National Content Standards of Choral Music at Bloomington High School North

Grades 9-12

Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1 adv.

Beginning Chorus Standards and Basics for Select Choirs

Standard 1. Singing, alone & with others, a varied repertoire of music

Students identify vocal characteristics and sing a varied repertoire of vocal literature

1.1)         Identify and describe desirable & undesirable aspects of vocal sounds and vocal quality (through listening to recordings & live examples, as well as learned assessment and adjudication). Develop a knowledge and use of pitch accuracy, clear diction, consistent breath control, tone quality, appropriate posture, accurate tempo & rhythm.

1.2)         Sing songs or song excerpts in appropriate style & manner, both in rehearsal and performance.

Students sing accurately and expressively from memory, with proper technique and steady breath control, alone and in ensembles. Choral music students sing music written in two to four parts, depending on class enrollment, with and without accompaniment, and build well-developed ensemble skills.

    1. Sing alone or with a group, on pitch and in tempo, with clear diction, consistent breath control and appropriate posture for singing.

1.4)         Sing expressively a variety of vocal literature, utilizing dynamic contrasts, phrasing that fits the appropriate performance practice of that style & time.

1.5)       Sing an independent vocal part while maintaining a balance of volume and vocal quality with other members of the ensemble.

1.6)         Follow the cues of a conductor.

1.7)         Can demonstrate through continual written self-assessments, the development of technique and vocal ability

                Advanced Levels Standard 1,3-7 listed at end)

Standard 2: Playing an instrument alone and with others

Students play by ear simple melodies or accompaniments on keyboard/percussion

2.1)         echo melodic, rhythmic or harmonic patterns, relative to music theory.

Students perform an appropriate instrumental part in an ensemble, demonstrating well-developed ensemble skills

    1. play a rhythmic or melodic instrument(keyboard), maintaining tempo, balancing the sound with the rest of the ensemble, and following the conductor.

Standard 3: Reading, notating, and interpreting music

Students identify and define standard notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.

                3.1)         Name and explain the meaning of symbols found on a musical score.

3.2)         Demonstrate the correct use of musical terminology when discussing music.

Students correctly interpret a vocal score. They sight read simple melodies in appropriate clefs. They use standard notation to communicate musical ideas.

                3.3)         Accurately perform musical scores by observing all symbols relating to pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expressive details.

                3.4)         Sight read and perform musical excerpts in major and minor keys.

                3.5)         Notate rhythms and melodies in simple and compound meters.

Advanced Level: Students interpret a full vocal score including transpositions and clefs.

3.6          Read and accurately perform the contents of a full musical score of 4 or more staves, demonstrating accurate counting of rhythms, pitch identification, and symbols for articulation or expression.

    1. Accurately interpret nonstandard symbols used by some contemporary composers.

 

 

 

National Content Standards of Choral Music at Bloomington High School North

Beginning Chorus and basics for Select Choirs

Standard 4: Improvising melodies and accompaniments

Students improvise stylistically appropriate melodies or harmonies.

                4.1)         Create a melody that is compatible with a given chord progression.

                4.2)         Harmonize a given melody.

Students improvise rhythmic and melodic variations on given simple melodies in basic keys and modes. They improvise original melodies over given chord progressions, each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality.

4.3)         Embellish a melody by means of adding notes or by varying a portion of the rhythmic structure of the melody.

4.4)         Upon hearing a series of chords being played, invent a melody that will match the chords and the style in which they are being played.

Advanced Level: Students improvise harmonizing parts in a variety of styles.

4.5)         Create a harmony part or chord progression for melodies in styles from various musical eras or cultural traditions

Standard 5: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines for advanced only

Students compose music creatively and expressively, using elements of music as they do so.

5.1)         Create short, musical works, with assistance by the instructor as needed, to convey an original idea.

Students arrange vocal pieces other than those for which the pieces were originally written.

                5.2)         Arrange a piece of music or a song in a different manner than originally written.

Able students compose music that exhibits imagination and technical skill in applying the principles of composition. They implement arranging techniques for voices, other than those for which the pieces were written, in ways that preserve or enhance the expressive effect of the music. They can compose and arrange music for voices, acoustical or electronic instruments, demonstrating knowledge of the pitch ranges and usages of the particular sound source used.

5.3)         Create an original composition that skillfully utilizes melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and formal properties found in exemplary musical works.

5.4)         Arrange a known work in a new way, using appropriate interpretive effects and articulations so that the expressive content of the work is preserved.

5.5)         Compose a work using more than one type of voice or instrument, in a way that fits the range of capabilities for each voice.

(Ie. Write a song for four vocal parts, with each part written in a comfortable range for the singers. Be sure that lyrics are not placed so that difficult vowel sounds, such as long e, and consonants take place on pitches that are high for that particular voice.)

Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

Students identify basic music forms when heard. They also demonstrate knowledge of vocal sound & styles from different cultures. Students describe specific music events in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology that demonstrates knowledge of the technical vocabulary of music.

6.1)         Identify musical forms such as AB, ABA, rondo, fugue, or theme and variations when heard

6.2)         Use the correct terms when describing events, musical devices, or instruments used within an example from a musical work.

    1. Compare and contrast music of different styles, genres, and time periods.

Students analyze a variety of aural examples of choral music for their uses of musical and expressive elements. They identify and explain compositional devices and techniques that provide unity, citing examples from choral or vocal works.

6.4)         Listen to two or more recordings of a choral work being learned and compare similarities and differences in tempo, dynamic levels, tone quality, and use of accents or articulations for purposes of expression.

6.5)         Identify compositional devices and musical events heard in choral works being studied, such as cadences, tempo, points of tension and release, and changes of key.

National Content Standards of Choral Music at Bloomington High School North

Beginning Chorus and basics for Select Choirs

Advanced: Students demonstrate advanced knowledge of the technical vocabulary of music as they describe significant or interesting events occurring in a given aural example. They compare similarity of form and usage of musical materials in works of the same style or genre.

          6.6)         Describe in musical terms the unique features of a choral work.

(Ie. Conduct the choir in a short rehearsal of a segment from a piece being learned. Explain in musical terms what changes are present in the music as well as how singers can make these changes heard.)

    1. Identify and describe similar use of formal devices such as key relations, repetition, augmentation and diminution found in choral works including the mass, oratorio, opera chorus, or song cycle.

Standard 7: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts

Students describe similarities among different disciplines and the arts. They describe similarities among different art forms across cultures.

7.1)         Compare and contrast the processes of analysis, inquiry, and creativity used in the arts to their use in other subject areas such a math, literature, and the physical or social sciences.

    1. Compare and contrast artistic processes and principles as they are used within other fine arts areas.

(Ie. As a part of a study of the artistic process, interview a dancer, artist, professional musician and actor or actress. Obtain their opinions about issues such as what constitutes artistry in their area and the keys to mastery of their art form.)

Students apply the musical and non-musical skills learned through participation in performance ensembles to other life settings. They integrate the elements of music (such a form, texture, contrast, thematic material, and structure) with other art forms. They also compare and contrast the job descriptions involved with the various arts areas.

    1. List several skills learned in ensembles and relate them to those skills needed in areas such as the work force, church, or community group, and other school groups.

(Ie. As a part of a concert, write a brief essay on non-musical benefits that have resulted through taking part in an ensemble. Read it to the audience or print in program)

7.4)          Analyze another art form for its use of form, texture, contrast or use of thematic material, and compare it to a similar analysis of a work of music.

(Ie. As part of an integrated arts unit, compare an opera to a ballet from the same historical period, and compare their uses of thematic material and musical effects.)

7.5)         Explain how the roles of creators, performers, and others involved in the arts resemble and differ from one another in the various arts disciplines.

Standard 8: Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Students classify by historical context, genre and style a varied body of exemplary musical works. They identify sources of American music genres and identify various roles that musicians perform within the surrounding culture. Students also identify the use of music in daily life as well as within various eras.

    1. Upon hearing the works that have been studied, name the genre (such as ‘opera’), style (such as Classical or Jazz) and historical background (period in history, country, and culture) for each, including the composer.

8.2)         Describe the origins and development of American genres such as jazz, the Broadway musical, and rock music, including well-known composers and performers with each genre.

8.3)         Describe musical characteristics that make certain works suitable for specific situations.

(Ie. Given a list of known works, select from among them plan a musical program suitable for an upcoming occasion such as a wedding or an award ceremony. Explain your choices using musical terminology and examples.)

    1. Document times and places within a recent time period where you have heard music, and write down the function the music was serving, the type of performance medium, and personal reactions to each.

 

National Content Standards of Choral Music at Bloomington High School North

Beginning Chorus and basics for Select Choirs

Standard 9: Evaluating music and music performances

Students define the concept of musical quality. They evaluate a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to similar or exemplary models. Students also demonstrate understanding of the importance of appropriate concert behavior. Ongoing written personal responses and self-assessment of performance & rehearsal practice is critical to this process and personal growth of the student.

    1. Name specific criteria to be used in evaluating the quality of a musical work or performance.
    2. Write or present a critique of a performance, composition, improvisation or arrangement
    3. Take part in a class discussion of appropriate concert behavior, attend a concert, and evaluate your own behavior as well as that of the audience.

Students extend and refine the concept of musical quality. They evaluate a given musical work in terms of its aesthetic qualities and the musical means used to evoke emotional responses.

                9.4)         Apply specific criteria for musical quality to your personal participation in music.

(Ie. Upon hearing a live performance by a professional vocal organization, discuss your impressions of the group'’ performance. Evaluate the performance and discuss ways your ensemble can improve its own progress based upon what you heard.)

 

 

Standard 1

Advanced Chorus/Intermediate Concert Choir/Vocal Jazz Ensemble

1. 3)        Sing with expression and technical accuracy a varied repertoire of vocal literature with a varying degree of difficulty, including songs to be sung from memory, from a variety of vocal literature, using a variety of articulations, dynamics & phrasing that fits the appropriate performance practice of that style and time.

    1. Sing music written in 4 parts or more (SSAATTBB), with and without accompaniment, depending on participating singers
    2. Demonstrate well-developed ensemble skills, blend, and balance of volume and vocal quality and perform for adjudication at ISSMA
    3. Follow cues of a conductor or ensemble member, appropriate to the period & style
    4. Sing with technical accuracy and expression a large variety of repertoire of advanced difficulty, including foreign languages, sometimes with appropriate choreography

(Advanced Standards listed last in standards 2-9 remaining the same for advanced students in all choruses)