National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Eighth grade course overview.
Drumming…. Rhythm, form and timbre. Students will explore music through playing in a drum ensemble. We’ll explore the musical capabilities of various drums and practice most of the elements of music through this medium.
Digital Music ..Students will learn how to use everyday objects to make great musical sounds. We’ll then use these sounds and our computers to digitally record music tracks and lay them together to make our own compositions. We will be using a program called Mixcraft, a program similar to GarageBand. We will also learn to use a music notation program called NoteFlight. This works like a word processor for musical notes and symbols. The students will be able to write their own compositions and have the computer perform for them.
Cultural Literacy….. We will study many kinds of music from the American Twentieth century and learn how it represents the culture and lifestyle of each decade. We will study the different genres of music found in the United States and learn about various musicians and composers. If you are absent from class, please be sure to see me for the makeup work. Also, each student should make it their responsibility to watch two musicals.
During the first trimester, each student should watch a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Oklahoma! This is available from our library, the Rye Public Library, or students may borrow it from the music classroom. These shows are also available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. If students wait until the week before these are due, the classroom copies of this musical will be unavailable to 75 kids at once!
During the second trimester, we will be studying the music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Each student should watch the musical West Side Story. We will be comparing and contrasting these two musicals in class. Please make sure you’ve seen the show before March 1.
Grading. Students will be graded on classwork, class performances, projects, tests on the two musicals, and one final test. Each student will be dynamically assessed during each class. How well did they learn the new material and perform in class. Opportunities will arise for the students to assess their own personal growth. Please see the classwork grading rubric below. At the end of the year, the students will take a final exam which will include a playing test on both the drums and the piano keyboards, listening and notating music, and a written exam of the American musicians we’ll study through the year.
If you have questions or concerns, the best way to reach me is through email at [email protected]
Classroom Grading Rubric
5 Advanced - Advanced and complete understanding of and competence in core skills, concepts and processes in the task. Student's response demonstrates ability to take the task to a more advanced level. The response contains clear and convincing evidence of advanced performance. Evidence of advanced performance could include ability to apply knowledge to new situations, purpose creative solutions to the problem, and/or complete the task at a level that clearly exceeds the standard.
4 Proficient- Complete understanding of and competence in the core skills, concepts and processes in the task. The response contains sufficient evidence of competence in and comprehension of core elements in the task. The student's response may contain some minor inconsistencies, flaws or errors, but they do not detract from overall evidence of achievement of the core elements in the task.
3 Limited- Partial understanding of and competence in one or more of the core skills, concepts and processes required by the task. The response contains inconsistent evidence of the student's competence in and comprehension of the core elements in the task. The student's response may contain inconsistencies, flaws or errors that limit the achievement of the core elements.
2 Progressing- Limited understanding of and competence in several of the core skills, concepts and processes required by the task. The response contains insufficient evidence of the student's competence in and comprehension of the core elements in the task. While the response may contain some of the attributes of an appropriate response, there are substantial inconsistencies, flaws or errors that suggest the need for considerable new learning before the student has achieved the standard.
1 - There is no evidence that the student demonstrates the comprehension or skills to complete the task.
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Eighth grade course overview.
Drumming…. Rhythm, form and timbre. Students will explore music through playing in a drum ensemble. We’ll explore the musical capabilities of various drums and practice most of the elements of music through this medium.
Digital Music ..Students will learn how to use everyday objects to make great musical sounds. We’ll then use these sounds and our computers to digitally record music tracks and lay them together to make our own compositions. We will be using a program called Mixcraft, a program similar to GarageBand. We will also learn to use a music notation program called NoteFlight. This works like a word processor for musical notes and symbols. The students will be able to write their own compositions and have the computer perform for them.
Cultural Literacy….. We will study many kinds of music from the American Twentieth century and learn how it represents the culture and lifestyle of each decade. We will study the different genres of music found in the United States and learn about various musicians and composers. If you are absent from class, please be sure to see me for the makeup work. Also, each student should make it their responsibility to watch two musicals.
During the first trimester, each student should watch a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Oklahoma! This is available from our library, the Rye Public Library, or students may borrow it from the music classroom. These shows are also available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. If students wait until the week before these are due, the classroom copies of this musical will be unavailable to 75 kids at once!
During the second trimester, we will be studying the music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Each student should watch the musical West Side Story. We will be comparing and contrasting these two musicals in class. Please make sure you’ve seen the show before March 1.
Grading. Students will be graded on classwork, class performances, projects, tests on the two musicals, and one final test. Each student will be dynamically assessed during each class. How well did they learn the new material and perform in class. Opportunities will arise for the students to assess their own personal growth. Please see the classwork grading rubric below. At the end of the year, the students will take a final exam which will include a playing test on both the drums and the piano keyboards, listening and notating music, and a written exam of the American musicians we’ll study through the year.
If you have questions or concerns, the best way to reach me is through email at [email protected]
Classroom Grading Rubric
5 Advanced - Advanced and complete understanding of and competence in core skills, concepts and processes in the task. Student's response demonstrates ability to take the task to a more advanced level. The response contains clear and convincing evidence of advanced performance. Evidence of advanced performance could include ability to apply knowledge to new situations, purpose creative solutions to the problem, and/or complete the task at a level that clearly exceeds the standard.
4 Proficient- Complete understanding of and competence in the core skills, concepts and processes in the task. The response contains sufficient evidence of competence in and comprehension of core elements in the task. The student's response may contain some minor inconsistencies, flaws or errors, but they do not detract from overall evidence of achievement of the core elements in the task.
3 Limited- Partial understanding of and competence in one or more of the core skills, concepts and processes required by the task. The response contains inconsistent evidence of the student's competence in and comprehension of the core elements in the task. The student's response may contain inconsistencies, flaws or errors that limit the achievement of the core elements.
2 Progressing- Limited understanding of and competence in several of the core skills, concepts and processes required by the task. The response contains insufficient evidence of the student's competence in and comprehension of the core elements in the task. While the response may contain some of the attributes of an appropriate response, there are substantial inconsistencies, flaws or errors that suggest the need for considerable new learning before the student has achieved the standard.
1 - There is no evidence that the student demonstrates the comprehension or skills to complete the task.