Course Description

The purpose of this course is to enable students to develop fundamental individual and ensemble skills in choral performance through preparation of varied choral literature for middle/junior high voices. Emphasis will be placed on healthy and expressive vocal musicianship, technical skills and aesthetic awareness. Sight-reading and ear training will be stressed. This course generally requires students to participate in extra rehearsals and performances beyond the school day.

Course of Study

· Singing

Students will apply expressive style and vocal techniques to age-appropriate vocal literature
Students will sing alone using age-appropriate vocal production techniques
Students will apply correct diction in several styles of selected literature
Students will proficiently perform two-part music in a variety of ensembles

· Performing

Students will employ knowledge of instruments to play simple melodic phrases
Students will employ knowledge of rhythm instruments to play simple rhythm patterns and accompaniments

· Improvising

Students will perform a simple non-notated melody
Students will improvise a simple variation to a familiar song.
Students will employ short accompaniment passages with a selected song

· Composing

Students will create a descant for a simple song.
Students will develop a vocal warm-up using a descant.
Students will arrange two specified songs into a partner song.

· Readingand notating

Students will interpret notation of choral music with a difficulty level of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6.
Students will vocally demonstrate terms, signs, and musical symbols at a proficient level
Students will apply sight-reading skills in choral music with a difficulty level of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6.
Students will apply standard symbols and signs to simple vocal part notation.

· Listening

Students will accurately distinguish the use of musical elements in choral literature.
Students will recognize the use of musical elements in a recorded work at a proficient level
Students will identify the use of timbre, melody, and rhythm in works of similar genres.
Students will listen to music recordings and classify according to styles

· Evaluating

Students will identify criteria for evaluation of personal participation in a choral performance
Students will identify criteria for comparison of choral performances with similar or exemplary models.
Students will explore musical means used to create the feelings or emotions in a choral work

· Understanding relationships between music and other arts

Students will explore the use of basic elements common in the arts
Students will describe how characteristics are displayed within each art form within a historical period
Students will describe how various disciplines are related to music
Students will appropriately analyze the influence of music technology on the creation of music
Students will describe the impact of music in today’s environment.

· Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Students will identify musical characteristics of historical periods within given cultures
Students will determine the origin of specified American genres.

Standards

MNPS Vocal Music Standards

http://www.mnps.org

Tennessee Vocal Music Standards

http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/standards

Textbook

Killian, Janice, Linda Rann, Michael O’Hearn. Essential Elements for the Young Choir

Winona, Minnesota: Hal Leonard Music Publishing, 1999.

Resources

Teacher’s discretion within county and state guidelines.

The Sight Singer - Audrey Snyder

Varied Repertoire (Octavos)