music framework

7/28/2019 Music Framework

1/97

Music Curriculum FrameworkCenter For Educator Development In Fine Arts (CEDFA)

http://www.cedfa.org

My discovery of music was rather like coming upon an

unsuspected citylike discovering Paris or Rome if you had

never before heard of their existence. The excitement of

discovery was enhanced because I came upon only a fewstreets at a time, but before long I began to suspect the full

extent of this city.Aaron Copland


2/97

2 Music Curriculum Framework, Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA)


3/97

Music Curriculum Framework, Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) prepared this publication with funding from

the Texas Education Agency as a service to school administrators, teachers, and others interested in theeducational program of the state. Visit CEDFA online at http://www.cedfa.org.

This CEDFA publication is not copyrighted. Any or all sections may be duplicated.

CEDFA gratefully acknowledges the contributions of teachers, administrators, parents, and community

members involved in the preparation of this framework.


4/97



5/97


FOREWORD

The Texas Legislature, in authorizing the development of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

(TEKS), has as its goal for all students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to read, write,compute, problem solve, think critically, apply technology, and communicate across all subject areas. The

essential knowledge and skills shall also prepare and enable all students to continue to learn in post-

secondary educational, training, or employment settings.

This framework is provided to help local district and campus educators develop curricula that are aligned

with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Adoption of the TEKS provides Texas schools with the

opportunity to examine and modify their existing curricula. Neither the TEKS nor this curriculum

framework should be taken as curricula. The TEKS are the basis for state-level textbook adoption andassessment development. For students to take best advantage of these tools, each district must develop its

own curriculum in which all learning opportunities are aligned with the expectations of the TEKS.

The process of educating children is much like building a house. The TEKS provide a solid foundation, andthis curriculum framework constructs the frame. It is up to each district to complete the house in a manner

that meets the particular needs of its students. Districts are encouraged to exceed the minimum

requirements of law and State Board of Education rules, supplementing curricula with meaningful

activities, resources, and instructional materials.


6/97



7/97


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Perspectives on Music Education 9

The State Context for Music Education 11Organization of the TEKS 12

A Comprehensive Approach to Music Instruction 15

New Music Programs for Texas 19Music in Kindergarten through Grade 5 21

Music in the Middle School 29

Music in the High School 47

Instruction 79

Motivation 79

Strategies for teaching the Music TEKS 80

Special Considerations 85Assessment 86

Campus/District-level Considerations 89

Scheduling and Time 89Staffing 89

Professional Development 90

Program Evaluation 91

Appendix 93

Checklist for Quality Professional Development 95


8/97



9/97


PERSPECTIVES ON MUSIC EDUCATION

Spanning history and place, music has always been a vital part of the traditional

ceremonies and festivities of the worlds cultures. Music is a cultural keystone,giving us insight into societies that differ from one another in significant ways.

Studying music rigorously and comprehensively, we learn an eloquent language, or

languages, of human expression. We discover and define the aspects of music thatwe seem to understand immediatelyin intuitive and personal ways. We learn, too,that our understanding of music is limited by our knowledge of its cultures of origin.

Both our intuitive and our learned understandings of music deepen with the formal

study of its history and practice.

In addition to providing a means of studying and experiencing the worlds cultures,

music education fosters and enables participation in musical expression. It gives

voice to our fundamental needs for beauty and self-expression. If public education

fails to provide students with an opportunity to explore and develop their musicalabilities, it shortchanges its students.

Music programs in Texas schools have the opportunity to give students a strong

foundation in music history and in the knowledge and technical skills of musicalperformance. Substantive music education is capable of engendering the depth of

understanding and personal commitment required for students to sustain meaningful,lifelong relationships with musicas appreciators, or as non-professional and

professional musicians.

The goals for students in Texas music education programs include: Demonstrating an understanding of the components of artistic performance Understanding elements of music, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and pitch,

as they are used in musical composition, analysis, and performance Listening to and participating in music as audience members and learning to

make informed choices about music and musical performances Demonstrating an understanding of the roles and significance of music in

various cultures and historical periods Utilizing musical knowledge and skills in the work and/or avocations of life

after school.

Music is the manifestatioof the human spirit, similto language. Its greatestpractitioners haveconveyed to mankindthings not possible to sayin any other language. Ifwe do not want thesethings to remain deadtreasures, we must do ouutmost to make thegreatest possible numbeof people understand theidiom.Zoltan Kodaly


10/97



11/97


THE STATE CONTEXT FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

Senate Bill 1, passed by the 74th Texas Legislature, charged the State Board of

Education with clarifying essential knowledge and skills in the areas of the

foundation and enrichment curricula. As stated in the Texas Administrative Code,

districts must ensure that sufficient time is provided for [K5 and middle school]

teachers to teach and for students to learn the fine arts and many other disciplines.At the high school level, the district must offer courses from at least two of the four

fine arts areas (music, theatre, dance, and art). Both the Recommended High School

Program and the Distinguished Achievement Program require one credit from any ofthe courses listed in Chapter 117 of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

(TEKS). Additionally, students can gain recognition for outstanding achievement in

the fields of music, theatre, dance, and art in the Distinguished Achievement

Program.

With this role for the fine arts in Texas public schools, the writing committee for the

Fine Arts TEKS was established and included representatives of a broad range of

expertise in arts education. The thousands of Texans who gave input to the Fine ArtsTEKS included: Parents Business representatives Teachers State and community leaders State and national experts.

Together they reviewed multiple drafts of the Fine Arts TEKS to help ensure thatfine arts education in Texas public schools would have relevance and rigor.

The State Board of Education unanimously adopted the Fine Arts Texas Essential

Knowledge and Skills. The TEKS, a framework of knowledge and skills, articulatehigh expectations for all student achievement. The TEKS are considered content

standards that identify what all students should know and be able to do. However,

the TEKS do not constitute curricula and do not prescribe methodologies or

strategies for achieving the standards. Rather, they form the basis of local curricula,which are designed individually to meet the particular needs of each districts

students.

I am convinced that all ofus have a biologic

guarantee of musicianshThis is true regardless ofour age, formal experienwith music, or the size anshape of our fingers, lipsor ears. . . . We all havemusic inside us, and canlearn how to get it out, onway or another.Dr. Frank Wilson


12/97


Organization of the TEKS

Chapter 117 of the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, contains the Fine Arts

TEKS, which are organized by the following four strands:

Perception Creative expression/performance Historical and cultural heritage Response/evaluation.

In kindergarten through grade 8, the TEKS are also organized by content area and

grade level. For example, Music, Kindergarten begins the music section. At thehigh school level, course levels are indicated by course title followed by IIV. The

high school levels IIV represent student achievement levels and do not represent

grade level classifications.

After a brief introduction to the overall goals of music, the knowledge and skills are

listed. Knowledge and skills are stated for each strand at each grade level. For eachbroad category of knowledge and skills, several student expectations are listed,

describing how students will demonstrate the specified knowledge and skills. These

statements of student expectations provide a framework for instruction and

assessment of student achievement. For example:

The knowledge and skills of the TEKS are the basis of quality programs for all Texasstudents. The design of the Music TEKS scaffolds learning, creating both horizontal

and vertical alignment of knowledge and skills. With each advancement in grade or

course level, student achievement increases and is demonstrated by the: Degree of sophistication of knowledge and skills Scope of skills and knowledge to be taught Depth of understanding required in students evaluation and response.

117.33. Music, Grade 6.

(c) Knowledge and skills.

(6.3) Creative expression/performance. The student reads and writes

music notation.

The student is expected to:

(A) sight-read simple music in treble and/or other

clefs in various keys and meters;

(B) use standard symbols to notate meter, rhythm,

pitch, and dynamics; and

(C) identify music symbols and terms referring to

dynamics, tempo, and articulation and interpret them

appropriately when performing.

There are three things Iwas born with in thisworld, and there are

three things I will have

until the day I die:hope, determination,

and song.Miriam Makeba


13/97


Additionally, in each grade level and course, the four strands function

interdependently, minimizing the need for equal amounts of time to be allocated to

each strand. Strand interdependency is an essential concept for districts to consider in

developing and preparing curricula. In each class or course, all strands should beaddressed, but not necessarily in parity. Some courses may focus in great depth and

complexity on specific strands and only touch on others to demonstrate relevance

and relationships. However, all courses should ensure that students know and can dowhat is specified by the TEKS to ensure the achievement of each student. Using the

TEKS as a guide, the possibilities for advancing student music abilities multiply

exponentially.

The Fine Arts TEKS consider the typical stages of child and adolescent cognitive,

social/emotional and physical development to ensure that expectations for studentachievement are developmentally appropriate. Achievement expectations focus on

student capabilities and level-appropriate ways to help learners move to higher

plateaus of knowledge and skills. When course instruction is aligned with the Music

TEKS, learning in all four strands is scaffolded from one grade to the next, andstudents become self-directed learners, applying foundational knowledge and skills

to a wide range of musical content.

The effects of goodmusic are not justbecause its new; on thecontrary, music strikesus more the more

familiar we are with it.Johann WolfgangVon Goethe


14/97



15/97


A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO MUSIC INSTRUCTION

The introduction to the Music TEKS states that, in music, students develop their

intellect and refine their emotions, understand the cultural and creative nature ofmusical artistry, and make connections between music and the arts, technology, and

other aspects of their lives. In creative performance, students apply their critical

thinking skills and the expressive, technical skills of music in multiple exercises ofproblem solving. Through reflection on many musical periods and styles, studentsdevelop an understanding of musics varied roles in culture and history, a relevant

study of diversity for citizens of contemporary America. Additionally, students

analyze and evaluate music, developing criteria for making critical judgments and

informed choices.

A number of skills and knowledge bases developed in music study help students

achieve in other areas of school and daily life. They include: Critical thinking skills that facilitate the analysis and evaluation of problems

with more than one solution Processes for developing emotional awareness and growth Understandings of how history, culture, and society influence original creations,

re-creations, and creative thinking processes Expressiveness, beyond notes and technique, such as when a sustained andfocused effort results in a memorable performance

Experiences as an audience member or arts/music appreciator Understanding relationships between music and the other arts and between fine

arts and other disciplines.

The Music TEKS introduction lists and defines the four strands that structure all of

the Fine Arts TEKS: Perceptionthe tools of the discipline, i.e., vocabulary, elements, concepts, and

principles. Students begin their music education at an awareness level and move

through grade sequences building the understandings described in each courses

statement of student expectations. Creative expression/performancethe making of music which

encompasses repertoire, performing by singing and/or playing individually andin groups, reading and writing music, and creating and arranging within

specified guidelines. Students progress from very basic, simple performances tocomplex performances that require accumulated knowledge and skills.

Historical/cultural heritagethe connections students make within thediscipline to gain understandings of musics roles and influences in different

societies and time periods. Learners study the circumstances and events thatinfluenced composers and musicians in order to preserve certain musical styles

and traditions. Response/evaluationcriteria built over the course of studies to assess musical

works. Students learn to confidently and credibly compare, contrast, synthesize,and evaluate personal works and the works of others. Teaching students to

consider and to clearly articulate the reasoning behind their opinions is an

important aspect of this strand.

I frequently hear music

in the heart of noise.George Gershwin

Art . . . reacts to orreflects the culture itsprings from.Sonia Sanchez


16/97


By telling the story of Maria, a student learning music in a Texas public school, we

will demonstrate how the four strands work together to build a students music

knowledge and skills. Though each strand is discussed separately, Marias teachers

create curricula by coherently weaving all four strands together.

Perception

Even before Maria was born, her senses were teaching her about her environment.She could hear her mothers voice and feel her mothers heart beating. As soon asshe was born, her vision developed rapidly, providing her with an incredible amount

of new information about her surroundings. She was exposed to new sounds, tastes,

and smells. Fundamental to her future learning, she was developing an awareness of

and sensitivity to the world around her. As she began recognizing the voices of herparents and sisters, she developed the skills of an open, alert, and powerful listener.

Her preschool teacher, Ms. Costa, provided Maria with many opportunities to

explore new sounds, including musical ones, reflect on them, and respond to her

discoveries in creative ways.

As Marias verbal expression developed, her vocabulary grew and her ability to

describe complex musical qualities and ideas expanded. She used her music

vocabulary to describe and produce music and interpret the feelings, thoughts, and

moods evoked by experiences in music. This practice of interpreting auralenvironmental stimuli helped shape Marias growing powers of recognition,

description, classification, analysis, evaluation, and expression.

In order to build Marias awareness of and sensitivity to sound and music, herparents and teachers provided her with many opportunities to: Observe and explore the sensory qualities of many different environmental

stimuli Identify and apply knowledge of aural qualities to new musical experiences Investigate and apply knowledge of formal musical structures to sophisticated

musical performances Examine sounds in terms of initial impressions, in-depth analyses, and

interactive relationships

Reflect on sensory information with personal responses and interpretations.

Creative Expression/PerformanceWhen Maria began kindergarten, producing musical works became the focus of hermusic program. Making music required her to respond to stimuli with invention,

exploration, and experimentation. At home she sang both original compositions and

songs she learned in school.

As she grew older, Marias musical abilities, self-confidence, and enjoyment of

playing and listening to music also grew. She started guitar lessons and began

learning to sing and play Mexican folk songs like the ones her abuelita sang to her.

To support and encourage Marias musicianship, her parents and teachers gave hermany opportunities to: Make music Develop organizational skills in the process of making music Engage in problem solving requiring creative and critical thinking Explore the properties and capabilities of various musical forms.

Historical/Cultural HeritageMarias understanding and appreciation of her own and other cultures grew from her

exploration of music. In studying and playing music, she began to recognize andvalue the diversity of musical expression. She learned to think of musical works as

histories that reflect the beliefs, values, and social conditions of their cultures of

. . . [auditory] eideticimages are known to be

far more common amongchildren than among

adults, many of the latterhaving lost their eidetic

potentialities throughlack of practice.

Paul R. Farnswor th


17/97


origin. In fifth grade, her studies focused on the roles musicians play in

contemporary societies, the influence of music on culture and on her own perception

of the world. She joined the school choir in sixth grade and was often a featured

accompanist on guitar. Maria dreamed of becoming an architect and began to thinkabout the role of sound and acoustics in architectural design.

To pursue her growing interest in diverse cultures and their artistic expressions,Maria needed additional opportunities to: Examine different styles, movements, and themes of musical works Identify and compare the roles of music in contemporary and past cultures Investigate music and music careers in terms of personal interests and goals,

consumer choices, and the place of music in society.

Response/EvaluationIn middle school, Maria and her classmates began to develop their own standards

and criteria for evaluating music. Marias evaluations of music informed herresponses to performance and her understanding of how and why she responds as she

does. Her formal education honed her ability to assess the qualities and merits of her

music and the music of other students, composers, and performers. Middle school

granted her many opportunities to practice sophisticated listening, analyzing,

interpreting, and evaluating music. Furthermore, she used an increasingly precisemusic vocabulary to defend her ideas and analyses.

In order for Marias evaluation skills to grow, her teachers gave her manyopportunities to: Analyze and compare musical relationships, such as function and meaning Define evaluative criteria and apply them to performances Interpret, evaluate, and justify artistic decisions Make informed choices based on evaluative judgment processes.

Though Maria did not major in music or architecture, her music education initiated

and developed her lifelong love of music. Additionally, she learned critical

evaluation skills that enabled her to become an informed appreciator of music,deepening and expanding the role of music in her life.

Following is an examination of Texas music programs, similar to Marias, that arebased on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for music.

I have no earwhatever [formusic]; I could notsing an air to savemy life; but I havethe intensestdelight in musicand can detectgood from bad.Samuel TaylorColeridge


18/97



19/97


NEW MUSIC PROGRAMS FOR TEXAS

Implementing the Music TEKS is an impetus to rethink course offerings,

instructional strategies and materials, assessment, and professional development. TheTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills call for music to be offered at the elementary

and middle school levels with instruction in its four strands throughout. At the high

school level, districts must offer courses in two of the four fine arts disciplines.Rethinking music instruction involves a shift from thinking of music strictly as a

production-oriented curricular area for talented students to one that encourages the

development of creative problem solving and critical thinking in all students.

Curriculum DevelopmentA variety of strategies can be used to prepare for curriculum development based on

the TEKS. Effective curriculum development processes generally occur over time

and begin with reading the TEKS and discussing them with colleagues. The

curriculum development process might proceed with an evaluation of currentinstruction, curriculum, and program design. Consider the following questions: What are the current goals of the music program? How are they aligned with the

TEKS? How do current goals need to be revised? To what extent can sequenced content be traced through grade levels:

elementary to middle school to high school? What are the strengths of the current program? What elements should be

retained in a redesigned curriculum? What areas of the current program need improvement? What resources are

needed to make improvements? To what extent do current instructional strategies and materials support new

goals? What components need to be retained, deleted, added, or modified? How are teacher and student self-assessment used in ongoing program

evaluation? What other strategies can be used for assessment?

Many more questions will likely come to mind as you engage in this reflective

process. It is easy to become overwhelmed, so focus on major questions, and

remember that your program already has strengths to build on.

The next step in this evaluation process might involve describing in detail student

expectations upon graduation and then thinking about these expectations as they

apply to other grade levels. For students to fulfill exit-level expectations, what mustthey know and be able to do in the second, fifth, and eighth grades? Trace backwards

through benchmarks to outline how students can meet your most advanced

expectations of them.

An in-depth look at the scaffolding of music knowledge and skills reveals the many

benefits for students who participate in a strong music program. Creativity, self-

expression, collaboration, cognitive skills, music skills and knowledge, and anappreciation of music are just a few of the benefits for learners who participate in a

strong instructional program based on the Music TEKS.

The following table shows how, within the strand of Perception, students learn todescribe and analyze musical sound and to demonstrate musical artistry.

People alwayssound so proudwhen theyannounce theyknow nothing aboutmusic.Lillian Hellman


20/97


Grade Level Perception: Student Expectations

Kindergarten Identify the difference between singing and speaking voices and identify the

timbre of voices and instruments.

Grade 1 Identify voices and selected instruments from musical families.

Grade 2 Identify instruments visually and aurally.

Grades 3&4 Categorize a variety of musical sounds including childrens and adults voices;woodwind, brass, string, percussion, keyboard, and electronic instruments; and

instruments from other cultures.

Grade 5 Distinguish among a variety of musical timbres.

Grade 6 Demonstrate characteristic vocal timbre consistent with a chosen instrument.

Grades 7 & 8 Demonstrate characteristic vocal or instrumental timbre, individually and ingroups, with an increasing range and difficulty of music (e.g., reproduce a

characteristic sound in many registers, rhythms, and tempos).

Level I Add and distinguish melodic and harmonic differences while listening to or

performing music.

Level II Define melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture of music (e.g., identifying the

melody, harmony, accompaniment, ostinato, or descant).

Level III Apply what has been learned to perform literature expressively.

Level IV Select appropriate literature and independently interpret music.

Timbre the quality of a musical sound, depending on overtones and theirrespective amplitudesOstinato a pattern, usually short, that repeats itself more than once and servesas an accompaniment to a melody or a related musical activityDescant an optional voicing for extra-high sopranos that harmonizes with themelody. Usually the melody is the highest, but a descant is not the melody.


21/97


Music in Kindergarten through Grade 5Elementary music classes establish the foundation of the music program. Studentslearn to listen, focusing on what they are listening to, and to identify, describe, and

categorize a myriad of sounds. Using correct vocabulary, elementary students

identify attributes of sound such as:

Dynamics Pitch Timbre The melodic and harmonic properties of notes played or sung at the same time Sources, identifying voice and instruments from various cultures Music forms Rhythm and beat Duration Silence, the absence of sound.

Elementary students experience music in many ways. Initially, they listen to short

musical selections and distinguish between like and unlike passages. Through a

carefully planned sequence of activities that includes singing, playing, and listening,students learn to look at a passage of notes and replicate it with accurate pitch,

rhythm, dynamics, and tempo by singing, playing, or inner hearing. Elementary

students also learn to listen to a melodic line and match it accurately with its visual

representation. This exercise enables students to use both ear and eye to recognizelike and unlike phrases in order to identify forms such as AB, ABA, theme,

variations of a theme, and rondo. With more experience, children learn to hear the

difference between two very similar phrases, e.g., those having the same melodicline but different rhythms or the same rhythm and different melodies. From simplelearning processes that begin at primary levels, students advance to analyzing longer

and more complicated musical works in which form is also created by harmony and

texture.

Elementary school students experience music by reading, writing, arranging,

speaking, chanting, singing, playing, moving, and creating. Leaving out even one

element shortchanges students learning the multifaceted discipline of music. Thebasic elements provide a foundation for advanced development as students sing,play, compose, improvise, and evaluate music and musical performances.

Music specialists and classroom teachers who are responsible for music instruction

have a challenging task. After fifth grade, many students may not have opportunitiesto learn music in a sequential way. Therefore, to enable all students to realize their

musical potential, a solid music program based on scaffolded course content must be

implemented in elementary school. Activities that involve music, but are not based

on sequenced content as described by the TEKS, rarely build a foundation formusical achievement. Class musicals are enjoyable and may provide good public

relations, but they are no substitute for the rich, well-rounded instruction necessary

for the development of sequentially-based content knowledge and skills. Similarly,

excursions to concerts and performances provide good exposure to music but do notconstitute the basis for a quality music education.

Dynamics thewords and symbolsthat describe the

volume and volumechanges in music.They also includesarticulations such asstaccato and legato.

Rondo a musicalcomposition in whichthe principal theme isrepeated three or more

times. It often formsthe last movement of asonata.

Variation one of anumber of repetitionsof a theme in a varietyof elaborate,developed, ordisguised forms.

It had never occurred

to me before thatmusic and thinkingcould be so muchalike. In fact you couldsay music is anotherway of thinking, ormaybe thinking isanother kind of music.Ursula K. LeGuin


22/97


The range of activities in music instruction determines specific space allocations for

elementary music courses. Playing classroom instruments, movement, singing and

singing games require adequate room for safety and instructional effectiveness.

Other space considerations include: Secure storage for equipment and materials (e.g., tapes, compact discs,

VCR/TV, classroom instruments, computers)

The room needed for student use of equipment and materials during class The number of chairs, risers, and/or desks needed to accommodate the largest

class (if classes scheduled in the room include students from kindergarten

through grade five, a variety of desk and chair sizes is needed).

Grade Level Descriptions

The following courses are described in broad terms and include suggestions that are

neither definitive nor all-inclusive. These descriptions and vignettes are provided to

stimulate curriculum development at the local level and to demonstrate the widerange of instructional strategies encompassed by the TEKS. This flexibility is

provided so that each district and campus can implement the TEKS with the

particular strengths, needs, and interests of its students and community in mind.

The notes I handleno better than many

pianists. But thepauses between the

notesah, that iswhere the art

resides.Arthur Schnabel


23/97


Course Title: Music, Kindergarten

Strand Content/Processes Vignette

Overview Students experience directed andundirected interactions with sound bylistening, singing, playing instruments andusing body movements. The foundation forsequentially-developed musical concepts isestablished.

PerceptionStudents recognize differences in tone andidentify attributes of selected sounds, usingpitched and non-pitched instruments. Whilesinging a melody, students differentiateamong pitches and relationships. Studentsdistinguish among instruments and begin

establishing a personal concept of timbre.

Creative Expression/

Performance Students sing songs relevant to commonchildhood experiences, such as folk tunesand nursery rhymes. Finger plays, chants,and expressive movements are essential asstudents learn to find the recurrent beat.After learning to find the beat, they respondby keeping time.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage Selections include song literature andsinging games from many traditions.

Response/EvaluationStudents identify ranges in dynamics bysinging a melody and demonstrating thedifference between loud and quiet phrases.By listening to familiar songs, childrenidentify repetition and two-tone patterns.Student movements illustrate focusedlistening skills.

By modeling beat patterns forhis students, Bryan Thomashelps his kindergartners acquirea formal understanding of theconcept of beat. His studentsrespond to the patterns hemodels using classroominstruments and hand and bodymovements. They learn toidentify heavy beats by singingsongs and marking the beatwith a repetitive motion orsound.

Mr. Thomas encourages hisstudents to: Listen for environmental

sounds; describe soundqualities verbally (forexample, loud, sharp,whirring, jerky, rumbling)

Gather objects that makeinteresting and uniquesounds and listen to theirtonal qualities to developaural perception

Find appropriate uses forthese sounds in songs,stories and dramatizations

Create sound stories; thatis, communicate anenvironmental setting orsequence of eventsthrough sound

Identify real or simulatedenvironmental sounds incomposed music.


24/97


Course Title: Music, Grade 1


Perception Children study instrument families andvoice groupings by using video examplesand live or recorded aural excerpts. Liveperformances are effective and helpstudents build an understanding of pitch.As childrens knowledge expands, theybegin to establish a technical musicvocabulary.


Performance Repetitive melodies reinforce the conceptof pitch, and games help students learndifferent beat patterns. After mastering theconcept of one beat, students try identifying

two or three more. Rhythmic conceptsbecome more complex as children gainawareness of rhythmic patterns andrecurrent beats. Teachers might have onegroup of students keep the beat whileanother keeps the rhythm. Studentsimprovise rhythm patterns. They singsongs from diverse sources, playclassroom instruments, create bodyinstruments, and respond to live andrecorded musical prompts. Studentsrecognize sound and visual symbols andreplicate designated melodies.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage Many cultural and historical periods arerepresented with folk and traditional music.Folk songs have thematic material that isoften relevant to the experiences of earlychildhood. A universality of subject matteracross cultures is reflected in songs aboutdaily life.

Response/EvaluationStudents distinguish between beat/rhythm,higher/lower, faster/slower, andsame/different in musical performances.They begin to practice appropriateaudience behavior during liveperformances.

Clapping simple rhythms inspeech patterns is a good wayfor children to begin feelingrhythm. Children love to claptheir own names. Margaret Stilesteaches her first-graders rhythmwith a simple chanting game.She begins the game bychanting one of her studentsnames. For example, she mightbegin chanting Mar-tha, Mar-tha, Mar-tha. Her students clapeach syllable of the name shechants. A name like Martha has

two claps; Theresa would havethree; and Sam would have one.

After practicing first names,students clap both first and lastnames or words such as animalnames, flowers, foods,transportation vehicles, and soon.

The class uses rhythminstruments such as drums andsticks once they are skilled atclapping rhythms. Students useinstruments that make one clear

sound per stroke, instead ofdiffuse sounds as from jinglebells, to accentuate the clarity ofthe rhythm.

This exercise gives Ms. Stilesfirst-graders practice listeningclosely to sounds and feelingsound with their bodies. It is alsogood practice in breaking wordsinto syllables, an important pre-reading skill.


25/97




Perception Students are exposed to a variety ofsounds and music with the goal ofestablishing their understanding of tonalconcepts. They participate in singinggames to reinforce these concepts.They learn to recognize patterns suchas AB and ABA, incorporating theidentification and development ofmusical phrases. Students designmovements to correspond with sectionsA and B. Children categorize andidentify instruments. Live and recordedperformance expands tonal memorybanks, assisting in defining sounds.

Students expand musical knowledgewhile mastering appropriate musicalvocabulary.


Performance Children use techniques that helpdevelop good singing habits, includingusing the head voice in all songmaterials, establishing good posture,tone matching through games andactivities, and establishing andmaintaining pitch and rhythm accuracy.Students match phrases with the samerhythms but different melodies and thesame melodies but different rhythms.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage Song selections represent diversecultural heritages and historical periods.

Response/EvaluationBy listening to live and recordedperformances, students practicelistening and concentration skills toacquire greater endurance as audiencemembers.

Creative movement activities helpchildren develop gross motor skillsand body awareness, provide anemotional release, and assist childrenin developing a feel for rhythm andmood in music. Anita Gregory plansclass activities that encourage hersecond-graders to dramatize music,create dramatic movements to imitatefamiliar things in their environment,perform specific movements torhythms, and act out stories.

Ms. Gregorys students are at a stage

of development where they enjoystructured games, so dances withspecific steps or movements appealto them. One of Ms. Gregorysfavorite dances to teach is the polka.Her class practices by galloping tothe music, leading first with the rightfoot and then with the left. Next theydo one three-step gallop with the rightfoot, then one three-step gallop withthe left foot.

To perform the polka, two childrenjoin hands and begin alternatingpolka steps. The partner on the right

starts the polka with the right footleading, and the one on the left startsthe polka with the left foot leading.Together they polka around the roomwith each person alternating the leadfoot.

When the class finishes their polka,Ms. Gregory leads a discussion onpattern and rhythm in song. The classlearns to differentiate between thesongs A and B parts, and thestudents describe the variousinstruments in the recording.


26/97




Perception As students knowledge of instrumentsexpands, they compare traditional andnon-traditional instruments. Computersare often used to diversify instrumen-tation in the classroom. All instrumentsmay be used in live performances andindividual compositions. The study offorms expands to include the rondo.Students begin to identify commoncharacteristics within designatedcategories.


Performance Dynamics and tempo lessons are

practiced in performance. Singinggames become more intricate, withmany of the patterns having stylizedmovements and rhythms. Addingostinato or descant broadens studentsexperience with harmony. Scale notesused for reading may increase toinclude six notes and include the initialnote of the scale in both octaves.Students recognize dotted half notes,enabling them to read and write musicin 3/4 meter.

Historical/Cultural

HeritageSong literature is selected from diversecultures, and instruments related to theselections are illustrated withrecordings. Students refer to musiccommon to specific historical periods,cultures, styles, and genres. Childrenuse the common characteristics toanalyze new musical literature.

Response/EvaluationBy listening to compositions, studentsidentify common musical elements andareas that need improvement.Students discuss and formulate criteriafor concert etiquette and demonstrate

such behavior at performances.

Ms. Handelmann has just completedreading an essay by composer and artistTilman Kntzel in which he describeshow he and other children made musicalinstruments out of kitchen rubbish andutensils, using them to turn their ownadventure stories into music.

In his essay on home-buildableinstruments, Tilman describes almosttwo dozen different instruments childrencan easily make. Ms. Handelmanndevelops a series of centers in whichstudents make and explore sound by

building instruments in the followingways: Fill a wooden or wood-like container,

such as a coconut shell or walnut,with peas or rice and close thecontainer or the two halves of theshell with tape.

Cover one end of a cardboard tubewith aluminum or vellum paper. Singinto the other end. Variation: Cut ahole in the middle of the cardboardtube. Sing in there and cover theother holes with your hands.

Tube-trumpet: Pull one end of arubber tube over a funnel or througha hole in the bottom of a yogurt cup.Blow with stretched lips in the tubeas into a trumpet.

Pour different amounts of water intobottles. Blow across the edges ofthe bottles and youll hear differenttones. Smaller air volumes willproduce higher tones than biggervolumes. To create a scale, startwith bottles of the same size, andadd as much water to each as youneed to produce the desired tone.


27/97




Perception Students begin using standard musicvocabulary to talk about music.Planning students acquisition of aspecific vocabulary eases theirtransition to more formal languageusage. Half-steps are added to definethe music scale. Students sing andplay the major scale and recognize itsdistinctive sound. When these goalsare reached, the dotted fourth andeighth notes may be added to thereading repertoire.


Performance Students play and sustain a two-partrhythmic accompaniment for a song.They continue dictation skills with newconcepts. Students demonstratefamiliarity with dynamic and tempomarkings when singing and/or playingselections. Students create successfularrangements and accompanimentsusing the pentatonic scale. Studentsbegin to recognize differencesbetween major and minor scales.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage Students incorporate musical materialrepresentative of Texan and American

heritages. Relating works to events inthe community helps establishrelevancy for students. Materials areplanned and selected carefully with theparticular needs of the students inmind.

Response/EvaluationStudents apply basic criteria inevaluating performances andcompositions. They learn to justify theirpersonal preferences for particularmusic pieces and styles, and theypractice concert etiquette during live

performances.

Along the Northwest Coast of theUnited States, Native Americanmothers and fathers have traditionallysung special songs to their infantchildren, encouraging them to growup to be happy, successful adults.

Often these songs have touches ofhumor intended to make the childlaugh. The parent might sing to thechild, I am your baby, or I am yourdog. In the Tsimshian song, Lullabyfor a Girl, the music itself suggestslaughter. The laughing refrain gives

way to a different kind of music whenthe verse begins. The verse is purerecitative, musical talking, as in manyEskimo songs.

When singer Robert Pearl recordedthis lullaby in 1927, he sang it seventimes, changing the verse with eachrepetition. In addition, the rhythm andmelody of the verse, but not of therefrain, were changed somewhat witheach repetition, making for a ratherlong, complicated song in trueNorthwest Coast style.

With this background in mind, musicteacher Kevin J ohnston looks upLullaby for a Girl and other NorthwestCoast Native American songs for hisclass to learn and sing. He includessomething of the Northwest CoastNative American history and culturein his plans. Students discuss thequalities and effects of the music afterlistening to it.


28/97




PerceptionIf students have access to computers or electronickeyboards, they can make banks of correspondingtimbres produced by different instruments. By usinga synthesizer, students select various instruments,make alterations, and then describe the changes.They evaluate the changes on the basis ofeffectiveness and describe how the objective is met.Theme and variations is a new musical form and isideal to explore, describe, and apply all of theconcepts previously learned. Additional terms, suchas introduction, coda, da capo al fine, and dal segnoal fine, can be used in compositions.

Creative

Expression/Performance

Fifth graders identify tonality as major or minor,singing, playing, and reading the melodic patternsbased on the eight notes of the scale. They alsorecognize key signatures in C, F, and G.Rhythmically, students understand and identifyexamples of an equally and unequally divided beat.Rhythmic patterns using sixteenth notes,combinations of eighth and sixteenth notes, dottedeighth and sixteenth notes, triplets, and syncopationare incorporated into reading and notation skills.Musical performance demonstrates accurateintonation and rhythm. The song repertoire consistsof songs composed in unison, two-part and simplethree-part songs using block rhythmic passages.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage

Music literature consists of selections from Texasand American heritages, as well as those from abroader scope of cultural and historical musicalresources. The listening repertoire includesselections representing many periods, cultures,styles, and genres.

Response/

Evaluation Students evaluate performances and compositionswith the criteria they have learned in elementaryschool music classes. They use music terminologyto talk about their personal music preferences. Theyexhibit concert etiquette as actively involvedlisteners during live performances.

J anice Lang purchased severalelectronic keyboards for use inher music classes. Electronickeyboards provide her studentswith a good way to experiencedifferent timbres and to practiceclassifying them by instrumentfamily or type. For example, a listof the sounds of any GeneralMIDIcompatible keyboard canbe displayed for the class.Students select sounds and labelthem by category.

With General MIDI, the soundsare logically grouped: keyboardsounds, melodic percussion,organ, guitar, and so forth.General MIDI sounds include: Keyboard samples (organ,

harpsichord, piano, electricpiano)

Electric guitar/electric basssamples (slap bass,distorted guitar)

Synthesizer sounds Instruments such as the

ocarina, koto, bagpipe, sitar,and kalimba

Vocal sounds: choir ahs,synth voice

Sound effects such as atelephone and helicopter.

Students rapidly becomeproficient in their use of theelectronic keyboard and begin tocreate their own compositions,evaluating them and modifyingthem to achieve desired effects.

Introduction the opening section of a compositionCoda a section added at the end of a movement to round it offDa capo al fine occurring at the end of a part or a piece, it signals the musicianto return to the beginning and play until fine.Dal segno al fine occurring at the end of a part or piece, it signals the musicianto return to the segno symbol and continue playing until fine.


29/97


Music in the Middle SchoolStudents in middle school may select from a variety of music course listings. General

music, band, choir, and orchestra are offered in grades 6, 7, and 8. Jazz band and

instrumental ensemble are added for 7th

and 8th

graders. Each course addresses allareas of the TEKS and appropriately integrates the strands to make content relevant

for students.

Appropriate materials for middle school students help them apply the concepts andskills learned in music literature. Considerations in judging the appropriateness of

literature include: Range Technical difficulty Personal interest Variety of style, historical period, cultural influence, and genre.

Instructional strategies encourage students to strive for quality in every class, everyday and provide support for students to develop new skills and to work on

challenging tasks.

At the middle school level, teacher, peer, and self-assessments help students identify

what they have done well, what they can improve, and strategies for makingimprovements. Thoughtful self-assessment stimulates personal achievement and

encourages students to take responsibility for their education. Achievement in music

instills pride and confidence.

In late elementary and middle school, beginning instrument classes should be taught

separately from intermediate and advanced groups. Factors that influence scheduling

for beginners include staff availability, the number of students enrolled, available

facilities, and the efficacy of instruction. Orchestras can be arranged by demonstratedstudent proficiency rather than by grade level. Students who have had private

instruction may demonstrate proficiency beyond grade level expectations.

Establishing criteria for determining proficiency is a helpful tool in scheduling and

instruction.

Music teachers in middle school choral programs face decisions about whether to

arrange classes by voice classification, grade level, or demonstrated proficiency.

Factors influencing decisions include staffing, facilities, enrollment, and educationalobjectives.

Strong music education relies on both group and individualized instruction. Primary

considerations for determining class size include course content, expectations fordemonstrated student achievement, facilities, staff availability, and the format of

instructional delivery (e.g., team teaching, heterogeneous or homogeneous student

groups, number of beginners in the class).

Time allotments should be adequate for students to demonstrate the expectations of

the Music TEKS. Schools provide the time required for students to learn andteachers to teach with the time required for students to learn being the primaryconsideration in scheduling decisions. Despite a variety of options in middle school

regarding length of class time and pattern of class meetings, time allocations for

music courses should be commensurate with allocations for foundation subjects.

With stammering lips andinsufficient sounds,I strive and struggle todeliver rightthe music of my nature. . . .Elizabeth BarrettBrowning


30/97


Course Descriptions

The following courses are described in broad terms and include many suggestions,

which are neither definitive nor all-inclusive. These descriptions and vignettes are

provided to stimulate curriculum development at the local level and to demonstratethe wide range of instructional strategies encompassed by the TEKS. This flexibility

is provided so that each district and campus can implement the TEKS with the

particular strengths, needs, and interests of its students and community in mind.

The Hawaiian people havebeen from time immemoriallovers of poetry and music,

and have been apt inimprovising historic poems,

songs of love, and chants ofworship, so that praises of

the living or wails over thedead were with them but the

natural expression of theirfeelings.

Lydia KamekehaLiliuokalani


31/97


Course Title: Grade 6, General Music


PerceptionTeachers identify comfortable ranges forstudent voices and select music thatencourages continued participation inmusic. Pitched and non-pitchedinstruments are added to song literature.Recorders, resonator bells, and xylophonesexpand ranges and harmonic concepts.Clefs other than treble may be added to themusical vocabulary. Computer technologyfacilitates music notation. Students whohave worked with both major and minorscales can learn about the modes.


Performance Technical performance skills are addressedwhenever students perform. Students workon small group, ensemble, and whole classmusical presentations, and theydemonstrate basic ensemble skills in everyclass. They prepare written and memorizedmusic for formal and informalperformances. Structured, choreographedbody movements can help maintain studentinterest and focus. Students applyknowledge of treble, bass clef, and thegrand staff in arranging rhythmic andmelodic phrases.

Historical/CulturalHeritage The study of musical compositionsexpands to include some of the largerforms, such as overtures, suites,symphonies, concertos, oratorios, andoperas. Selections should representvarious cultures and historical periods.

Response/EvaluationStudents reflect on their own and othersperformances, discuss their observationsand develop criteria that can be applied toboth group and personal performances.

Ellen Finley introduces her sixth-graders to the modern suite witha concert piece by VirgilThompson, arranged from hisscore for the filmLouisiana Story(1948). Until the time of Bach, asuite was a series of dances. Themodern suite may be a series ofdances or a free succession ofcontrasting movements.Thompsons suite uses sevensongs of the Cajun river people,descendants of French settlerswho migrated from Acadia in

Nova Scotia to Louisiana, as thebasis for the seven movementsof his suite. They are Sadness,Papas Tune, A Narrative,The Alligator and the Coon,Super-Sadness, WalkingSong, and The Squeeze Box.

The class first listens to the suitewithout knowing the names of themovements, and each studentmakes up titles that they believedescribe the feeling of eachmovement.

After discussing the studentstitles, the actual titles are writtenon the board. The class analyzesone movement in depth,discussing reasons for its title,instrumentation, form, rhythm,melody, and harmonies.

Overture an orchestral piece preceding the rise of the curtain in a live musical performance, such as an operaSuite an instrumental composition consisting of a set of movements, especially consisting of an

allemande, courante, saraband, or gigue, sometimes in related keysSymphony an elaborate instrumental composition in three or more movements, similar in form to a sonata but written for a

full orchestra and usually of far grander proportions and more varied elementsConcerto a musical composition, usually in three movements, for a solo instrument or an orchestraOratorio a dramatic musical composition, especially on a religious theme, with arias, recitative, and

choruses, and with orchestral accompaniment, performed as a concert without action, costume, or sceneryOpera a stage drama with orchestral accompaniment, in which music is the dominant element, with the performers

singing all or most of their lines.


32/97


Course Title: Grade 6, Band


PerceptionAll students read music in the treble clef, and studentsplaying bass clef instruments learn implications of thebass clef. Literature is limited to the use of quarter, half,whole, eighth, sixteenth notes, and the correspondingrests, in addition to dotted quarters and dotted half notes.Students understand altered tones and the significanceof both key and meter signatures. They can sing a majorscale and recognize melodic and rhythmic patterns. Mostoften, students read music utilizing key signatures up totwo flats.

Creative

Expression/

Performance

Students begin putting their instruments together toproduce sounds, fingering notes or finding correct slide

positions on the trombone. They develop embouchureand learn correct breathing for supporting tone.Percussion students learn how to hold sticks or mallets,develop a technique for both pitched and non-pitchedinstruments, maintain a steady beat, and accuratelyreplicate rhythmic notation. Many drum students alsolearn pitched instruments to expand their playing optionsin intermediate and advanced ensemble groups.Students sing difficult parts in order to address pitch andrhythm problems separate from the coordinationproblems that come with learning new instruments.Additionally, the class learns to play as a group bylearning to work with their director and by practicingacceptable rehearsal etiquette.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage

Musical literature is based on folk and traditionalmaterial. The songs are generally short with limitedrange, melodic and rhythmic repetitive phrases, and asimplicity of style. The historical and cultural contexts ofsongs are studied. Students identify composers, listen toexemplary musicians, and identify characteristic timbres.These exercises inform the development of bothpersonal and group goals.

Response/

Evaluation Students reflect on personal and group work, whichprovides reasoning for practice and change. Clearobjectives and evaluation criteria for each lessonstimulate the process of response and evaluation.

Student participation in developing evaluation criteriaencourages their independence in learning. Their abilityto evaluate their own skills is particularly important forproductive practice outside of class.

Pete Milton believes in thelong-term value ofmemorizing scales. In theirfirst year of band, his sixthgraders memorize three tofour scales. Once hisstudents know enoughnotes, they practice onescale a day for a few weeks;then he tests his studentsmemory. Students haverepeated opportunities toperform the scale until theyare successful. A new scale

is introduced when the classhas memorized theirprevious scales, and it isplayed daily in addition tothe familiar scales.

Testing is time-consuming,but Mr. Milton is certain theresults are worth it. Hisstudents read better andhave better techniquebecause of their disciplinedscale work.

Embouchure proper adjustment of the mouth, lips, and tongue to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument.


33/97


Course Title: Grade 6, Choir


PerceptionStudents read music in the treble clefand identify characteristic timbres.Literature is usually limited to the use ofquarter, half, whole, 8

th, 16

th,

corresponding rests, and dotted quarterand dotted half notes. Students sing amajor scale and recognize melodic andrhythmic patterns. They understandaltered tones and the significance of keyand meter signatures.


Performance Students refine vocal production skills,vowel formation, singing, and breath

support. They perform literatureselections that enhance their sight-reading and sight-singing skills. Theyincrease awareness of diction andaccuracy when singing a song in alanguage other than English. They singtwo- and three-part material and workwith melodic patterns and sequencesderived from scales.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage Classes study the historical and culturalcontexts of their listening andperformance selections. Students learnthe origins of traditional materials, their

time frames and composers, and listen toexemplary models.

Response/EvaluationEstablishing criteria for self-reflectionenables students to practice productivelyoutside of class. Including students in theprocess of developing criteria helps buildself-directed learning. Evaluation ofpersonal and group work reinforces voicetechnique. Developing anddemonstrating daily acceptable rehearsaletiquette is part of being in a choir.

After his first year of teachingmiddle school choir, Keith Heron isin the process of revising hisinstructional strategies. One of hismain priorities is to find an effectiveway to assess what his studentsare learning. In his first year ofteaching, the effort to plan forclasses and assign grades madeassessment of individual studentgrowth seem impossible. Over thesummer, Keith asked several otherchoir teachers to share with himtheir ideas on assessment. Susan

Tiller, who teaches sixth-gradechoir in South Texas, had thisadvice:

The key to assessment in choir isto embed it in daily instructionnot to think of it as something apartfrom the learning experience.Provide opportunities for individualsto demonstrate their growth anduse efficient ways of documentingthem. Each student could begindeveloping a singing portfolio inwhich terminology, proper posture,phonation, note reading, and other

basic elements of musicianship areassessed by the student, teacher,and other class members. Partsinging and interpretation can beassessed with more advancedstudents.


34/97


Course Title: Grade 6, Orchestra


PerceptionStudents can usually read and sing morenotes than they can play. Singing exercisesenable students to learn the rhythm and pitchof new literature without addressing thecoordination challenges of playing instruments.Students read music in the treble clef andbass, or alto, clef. Beginning literature isusually limited to the use of quarter, half,whole, 8

th, and 16

thnotes, corresponding rests,

and dotted quarter and dotted half notes.Students play a major scale, recognizemelodic and rhythmic patterns, understandaltered tones and the significance of both keyand meter signatures.


Performance Students primarily play in the keys of C, D, andG major and learn to play as a group. Theypractice managing their instruments, playingthe correct notes and rhythms at the right time,producing quality sounds, reading music, andfollowing the director. Instruction utilizingreading, writing, singing, listening, andperforming demonstrates that a student knowshow to count rhythms, understands metersignature and the relation to the number ofbeats in the measure, and can reproduce thenotes vocally, thereby establishing pitchrelationships.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage Literature is based on folk and traditionalmaterials. Selections are generally short withlimited ranges, melodic and rhythmic repetitivephrases, and simple styles. Historical andcultural influences are studied in the contextsof listening and performing. Students learn theorigins of traditional materials, identifycomposers, and listen to exemplary models.

Response/EvaluationStudents who are aware of the correcttechnique and pitch can practice productivelyat home. Establishing criteria for each new

stage of learning assists students in assessingthe quality of personal work. Reflecting onpersonal and group work reinforcesinstrumental techniques. Developing anddemonstrating daily acceptable rehearsaletiquette is an important part of being inorchestra.

J amie Geres sixth-gradeorchestra students focus onlearning how to hold theirinstruments and bows. Someof their initial class exercisesinvolve rhythmic patternsplayed on open strings. Inaddition, students studyrelationships among bowpressure, speed of the bow,and placement of the bow onthe strings. Studentsincorporate previous eartraining when learning how to

place their fingers to produceadditional notes.

At the end of each practicesession, students pair off andevaluate themselves and theirpartners on the skills learnedthat day, using criteria forsuccessful performance thatwere developed during theclass period.


35/97




Perception Seventh graders demonstrate characteristic timbres invocal and instrumental presentations of music literature.Using criteria developed in listening and performing,students hear, analyze, and classify music from notationand from aural presentation. Students learn intervals byperforming and by reading and writing music notation.

Creative

Expression/

Performance

Literature contains greater rhythmic and melodicindependence and uses clefs other than the treble. Itincludes vocal ensemble formats and pieces that caninclude a variety of instruments. Recorders, guitars,pitched and non-pitched instruments, electronickeyboards, and traditional instruments add richness tomusic of easy to medium-level difficulty. Students performin two and three parts and sing/play single melodic lines

with a variety of accompaniments. They sight-read pieceswritten in two and three parts, using mostly block rhythmsbut with occasional independence of line, and they readthe music they write and arrange.

Students create and improvise descants and ostinati forsimple songs. Exploring ways to augment harmonies,rhythmic and melodic textures, dynamics, and selectiveinstrumentation opens up possibilities for studentcreations. Fundamental concepts include major, minor,and modal chord structures, relevant for creating andarranging. Students create music with computers, hearingtheir composition replicated with a great deal ofauthenticity.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage

Through a planned sequence of composers, historical

periods, and cultural heritages, students experiencemusical diversity. They identify characteristics thatdistinguish historical and cultural periods, define styles,and categorize genres of music. They examine selectionsand make inferences and predictions about compositions.They discuss their responses, and through research,determine the accuracy of their predictions. Studentsdescribe and categorize music-related vocations andavocations.

Response/

EvaluationStudents form musical opinions and justify them. Theylisten to individual parts and to group performances takenas a whole and analyze music with gradually increasedcomplexity. They suggest improvements for compositionsand arrangements based on criteria developed in class.

Shannon Raffaelli is teaching acurriculum unit on forms ofAmerican popular music. Whenshe introduces her seventhgraders to bluegrass, she dividesstudents into groups to researchsubjects such as the history ofbluegrass, important bluegrasscomposers and musicians, andbluegrass instrumentation.

As part of the unit, Ms. Raffaelliinvites a local bluegrass group tovisit the school and play severaltraditional songs. The musiciansintroduce the songs with

information about the songsorigins, and they show theirinstruments to the class. Studentshave an opportunity to ask themusicians about their instruments,the music they play, andinfluences on their music. Studentsuse this experience to inform theirresearch on bluegrass and its rolein American popular music.

Modal pertaining to mode, as distinguished from key;based on a scale other than major or minor.


36/97


Course Title: Grade 7, Band


PerceptionStudents demonstrate characteristic timbres in theranges of their instruments. Warm-up exercisesinvolving melodic, harmonic, and rhythmicpassages relevant to selected literature allowstudents to isolate problematic passages andconcepts. Students may create warm-ups withinspecified guidelines, addressing a single section orsegment. Students improve their notation andreading skills by regularly reading new material.Approaching musical problems from more than oneperspective clarifies student knowledge and skills.

Creative

Expression/

Performance

Students continue to work with scales and

arpeggios, melodic and rhythmic patterns,expansion of range, meter signatures, and keys.Musical compositions have fewer sectionscomposed of block rhythms, while parts begin tomove in two and sometimes three distinct ways.Students demonstrate melodic independence. Sololines and accompaniment lines become distinct.Students play dotted rhythms, expanded metersincluding 6/8 and cut time, and keys up to threeflats and one sharp. Students participating inensemble groups demonstrate effective use ofrehearsal time, follow the conductor, and practiceattaining precision, blend, and balance.

Historical/

Cultural Heritage Selections incorporate attributes and styles of pastcomposers. Students perform samples thatcontemporary composers wrote in particular stylesand selections arranged for young groups. Theymay communicate with members of the communitywho pursue music vocationally and avocationally.Awareness of a musicians place beyond theclassroom helps establish role models for aspiringmusicians.

Response/

Evaluation Assisting students in identifying basic musicconcepts increases their independence, helps themestablish evaluation criteria, and develops theirmusical insight. Student interest and focus are

heightened when corrections made in one area oflearning are related to other areas.

In order to assess studentanalysis of specific uses ofelements of music, J o AnneRichardson prepares auralexamples representing diversegenres and cultures.

Ms. Richardson selects shortworks of music that containreadily discernible musicalfeatures. The excerpts shechooses may be, for example, atheme-and-variationsmovement from a symphony, acall-and-response African worksong, and a 1920s or 30s bluessong.

Ms. Richardson asks herstudents to identify the form ofthe selection and to describehow pitch, rhythm, dynamics,timbre, and harmony or textureare used. She gives the class aworksheet listing theseelements to help structure whatthey are listening for in theexcerpts.

To allow ample opportunity forstudents to hear and describethe defining elements andcharacteristics of the selection,each piece is played four times,with a brief interval of timebetween listenings(approximately one minute)provided for students to takenotes.


37/97


Course Title: Grade 7, Choir


PerceptionStudents demonstrate timbres through theextended ranges of their voices. Warm-upexercises that use melodic, harmonic, andrhythmic passages relevant to longercompositions can isolate problematicpassages, address single concepts, and/orallow students to concentrate on certain, basicelements. Approaching problems from morethan one perspective helps clarify knowledgeand skills. Students might create their ownwarm-ups to address a single section orsection part.

Creative


Students work with scales and arpeggios,melodic and rhythmic patterns, expansion ofrange, meter signatures and keys. Musicalcompositions have fewer sections composedof block rhythms, while parts begin to move intwo and sometimes three distinct ways.Students demonstrate melodic independence,and solo lines and accompaniment linesbecome evident. Choral music incorporatesaltered tones in selections of both major andminor tonalities.

Historical/

Cultural

Heritage

Students sing music representing a variety ofhistorical periods and cultures. Many

selections incorporate the styles of pastcomposers, and students practice identifyingthe attributes of composers styles. Classesperform pieces written in particular styles bycontemporary composers and arrangementsintended for young groups. Students seek outcommunity members who pursue musicalactivities vocationally and avocationally.Realizing that there is a place for musiciansbeyond the classroom helps establish rolemodels for aspiring musicians.

Response/

Evaluation Assisting students in identifying basic musicconcepts increases their independence, helps

them establish evaluation criteria, anddevelops their musical insight. Student interestand focus are heightened when correctionsmade in one area of learning are related toother areas.

As part of a unit on American spiritualsand gospel music, Todd Barnesintroduces his choir students to anumber of traditional songs. Studentsexplore the relationship between historyand music, and they evaluate selectionsbased on the evaluation criteria theyhave established as a class.

Mr. Barnes plays Vera Hall WardsTravelin Shoes and asks his studentsto listen for words that have more thanone note sung (melismas or slides). Asa class, they discuss the differencesbetween each repetition of the chorus.

Following this first listening, Mr. Barnespasses out copies of the lyrics toTravelin Shoes. Students sing alongon the chorus, imitating the vocalembellishments.

The class discusses how meaning isexpressed in spirituals and identifiespossible hidden meanings of desire forfreedom.

In conjunction with this lesson, Mr.Barnes conducts a class on gospel

music in a similar fashion. After learningabout gospel music, the class evaluatesthe differences and similarities betweengospels and spirituals.


38/97


Course Title: Grade 7, Orchestra


PerceptionStudents demonstrate characteristic timbresthrough the extended range of theirinstruments. Warm-up exercises that usemelodic, harmonic, and rhythmic passagesrelevant to longer compositions isolateproblematic passages, address single concepts,and allow students to concentrate on basicelements within a passage. Approachingproblems from more than one perspectiveclarifies knowledge and skills. Students mightcreate their own warm-ups, addressing onesection or part of a section.

Creative


Students work with scales and arpeggios,melodic and rhythmic patterns, expansion ofrange, meter signatures and keys. Musicalcompositions have fewer sections composed ofblock rhythms while parts begin to move in twoand sometimes three distinct ways. Studentsdemonstrate melodic independence, and sololines and accompaniment lines become evident.Students play dotted rhythms, expanded metersincluding 6/8 and cut time, and keys up to threesharps and two flats.

Historical/

Cultural

Heritage

Literature represents a variety of historicalperiods and cultures. Many selections

incorporate styles of past composers, andstudents identify the attributes of differentstyles. They find examples of performancecompositions written in designated styles bycontemporary composers and seek out musicalarrangements intended for performance byyoung groups. Students often communicatewith people who pursue music vocationally andavocationally. Realizing that there is a place formusicians beyond the classroom helpsestablish role models for aspiring musicians.

Response/

Evaluation Assisting students in identifying basic musicconcepts increases their independence, helps

them establish evaluation criteria, and developstheir musical insight. Student interest and focusare heightened when corrections made in onearea of learning are related to other areas.

As an introduction to program musicand its composition, Cameron Berhanasks her students to listen to part oftwo recordingsKakadu by PeterSculthorpe and New J ourney bySarah Hopkinsand to respond tothem with drawings.

The objective of the activity is to helpstudents learn the definition ofprogram music, exploring howcomposers are inspired to write worksand listening for the differences amongtimbres of various instruments.

Ms. Berhan gives her students largesheets of paper and drawing materials.She asks the class to draw (ordescribe in words) the images thatcome to mind while listening to therecordings. She then plays an excerptof Kakadu (the first 7 minutes) andleads the class in a discussion of theimages and how they relate to variousinstruments. Next she plays the firstfive minutes of New J ourney, havingthe students draw or write aboutimages the excerpt evokes.

After the second excerpt, the classdiscusses how they might go aboutcreating a piece of program musicthemselves.

Working in small groups, studentscreate a work in programmatic style ofapproximately 35 minutes. As part ofthe exercise, they discuss the settingout of the score, and Ms. Berhan helpsthem with graphic notation.

Program music music intended to convey an impression ofa definite series of images, scenes, or events.


39/97


Course Title: Grade 7, Jazz Band


PerceptionStudents listen to live and recordedperformances of jazz, describingand evaluating what they hear usingspecific technical terminology.


Performance Students who have knowledge andskills consistent with one year ofinstrumental music study learn basicjazz rhythm patterns andarticulations necessary to performbeginning jazz literature. Studentsimprovise simple non-notatedphrases.

Historical/Cultural Heritage Historical aspects of jazz as a

distinct American art form areemphasized.

Response/

Evaluation Students perform for one anotherand evaluate performances on thebasis of criteria the class uses todefine and evaluate different stylesof jazz.

When the school year begins, PaulFergusson explains to his students thatthey will encounter quite a few unfamiliarwords and phrases over the course of theyear. He asks students to keep track ofthese unfamiliar terms and to write them onthe board as they come across them.

Throughout the year, Mr. Fergusson beginsclass by going over the list of terms thestudents have written on the board. Headds new terms covered in each dayslesson and briefly defines them, with thehelp of his students, before continuing withthe days lesson.

At the end of each class period, studentsmake notes in their journals, reflecting onclass activities and using terminology fromthe board.


40/97


Course Title: Grade 7, Instrumental Ensemble


PerceptionThe instrumental ensemble is designed forsecond year instrumental students. The smallensemble enables students to developindependence while working in groups, such asduets, trios, and quartets. Learning to listenattentively and make harmonic as well asmelodic adjustments to pitch are emphasized.

Creative

Expression/

Performance

Students may be organized using likeinstrumentation or with mixed families in theensemble groupings. Students may move fromone kind of ensemble to another over thecourse of a year. Literature learned with one

student on a part focuses concentration onharmonic and rhythmic accuracy as well as onprecision. Each student becomes independent,even though students often perform in blockrhythmic patterns and have little independenceof line when performing initial literatureselections. The ability to maintain a steady beatand demonstrate rhythmic cohesion without theassistance of a conductor is a key step indeveloping independent musicianship. Studentsarrange and compose small ensembleselections, possibly creating a groupcomposition utilizing two independent parts.Guidelines can modify the level of difficulty ofassignments. Expressive qualities resulting

from comprehension of dynamic ranges,tempos, and articulations enhancemusicianship. The focus of the class is thedevelopment of musicianship, not success incompetition.

Historical/

Cultural

Heritage

Literature is varied and represents a diversity ofperiods, styles, and composers. Stylisticqualities of particular cultures and historicalperiods are discussed.

Response/

Evaluation Students perform for each other and evaluatetheir work. Students listen to recorded

performances and establish criteria for definingand evaluating styles, periods, and genres.

Most students in seventh-gradeInstrumental Ensemble are fairly newto the practice of listening to andevaluating their own and their peersmusical performances.

Maria Loberg wants to focus ondeveloping her students skills ofresponse and evaluation. Sherecognizes the importance of theseskills in student self-assessment, inunderstanding and defining thecharacteristics of music, and inbuilding a sense of community and

collaboration among studentmusicians.

Before every student performance, Ms.Loberg leads a class discussion onresponse and evaluation. Among othertopics, they discuss the value ofbuilding criteria for judging work,methods of criticism, and the value ofcriticism.

Ms. Loberg also prompts her studentsto consider other, related topics fortheir response/evaluation discussions.She asks questions such as:

Should we have different criteriafor evaluating professional andstudent performances? Why orwhy not?

Can you list two actions you mighttake, as a performer, to utilizepeer evaluation in the process ofpersonal growth?


41/97




PerceptionStudents build on knowledge of music theory, focusing on identifyingand describing intervals. Students learn to recognize any major scaleby identifying the scales characteristics as described in intervalicprogression. In addition, students are able to write a major scalebeginning on any note. Students learn the forms of the natural,harmonic, and melodic minor scales, incorporating intervalic relationswith the characteristics of each pattern. The difference in soundbetween major and minor scales is recognized by sight (in notation)and by aural discrimination. Students have an understanding of triadsbased on scale tones. Sight-reading vocally, in major, minor and somealtered tone keys, is expected. Students read in common metersignatures and are able to: Read at least a single line of music Perform on a variety of classroom instruments including

piano/keyboards and other pitched instruments Sing/play music in the key of C, in 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4 time using

quarter, half, whole, 8

th

, 16

th

notes, corresponding rests, anddotted half and quarter notes.

Creative

Expression/

Performance

Applying music theory to the music being studied assists students insinging and playing accurately; furthermore, this reinforces studentsgrasp of theory and makes theoretical concepts relevant. Studentscreate compositions of their own; individually or in groups, they maybe given broad guidelines for composing a selection using forms suchas ABA or rondo. Fewer guidelines are needed as students gaincompetence and confidence. The class prepares music forpresentation. All music studied provides opportunities for students toaccurately replicate rhythm, melody, harmony, and stylisticauthenticity. Additionally, students demonstrate correct singing, properdiction, attention to breath support, and characteristic tone qualities inboth informal and formal music performances.

Historical/Cultural

Heritage

Interpretation of new material is supported by the study of cultural andhistorical influences on the development of the music. Acomprehensive sequence of cultures and historical periods organizesthe study of music heritage. Students select a topic (such as anhistorical era, a composer, musician, style or medium of performance)and prepare reports for class presentation. Students provide ev

music framework

Documents