General Music: 9th-12th Grades

Standards, Learning Expectations, and Performance Indicators

Course Description:

General music is a course that seeks to give students in grades 9-12 an understanding of the elements, history, and role of music in today’s society. The course will encourage active participation in performing and creating music through a balanced comprehensive and sequential program of study. In addition, a correlation between music, the other arts, and academic disciplines will be included.

Content Standard 1.0: Singing

Students will sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

1.1 Demonstrate the ability to sing alone with expression and technical accuracy.

1.2 Demonstrate the ability to sing in an ensemble with expression and technical accuracy.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• sing a solo melody with expression;
• sing in an ensemble with expression.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• sing a solo melody with expression and technical accuracy;
• sing in an ensemble with expression and technical accuracy.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• sing melodies from two or more musical styles with expression and technical accuracy;
• sing in an ensemble with expression and technical accuracy examples from two or more musical styles.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will sing an expressive melody in an ensemble. The teacher will assess the expressiveness of the performance.

Integration/Linkages:

Music Theory, Music History, Vocal-Choral Music, Language Arts, Social Studies, National Standards for Arts Education.

Content Standard 2.0: Playing Instruments

Students will perform on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

2.1 Demonstrate the ability to perform instrumental music alone with expression and technical accuracy.

2.2 Demonstrate the ability to perform an appropriate instrumental part in an ensemble.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• play a solo melody with expression;
• play in an instrumental ensemble with expression.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• play a solo melody with expression and technical accuracy;
• play in an instrumental ensemble with expression and technical accuracy

At Level 3, the student is able to

• play with expression and technical accuracy melodies from two or more musical styles;
• play in an instrumental ensemble with expression and technical accuracy examples from two or more musical styles

Sample Performance Task:

Students will perform a three part instrumental canon with technical accuracy. The teacher will assess the accuracy of the performance.

Integration/Linkages:

Music History, Music Theory, Instrumental Music, Social Studies, National Standards for Arts Education.

Content Standard 3.0: Improvising

Students will improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

3.1 Demonstrate the ability to improvise melodies.

3.2 Demonstrate the ability to improvise variations.

3.3 Demonstrate the ability to improvise accompaniments.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• explore improvising short melodic passages;
• use rhythmic skills to improvise a variation on a well-known melody;
• use rhythmic skills to improvise an accompaniment for a well-known melody.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• create a non-notated melody within specified guidelines;
• use melodic skills to improvise a variation on a well-known melody;
• experiment with placing tonic, subdominant and dominant chords as an accompaniment for a well-known melody.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• improvise a melody in a stylistically appropriate manner;
• use harmonic skills to improvise a variation on a well-known melody;
• use harmonic skills to improvise an accompaniment for a well-known melody.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will improvise a chordal accompaniment on the piano for a simple melody. The teacher will assess the appropriateness of the accompaniment.

Integration/Linkages:

Music Theory, Music History, Vocal/Choral Music, Instrumental Music, National Standards for Arts Education.

Content Standard 4.0: Composing

Students will compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

4.1 Demonstrate how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety in composition.

4.2 Demonstrate how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety in arranging music

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• compose in groups, pieces effectively demonstrating the use of the elements of music to achieve unity and variety;
• arrange in groups, pieces effectively demonstrating the use of the elements of music to achieve unity and variety.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• compose individually pieces effectively demonstrating the use of the elements of music to achieve unity and variety;
• arrange individually pieces effectively demonstrating the use of the elements of music to achieve unity and variety.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• compose individually pieces effectively demonstrating the use of the elements of music to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance;
• arrange individually pieces effectively demonstrating the use of the elements of music to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance

Sample Performance Task:

Students will create an arrangement of specified folk songs through the use of electronic media. The teacher will assess the effectiveness of the arrangement.

Integration/Linkages:

Music Theory, Technology, National Standards for Arts Education, Computer Science, Sound Engineer.

Content Standard 5.0: Reading and Notating

Students will read and notate music.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

5.1 Demonstrate skills in interpreting notated musical examples that include rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, and symbols of musical expression.

5.2 Demonstrate skills in notating musical examples using standard notation that include rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony and symbols of musical expression.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• accurately interpret notated musical examples that include rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, and symbols of musical expression at a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6;
• using standard notation, notate rhythm, melody (treble and bass clef) and symbols of expression in musical examples..

At Level 2, the student is able to

• accurately interpret notated musical examples that include rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, and symbols of musical expression at a level of difficulty of 3, on a scale of 1 to 6;
• using standard notation, notate musical examples in two parts.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• accurately interpret notated musical examples that include rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, and symbols of musical expression at a level of difficulty of 4, on a scale of 1 to 6;
• using standard notation, notate musical examples including two or more parts.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will use notation software to notate an original composition for performance by a student ensemble. The teacher will assess the accuracy of the notation.

Integration/Linkages:

Math, Language Arts, Technology, Music Theory, Music History, National Standards for Arts Education, Composer

Content Standard 6.0: Listening and Analyzing

Students will listen to, analyze, and describe music.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

6.1 Demonstrate knowledge of the technical vocabulary of music.

6.2 Analyze aural examples of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse genres and cultures.

6.3 Compare compositional devices and techniques used to provide unity and variety and tension and release between two similar musical works.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• listen to and, using the technical vocabulary of music, describe a piece of music;
• analyze two musical examples of different styles and describe the devices that make them unique;
• compare and contrast the compositional devices that provide unity and variety in two similar musical examples.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• listen to and, using the technical vocabulary of music, analyze a piece of music;
• analyze three or more musical examples of different styles and describe the devices that make them unique;
• compare and contrast the compositional devices that provide tension and release in two similar musical examples.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• listen to and, using the technical vocabulary of music, compare two or more pieces of music;
• analyze two or more musical examples of different cultures and describe the devices that make them unique;
• compare and contrast the compositional devices that provide unity and variety, and tension and release in two or more similar musical examples.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will write an essay in standard format analyzing the use of melody in a Japanese musical example. The teacher will assess the accurate use of vocabulary and the writing format.

Integration/Linkages:

Language Arts, Math (Statistics), Social Studies, Technology, Music History, Music Theory, Vocal/Choral Music, Instrumental Music, National Standards for Arts Education.

Content Standard 7.0: Evaluating

Students will evaluate music and music performances.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

7.1 Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of music compositions.

7.2 Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of performances.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• identify appropriate criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music compositions;
• identify appropriate criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music performances.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• develop appropriate criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music compositions;
• develop appropriate criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music performances.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• assess the quality and effectiveness of music compositions using student-developed criteria;
• assess the quality and effectiveness of music performances using student-developed criteria.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will attend a formal performance of choral or instrumental music and write a performance evaluation paper. The teacher will assess the appropriateness of the evaluation and the writing style.

Integration/Linkages:

Language Arts, Math, Technology, Music Theory, Music History, National Standards for Arts Education, Music Critic

Content Standard 8.0: Interdisciplinary Connections

Students will understand relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

8.1 Compare characteristics of two or more arts within a particular historical period, and style.

8.2 Demonstrate ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines are interrelated with those of music.

8.3 Demonstrate an understanding of the many presences and uses of music in today's environment.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• compare characteristics of music and those of another art discipline within a particular historical period, and style;
• explore the commonalities of the principles and subject matter of an academic discipline outside the arts and those of music;
• list presences and uses of music in today’s environment.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• compare characteristics of music and those of two other arts disciplines within a particular historical period, and style;
• accurately differentiate how influences from the principles and subject matter of one academic discipline outside the arts and those of music impact each other;
• assess the presences and uses of music as to its beneficial, harmful, or therapeutic effects.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• compare and contrast characteristics of music and those of another art discipline within a particular historical period, style and culture;
• accurately differentiate how influences from the principles and subject matter of two academic disciplines outside the arts and those of music impact each other;
• propose possible means for neutralizing harmful presences and uses of music.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will assess in writing the potential dangers of continuous exposure to loud music during a rock concert and suggest ways to avoid those dangers. The teacher will evaluate the effectiveness of the student’s arguments.

Integration/Linkages:

Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Visual Arts, Theater, Dance, Music History, Music Theory, Technology, National Standards for Arts Education, Critical Thinking.

Content Standard 9.0: Historical and Cultural Relationships

Students will understand music in relation to history and culture.

Learning Expectations:

The student will

9.1 Distinguish characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of historical periods.

9.2 Distinguish characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures.

9.3 Examine the evolution of American musical genres.

Performance Indicators:

At Level 1, the student is able to

• identify the characteristics of representative music genres and styles from 2 or more historical periods.
• identify the characteristics of representative music genres and styles from 2 or more cultures.
• explore the sources and development of at least one American music genre and correlate well-known performers associated with that genre.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• correctly inventory a varied body of musical works of a particular historical period based on genre and style;
• correctly inventory a varied body of musical works of a particular culture based on genre and style;
• explore the sources and development of at least two American music genres and correlate well-known performers associated with that genre

At Level 3, the student is able to

• correctly inventory a varied body of musical works of two or more historical periods based on genre and style including reasons for placements chosen;
• correctly inventory a varied body of musical works of two or more cultures based on genre and style including reasons for placements chosen;
• explore the sources and development of at least three American music genres and correlate well-known performers associated with that genre.

Sample Performance Task:

Students will construct a tree diagram showing the various influences of specific United States locales in the development of Jazz. This shall include titles of specific musical pieces from each locale. The teacher will assess the accuracy of the diagram.

Integration/Linkages:

Language Arts, Social Studies, Technology, Music History, Music Theory, National Standards for Arts Education.