapter for a book. I told them I would. There were multiple people submitting chapters. The evaluators were anonymous.
“It was a difficult thing for me to do because it was August, and I was involved in helping marching band. But I did it and was glad. I didn’t anticipate that anything would come from writing that chapter, but Barron’s offered me a book contract. I started writing in earnest in March of 2008. It was completed in September of 2009.”
The purpose of an AP course is to prepare a student for similar college curriculum and allow them an opportunity to earn college credit through the AP course.
“The object is to take the exam and score high enough to get college credit,” Scoggin said. “Most of the students who take AP music theory are going to be music majors. AP music theory is a fully in-depth study of music from listening to analyzing to creating. We start with the simplest things like different clefs to complicated things like listening to whole pieces of music and answering questions about what we hear. There is also a singing component. The students have to be able to look at the music and perform what they’re hearing.”
Students who don’t gain the college credit are still better prepared for college music classes.
“Just having that background and preparation is beneficial to the kids,” Scoggin said.
She’s proudest, she said, of the segments of the book dealing with melody and harmony.
“Those are the two elements of the exam that are the hardest for the students,” Scoggin said. “There are four CDs that go with the book. I had to convince Barron’s to add an additional CD, because part of what [students] have to do is answer questions about the music they hear. The CD [Scoggin suggested] helps students be successful on the harmonic and melodic portion.”
The book is vital on two fronts, Scoggin said.
“It’s a resource for students who don’t take the class and want to get ready for college, and it’s a resource for teachers who might use another textbook but want a workbook. This book is hands-on.”
