ON-SITE TEACHER
Dr. Jeffrey Parola
Dr. Jeffrey Parola is an accomplished organist, conductor, vocalist, and composer. As a liturgical musician, his career spans over 20 years, with an eclectic background of performance in a variety of genres. Dr. Parola served as Master of the Music at Saint Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Hollywood for 9 years (2012–2021), until his recent appointment as Director of Music Ministry at Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Community in the summer of 2021.
As a performer, Dr. Parola has presented recitals in New York City, and locally for the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica and the American Guild of Organists, Los Angeles Chapter. In 2016, he made his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in the world premiere performance of David Lang’s sleeper’s prayer for boy soprano and organ. Dr. Parola has also sung professionally with several highly acclaimed ensembles, including the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and Schola Cantorum San Francisco, and most recently with Jacaranda Music, The Benedict 16 (San Francisco), Tonality, the Golden Bridge, the Choir of St. James’, and the LASchola.
A composer of numerous orchestral, chamber, and choral/vocal works, Dr. Parola’s works have been commissioned and performed around the world, and his goal as a composer is to write music that is meaningful, challenging, and interesting for performers and audiences alike. Dr. Parola’s compositions have garnered several notable honors, including the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Hoefer Prize, the Rappaport Prize for Music Composition, and the European American Musical Alliance Prize.
Dr. Jeffrey Parola is a dedicated educator, and he currently serves as Professor of Music Theory at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music. He has served on the faculty for a number of institutions, including the Thornton School of Music (USC) and California State University at Northridge.
Dr. Parola received his Bachelor of Arts in Music (Composition), 2002 at UCLA, a Master of Music (Composition), 2005 from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts (Composition), 2017 from USC.
My Course
The Power of Music: Inherent Life Lessons in Pitch and Rhythm (Grades: 9 & 10)
Music is powerful! But isn't it strange that sounds can move us? Why is it that music is beautiful, exciting, and moving to us in the first place? How is it that pitches and rhythms make us feel something, or even make us think more deeply? This course delves into those questions by looking at how music is ultimately an expression of human relationships. We will examine the nature of sound, systems of pitch, and elements of rhythm to explore the fundamental connection between life and music.