View source for Girard Academic Music Program

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox school
| name = Girard Academic Music Program
| image = Girard Academy Music Program Main Entrance 01.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = GAMP Main Entrance
| streetaddress = 2136 W. Ritner Street
| city = [[Philadelphia]]
| state = [[Pennsylvania]]
| zipcode = 19145
| country = [[United States]]
| district = [[School District of Philadelphia|The School District of Philadelphia]]
| founder = Jack Carr
| principal = Joanne Beaver (interim)
| asst principal =
| staff =
| ranking =
| faculty =
| teaching_staff =
| type = [[State school|Public]]
| grades = [[Fifth grade|5]]-[[Twelfth grade|12]]
| campus =
| campus size =
| campus type = urban
| athletics =
| conference =
| slogan =
| song =
| fightsong =
| motto = 
| motto_translation =
| mascot = The Pioneers
| mascot image =
| sports =
| colors = Kelly Green & Blue {{Color box|green|border=darkgray}}{{Color box|blue|border=darkgray}}
| yearbook =
| publication =
| newspaper =
| established = 1974
| status =
| alumni =
| enrollment =
| enrollment_as_of =
| homepage = {{URL|gamp.philasd.org}}
| coordinates = {{coord|39.9221|-75.1832|region:US-PA_type:edu|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = Philadelphia#Pennsylvania#USA
| footnotes     = {{Infobox NRHP
| name = Edgar Allan Poe School
| nrhp_type = 
| image = EA Poe School Philly.JPG
| caption = Edgar Allan Poe School, May 2010
| location = 2136 Ritner St., [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
| built = 1913–1914
| architect = Henry deCoursey Richards
| builder = Charles McCaul Co.
| architecture = Tudor Revival, Jacobean
| added = December 4, 1986
| area = {{convert|1|acre}}
| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64000730|title=Philadelphia Public Schools TR}}
| refnum = 86003318<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}
| module        = {{Infobox mapframe
| stroke-color = #C60C30
| stroke-width  = 3
| marker        = school
| marker-color = #1F2F57
| zoom          = 13}}
}}

The '''Girard Academic Music Program''' (GAMP) is a public [[magnet school|magnet]] secondary school in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and is part of the [[School District of Philadelphia]], 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamp.philasd.org/history/|title=GAMP History}}</ref>

Since 1979, the school has been located in the former Edgar Allan Poe School at 22nd & Ritner Streets, in the [[Girard Estate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Girard Estate]] neighborhood of [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]. The building was designed by [[Henry deCoursey Richards]] and built in 1913–1914. It is a four-story, five-bay, brick and [[limestone]] building on a raised basement in the [[Tudor Revival architecture|Tudor Revival]]-style. It features a three-bay, projecting center section with an arched limestone entrance, decorative panels, and a [[parapet]] with battlement cuts.  It was named for author [[Edgar Allan Poe]]. The Poe school was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1986.<ref name="nris"/>

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==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2023}}
[[File:Girard Academy Music Program Main Entrance 02.jpg|thumb|GAMP Clef Musical Symbol]]
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 [[Presidents of the United States|United States President]] [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Barack Obama]], the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], former [[Governor of Pennsylvania]] [[Ed Rendell]], former [[Mayor of Philadelphia|Mayors of Philadelphia]] [[John F. Street|John Street]] and [[Michael Nutter]], the inauguration for Mayor [[Jim Kenney]], for the Philadelphia Eagles for Super Bowl LIX and alongside Grammy Award-winning singer [[Idina Menzel]].

Some students have two or three periods of Music Theory weekly. In theory class, [[students]] 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,Swing Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, 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) through a partnership with [[South Philadelphia High School]].

The GAMP mascot is the Pioneer.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://gamp.philasd.org/ Girard Academic Music Program]

{{South Philadelphia}}
{{Schools in Philadelphia}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:School District of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Public middle schools in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:High schools in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1974]]
[[Category:Public high schools in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Magnet schools in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:South Philadelphia]]
[[Category:School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Tudor Revival architecture in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:School buildings completed in 1914]]