The Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) is a public

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secondary school in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Mary ...

, and is part of the

School District of Philadelphia The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the 8th largest school district in the nation, by enrollment, serving over 200 ...

, covering grades five through twelve. All students are able to pursue music as a major subject area.

History

The Girard Academic Music Program began operation in September 1974 as an alternative program within the Stephen Girard School at 18th and Snyder Avenue. It began with one 4th and one 5th grade class of approximately 55 students, 2 academic teachers, 1 teacher's aide and 1 music teacher/coordinator. They were the pioneers who initiated the academic and musical success of the school. Over its lifetime, the school has been based in several locations. From its inception until 1976, it was located in the Trinity Church Parish House at 18th & Wolf Streets). In 1976, it moved to the Armory, now owned by St. Rita's Church, located at Broad & Wharton Streets. Since 1979, the school has been located in the former Edgar Allan Poe School at 22nd & Ritner Streets, in the Girard Estate neighborhood of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since 1 ...

. The building was designed by Henry deCoursey Richards and built in 1913–1914. It is a four-story, five bay, brick and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms when ...

building on a raised basement in the

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

-style. It features a three-bay, projecting center section with an arched limestone entrance, decorative panels, and a

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with battlement cuts. It was named for author

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widel ...

. The Poe school was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1986. As one of the first Small Learning Communities, GAMP has grown to its present size of a staff of 30 and over 600 students that include grades 5 through 12. The unique school organization has all students as “music majors” providing the framework for the development of a strong academic and musical program. With a 97–100% college acceptance rate among each senior class and scholarships valued at over one to two million dollars yearly, GAMP continues to grow in stature within the city of Philadelphia.

Music Studies

Girard Academy Music Program Main Entrance 02

In addition to a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum, students are required to enroll in several music courses every year, and may choose additional classes or ensembles to further develop their musicianship. All students at GAMP participate in general choir, which is organized by grade groups: 5th and 6th grade, 7th and 8th grade, and 9th through 12th grade. The concert choir is an auditioned group which performs the most advanced repertoire and travels for various performances throughout the school year. The Concert Choir has performed for

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Bill Clinton and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citizen ...

, former

Governor of Pennsylvania A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

Ed Rendell Edward Gene Rendell (; born January 5, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, politician, and author. He served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011, as chair of the national Democratic Party, and as the 96th Mayor of Philade ...

, former

Mayors of Philadelphia In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

John Street and

Michael Nutter Michael Anthony Nutter (born June 29, 1957) is an American politician who served as the 98th Mayor of Philadelphia. Elected on November 6, 2007, he was reelected to a second term on November 8, 2011. He is a previous member of the Philadelphia ...

, the inauguration for Mayor

Jim Kenney James Francis Kenney (born August 7, 1958) is an American politician who is the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. Kenney was first elected on November 3, 2015, defeating his Republican rival Melissa Murray Bailey after winning the crowded Democrati ...

, and alongside Grammy Award-winning singer

Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honori ...

. All students have three periods of Music Theory weekly. In theory class,

students A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...

lean the basic building blocks of music, including sight singing, rhythm performance, dictation, written theory, composition, and functional piano skills. Advanced Placement Music Theory is offered for 11th and 12th grade students. The Instrumental Music department consists of a variety of ensembles for both middle and high school students, including String Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band. Students enrolled in instrumental music are provided weekly group lessons for their instrument. Ensembles have performed at a diverse number of locations and events, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Side by Side with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Rittenhouse Square Flower Show, the Warwick Hotel, and the Marching Band in the annual Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade.

Sports

The school has cross country, baseball, tennis, basketball, softball, and cheerleading. Additionally, students may participate in other sports (football, volleyball, wrestling) through a partnership with

South Philadelphia High School South Philadelphia High School is a public secondary high school located in the Lower Moyamensing neighborhood of South Philadelphia, at the intersection of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue. The school serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the ...

. The GAMP mascot is the Pioneer. The mascot was named in a contest with Robert Fiss's selection of "Pioneers". "Quakers" was the second choice. The Pioneer was chosen because pioneers were courageous and contributed to the growth of this nation. GAMP is a pioneer in the field of education, by instilling in every student the art of music, making it a rarity in the

. Much like the Pioneers contributed to the growth of this nation by courageously settling unknown frontiers, GAMP contributes to the growth of young minds.

References

External links

Girard Academic Music Program
{{authority control School District of Philadelphia Public middle schools in Pennsylvania High schools in Philadelphia Educational institutions established in 1974 Public high schools in Pennsylvania Magnet schools in Pennsylvania 1974 establishments in Pennsylvania South Philadelphia School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Tudor Revival architecture in Pennsylvania School buildings completed in 1914