music curriculum framework - texas music educators association

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

http://finearts.esc20.net

My discovery of music was rather like coming upon anunsuspected city—like discovering Paris or Rome if you had

never before heard of their existence. The excitement ofdiscovery was enhanced because I came upon only a few

streets at a time, but before long I began to suspect the fullextent of this city.Aaron Copland

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

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 fromthe Texas Education Agency as a service to school administrators, teachers, and others interested in theeducational program of the state. Visit CEDFA online at http://finearts.esc20.net.

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

CEDFA gratefully acknowledges the contributions of teachers, administrators, parents, and communitymembers involved in the preparation of this framework.


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. Theessential 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 alignedwith the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Adoption of the TEKS provides Texas schools with theopportunity to examine and modify their existing curricula. Neither the TEKS nor this curriculumframework 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 itsown 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 mannerthat meets the particular needs of its students. Districts are encouraged to exceed the minimumrequirements of law and State Board of Education rules, supplementing curricula with meaningfulactivities, resources, and instructional materials.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Perspectives on Music Education 9

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

A Comprehensive Approach to Music Instruction 15

New Music Programs for Texas 19Music in Kindergarten through Grade 5 21Music in the Middle School 29Music in the High School 47

Instruction 79Motivation 79Strategies for teaching the Music TEKS 80Special Considerations 85Assessment 86

Campus/District-level Considerations 89Scheduling and Time 89Staffing 89Professional Development 90Program Evaluation 91

Appendix 93Checklist for Quality Professional Development 95


PERSPECTIVES ON MUSIC EDUCATION

Spanning history and place, music has always been a vital part of the traditionalceremonies and festivities of the world’s 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, orlanguages, of human expression. We discover and define the aspects of music thatwe seem to understand immediately—in 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 formalstudy of its history and practice.

In addition to providing a means of studying and experiencing the world’s cultures,music education fosters and enables participation in musical expression. It givesvoice to our fundamental needs for beauty and self-expression. If public educationfails 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 strongfoundation in music history and in the knowledge and technical skills of musicalperformance. Substantive music education is capable of engendering the depth ofunderstanding and personal commitment required for students to sustain meaningful,lifelong relationships with music—as appreciators, or as non-professional andprofessional 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 manifestationof the human spirit, similarto language. Its greatestpractitioners haveconveyed to mankindthings not possible to sayin any other language. Ifwe do not want thesethings to remain deadtreasures, we must do ourutmost to make thegreatest possible numberof people understand theiridiom.Zoltan Kodaly


THE STATE CONTEXT FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

Senate Bill 1, passed by the 74th Texas Legislature, charged the State Board ofEducation with clarifying essential knowledge and skills in the areas of thefoundation and enrichment curricula. As stated in the Texas Administrative Code,“districts must ensure that sufficient time is provided for [K–5 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 fourfine arts areas (music, theatre, dance, and art). Both the Recommended High SchoolProgram 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 inthe fields of music, theatre, dance, and art in the Distinguished AchievementProgram.

With this role for the fine arts in Texas public schools, the writing committee for theFine Arts TEKS was established and included representatives of a broad range ofexpertise 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 EssentialKnowledge and Skills. The TEKS, a framework of knowledge and skills, articulatehigh expectations for all student achievement. The TEKS are considered contentstandards that identify what all students should know and be able to do. However,the TEKS do not constitute curricula and do not prescribe methodologies orstrategies for achieving the standards. Rather, they form the basis of local curricula,which are designed individually to meet the particular needs of each district’sstudents.

I am convinced that all ofus have a biologicguarantee of musicianship.This is true regardless ofour age, formal experiencewith music, or the size andshape of our fingers, lipsor ears. . . . We all havemusic inside us, and canlearn how to get it out, oneway or another.Dr. Frank Wilson


Organization of the TEKSChapter 117 of the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, contains the Fine ArtsTEKS, 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 andgrade level. For example, “Music, Kindergarten” begins the music section. At thehigh school level, course levels are indicated by course title followed by I–IV. Thehigh school levels I–IV represent student achievement levels and do not representgrade level classifications.

After a brief introduction to the overall goals of music, the knowledge and skills arelisted. 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. Thesestatements of student expectations provide a framework for instruction andassessment 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 horizontaland vertical alignment of knowledge and skills. With each advancement in grade orcourse 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 writesmusic notation.

The student is expected to:

(A) sight-read simple music in treble and/or otherclefs in various keys and meters;

(B) use standard symbols to notate meter, rhythm,pitch, and dynamics; and

(C) identify music symbols and terms referring todynamics, tempo, and articulation and interpret themappropriately when performing.

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

three things I will haveuntil the day I die:

hope, determination,and song.

Miriam Makeba


Additionally, in each grade level and course, the four strands functioninterdependently, minimizing the need for equal amounts of time to be allocated toeach strand. Strand interdependency is an essential concept for districts to consider indeveloping and preparing curricula. In each class or course, all strands should beaddressed, but not necessarily in parity. Some courses may focus in great depth andcomplexity on specific strands and only touch on others to demonstrate relevanceand 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 theTEKS as a guide, the possibilities for advancing student music abilities multiplyexponentially.

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 onstudent capabilities and level-appropriate ways to help learners move to higherplateaus of knowledge and skills. When course instruction is aligned with the MusicTEKS, learning in all four strands is scaffolded from one grade to the next, andstudents become self-directed learners, applying foundational knowledge and skillsto a wide range of musical content.

The effects of goodmusic are not justbecause it’s new; on thecontrary, music strikesus more the morefamiliar we are with it.Johann WolfgangVon Goethe


A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO MUSIC INSTRUCTION

The introduction to the Music TEKS states that, in music, students develop theirintellect and refine their emotions, understand the cultural and creative nature ofmusical artistry, and make connections between music and the arts, technology, andother aspects of their lives. In creative performance, students apply their criticalthinking 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 music’s varied roles in culture and history, a relevantstudy of diversity for citizens of contemporary America. Additionally, studentsanalyze and evaluate music, developing criteria for making critical judgments andinformed choices.

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

focused 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 ofthe Fine Arts TEKS:• Perception—the tools of the discipline, i.e., vocabulary, elements, concepts, and

principles. Students begin their music education at an awareness level and movethrough grade sequences building the understandings described in each course’sstatement of student expectations.

• Creative expression/performance—the “making of music” whichencompasses repertoire, performing by singing and/or playing individually andin groups, reading and writing music, and creating and arranging withinspecified guidelines. Students progress from very basic, simple performances tocomplex performances that require accumulated knowledge and skills.

• Historical/cultural heritage—the connections students make within thediscipline to gain understandings of music’s roles and influences in differentsocieties and time periods. Learners study the circumstances and events thatinfluenced composers and musicians in order to preserve certain musical stylesand traditions.

• Response/evaluation—criteria built over the course of studies to assess musicalworks. Students learn to confidently and credibly compare, contrast, synthesize,and evaluate personal works and the works of others. Teaching students toconsider and to clearly articulate the reasoning behind their opinions is animportant aspect of this strand.

I frequently hear musicin the heart of noise.George Gershwin

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


By telling the story of Maria, a student learning music in a Texas public school, wewill demonstrate how the four strands work together to build a student’s musicknowledge and skills. Though each strand is discussed separately, Maria’s teacherscreate curricula by coherently weaving all four strands together.

PerceptionEven before Maria was born, her senses were teaching her about her environment.She could hear her mother’s voice and feel her mother’s heart beating. As soon asshe was born, her vision developed rapidly, providing her with an incredible amountof new information about her surroundings. She was exposed to new sounds, tastes,and smells. Fundamental to her future learning, she was developing an awareness ofand 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 toexplore new sounds, including musical ones, reflect on them, and respond to herdiscoveries in creative ways.

As Maria’s verbal expression developed, her vocabulary grew and her ability todescribe complex musical qualities and ideas expanded. She used her musicvocabulary to describe and produce music and interpret the feelings, thoughts, andmoods evoked by experiences in music. This practice of interpreting auralenvironmental stimuli helped shape Maria’s growing powers of recognition,description, classification, analysis, evaluation, and expression.

In order to build Maria’s 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 andsongs she learned in school.

As she grew older, Maria’s musical abilities, self-confidence, and enjoyment ofplaying and listening to music also grew. She started guitar lessons and beganlearning to sing and play Mexican folk songs like the ones her abuelita sang to her.To support and encourage Maria’s 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 HeritageMaria’s understanding and appreciation of her own and other cultures grew from herexploration of music. In studying and playing music, she began to recognize andvalue the diversity of musical expression. She learned to think of musical works ashistories 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. Farnsworth


origin. In fifth grade, her studies focused on the roles musicians play incontemporary societies, the influence of music on culture and on her own perceptionof the world. She joined the school choir in sixth grade and was often a featuredaccompanist 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 standardsand criteria for evaluating music. Maria’s evaluations of music informed herresponses to performance and her understanding of how and why she responds as shedoes. Her formal education honed her ability to assess the qualities and merits of hermusic and the music of other students, composers, and performers. Middle schoolgranted 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 Maria’s 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 initiatedand developed her lifelong love of music. Additionally, she learned criticalevaluation 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 Maria’s, 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


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 elementaryand middle school levels with instruction in its four strands throughout. At the highschool 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 aproduction-oriented curricular area for talented students to one that encourages thedevelopment of creative problem solving and critical thinking in all students.

Curriculum DevelopmentA variety of strategies can be used to prepare for curriculum development based onthe TEKS. Effective curriculum development processes generally occur over timeand begin with reading the TEKS and discussing them with colleagues. Thecurriculum 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 reflectiveprocess. It is easy to become overwhelmed, so focus on major questions, andremember that your program already has strengths to build on.

The next step in this evaluation process might involve describing in detail studentexpectations upon graduation and then thinking about these expectations as theyapply 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 backwardsthrough benchmarks to outline how students can meet your most advancedexpectations of them.

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


Grade Level Perception: Student Expectations

Kindergarten Identify the difference between singing and speaking voices and identify thetimbre 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 children’s and adults’ voices;woodwind, brass, string, percussion, keyboard, and electronic instruments; andinstruments 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 acharacteristic sound in many registers, rhythms, and tempos).

Level I Add and distinguish melodic and harmonic differences while listening to orperforming music.

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


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, andcategorize a myriad of sounds. Using correct vocabulary, elementary studentsidentify 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 shortmusical selections and distinguish between like and unlike passages. Through acarefully 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. Elementarystudents also learn to listen to a melodic line and match it accurately with its visualrepresentation. 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 thedifference 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 longerand more complicated musical works in which form is also created by harmony andtexture.

Elementary school students experience music by reading, writing, arranging,speaking, chanting, singing, playing, moving, and creating. Leaving out even oneelement 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 instructionhave 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 theirmusical potential, a solid music program based on scaffolded course content must beimplemented in elementary school. Activities that involve music, but are not basedon sequenced content as described by the TEKS, rarely build a foundation formusical achievement. Class musicals are enjoyable and may provide good publicrelations, but they are no substitute for the rich, well-rounded instruction necessaryfor 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 thevolume and volumechanges in music.They also includesarticulations such asstaccato and legato.

Rondo a musicalcomposition in whichthe principal theme isrepeated three or moretimes. 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 occurredto 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


The range of activities in music instruction determines specific space allocations forelementary music courses. Playing classroom instruments, movement, singing andsinging 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 kindergartenthrough grade five, a variety of desk and chair sizes is needed).

Grade Level DescriptionsThe following courses are described in broad terms and include suggestions that areneither definitive nor all-inclusive. These descriptions and vignettes are provided tostimulate curriculum development at the local level and to demonstrate the widerange of instructional strategies encompassed by the TEKS. This flexibility isprovided so that each district and campus can implement the TEKS with theparticular strengths, needs, and interests of its students and community in mind.

The notes I handleno better than many

pianists. But thepauses between the

notes—ah, that iswhere the art

resides.Arthur Schnabel


Course Title: Music, Kindergarten

Strand Content/Processes Vignette

OverviewStudents 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 beginestablishing a personal concept of timbre.

Creative Expression/Performance Students sing songs relevant to common

childhood 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/CulturalHeritage Selections include song literature and

singing 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.


Course Title: Music, Grade 1


PerceptionChildren 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 children’s knowledge expands, theybegin to establish a technical musicvocabulary.

Creative Expression/Performance Repetitive melodies reinforce the concept

of pitch, and games help students learndifferent beat patterns. After mastering theconcept of one beat, students try identifyingtwo 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/CulturalHeritage Many cultural and historical periods are

represented 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 student’snames. For example, she mightbegin chanting “Mar-tha, Mar-tha, Mar-tha”. Her students clapeach syllable of the name shechants. A name like Martha hastwo 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 clearsound per stroke, instead ofdiffuse sounds as from jinglebells, to accentuate the clarity ofthe rhythm.

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




PerceptionStudents 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.

Creative Expression/Performance Children use techniques that help

develop 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/CulturalHeritage Song selections represent diverse

cultural 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. Gregory’s students are at a stageof development where they enjoystructured games, so dances withspecific steps or movements appealto them. One of Ms. Gregory’sfavorite 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 rightstarts 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 thesong’s A and B parts, and thestudents describe the variousinstruments in the recording.




PerceptionAs 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.

Creative Expression/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 students’experience 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/CulturalHeritage Song literature is selected from diverse

cultures, 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 demonstratesuch behavior at performances.

Ms. Handelmann has just completedreading an essay by composer and artistTilman Küntzel 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 bybuilding 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 you’ll 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.




PerceptionStudents 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.

Creative Expression/Performance Students play and sustain a two-part

rhythmic 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/CulturalHeritage Students incorporate musical material

representative of Texan and Americanheritages. 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 liveperformances.

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 givesway 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 Johnston 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.




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.

CreativeExpression/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/CulturalHeritage

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 compositions

with 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.

Janice 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 GeneralMIDI—compatible 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.”


Music in the Middle SchoolStudents in middle school may select from a variety of music course listings. Generalmusic, band, choir, and orchestra are offered in grades 6, 7, and 8. Jazz band andinstrumental ensemble are added for 7th and 8th graders. Each course addresses allareas of the TEKS and appropriately integrates the strands to make content relevantfor students.

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

At the middle school level, teacher, peer, and self-assessments help students identifywhat they have done well, what they can improve, and strategies for makingimprovements. Thoughtful self-assessment stimulates personal achievement andencourages students to take responsibility for their education. Achievement in musicinstills pride and confidence.

In late elementary and middle school, beginning instrument classes should be taughtseparately from intermediate and advanced groups. Factors that influence schedulingfor beginners include staff availability, the number of students enrolled, availablefacilities, and the efficacy of instruction. Orchestras can be arranged by demonstratedstudent proficiency rather than by grade level. Students who have had privateinstruction may demonstrate proficiency beyond grade level expectations.Establishing criteria for determining proficiency is a helpful tool in scheduling andinstruction.

Music teachers in middle school choral programs face decisions about whether toarrange 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. Primaryconsiderations for determining class size include course content, expectations fordemonstrated student achievement, facilities, staff availability, and the format ofinstructional delivery (e.g., team teaching, heterogeneous or homogeneous studentgroups, number of beginners in the class).

Time allotments should be adequate for students to demonstrate the expectations ofthe 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 schoolregarding length of class time and pattern of class meetings, time allocations formusic 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


Course DescriptionsThe following courses are described in broad terms and include many suggestions,which are neither definitive nor all-inclusive. These descriptions and vignettes areprovided to stimulate curriculum development at the local level and to demonstratethe wide range of instructional strategies encompassed by the TEKS. This flexibilityis provided so that each district and campus can implement the TEKS with theparticular 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 ofthe living or wails over the

dead were with them but thenatural expression of their

feelings.Lydia Kamekeha

Liliuokalani


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.

Creative Expression/Performance Technical performance skills are addressed

whenever 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 compositions

expands 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 others’performances, 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 film Louisiana 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.Thompson’s suite uses sevensongs of the Cajun river people,descendants of French settlerswho migrated from Acadia inNova Scotia to Louisiana, as thebasis for the seven movementsof his suite. They are “Sadness,”“Papa’s 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 students’titles, 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.


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.


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


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, which

provides 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 students’memory. Students haverepeated opportunities toperform the scale until theyare successful. A new scaleis 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.


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, 8th, 16th,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.

Creative Expression/Performance Students refine vocal production skills,

vowel formation, singing, and breathsupport. 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/CulturalHeritage Classes study the historical and cultural

contexts of their listening andperformance selections. Students learnthe origins of traditional materials, theirtime 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. SusanTiller, who teaches sixth-gradechoir in South Texas, had thisadvice:

“The key to assessment in choir isto embed it in daily instruction—not 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 otherbasic elements of musicianship areassessed by the student, teacher,and other class members. Partsinging and interpretation can beassessed with more advancedstudents.”


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, 8th, and 16th notes, 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.

Creative Expression/Performance Students primarily play in the keys of C, D, and

G 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/CulturalHeritage Literature is based on folk and traditional

materials. 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 newstage 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.

Jamie Gere’s 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 toplace 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.




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.


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 lineswith 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/CulturalHeritage 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/Evaluation Students form musical opinions and justify them. They

listen 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 withinformation about the songs’origins, 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.




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.


Students continue to work with scales andarpeggios, 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 past

composers. 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 musician’s place beyond theclassroom helps establish role models for aspiringmusicians.

Response/Evaluation Assisting students in identifying basic music

concepts increases their independence, helps themestablish evaluation criteria, and develops theirmusical insight. Student interest and focus areheightened when corrections made in one area oflearning are related to other areas.

In order to assess studentanalysis of specific uses ofelements of music, Jo 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.




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.


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.


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


concepts increases their independence, helpsthem 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 Ward’s“Travelin’ 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 to“Travelin’ 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 gospelmusic in a similar fashion. After learningabout gospel music, the class evaluatesthe differences and similarities betweengospels and spirituals.




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.


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.


Literature represents a variety of historicalperiods and cultures. Many selectionsincorporate 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.


concepts increases their independence, helpsthem 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 recordings—“Kakadu” by PeterSculthorpe and “New Journey” bySarah Hopkins—and 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 Journey,” 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 3–5 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.


Course Title: Grade 7, Jazz Band


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

Creative Expression/Performance Students who have knowledge and

skills 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 another

and 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 day’slesson and briefly defines them, with thehelp of his students, before continuing withthe day’s lesson.

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


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.


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


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 evaluate

their work. Students listen to recordedperformances 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 peers’musical 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 andcollaboration 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 criteria

for 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?




PerceptionStudents build on knowledge of music theory, focusing on identifyingand describing intervals. Students learn to recognize any major scaleby identifying the scale’s 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, 8th, 16th notes, corresponding rests, anddotted half and quarter notes.


Applying music theory to the music being studied assists students insinging and playing accurately; furthermore, this reinforces students’grasp 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.


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 evidencefor assertions made in reports. Format of research and report is pre-approved by the teacher, who assigns projects to correspond withcurriculum units.

Response/Evaluation Attendance at live performances gives students opportunities to see

and hear a diverse community of musicians; reflection and evaluationof performances exercises students’ developing criteria for judgment.Developing criteria to judge quality in the evaluation of assignments orof music is an ongoing process. Rationale and justification of opinionsis very important. Students at this stage of learning seek detailedanswers to specific inquiries. They begin to understand that productand process are intertwined in learning.

The importance of intervalsis stressed throughout EdCollings’ year-long generalmusic class. Students learnthat a major third is one ofthe defining charcteristics ofthe relation between the firstand third notes in a step-wise melodic patternconsisting of eight notes.They also learn that if aninterval is two whole steps,such as c to e, it is verylikely the pattern is a majorscale. If the interval is d tof-natural, the distance isonly one and one-half stepsand describes a minor third,not a major third. A step-wise series of eight notesthat does not contain halfsteps between steps threeand four and between sevenand eight can become amajor scale if the size of theintervalic relationships isincreased or decreased,using flats or sharps toconform with the formula.

This rigorous study of theoryprepares Mr. Collings’students for more advancedstudy of music and musictheory.




PerceptionStudents continue technical studies as they work onperformance literature. Through selected literature,exercises, and warm-ups, they expand ranges, refinearticulations, develop and sustain breath control to supporttone, work on precision in rhythmic patterns, and clarifyintonation. Students learn to tune to one pitch, then learn totune harmonically within a chord with other members of anensemble. Focused listening skills are refined and combinedwith skills that enable students to make adjustments in pitch.Focused student listening builds the foundation forperformance achievement.


Literature includes more difficult, more complex selections,including elements such as expanded ranges in parts, keysup to four flats and three sharps, syncopated rhythms, fastertempo, increased independence in rhythmic and melodiclines, and occasional solo passages. With increasedtechnical proficiency, students successfully play moredifficult music and perform selections that reflect a broaderrepresentation of styles, forms, cultures, and historicalperiods.


Live performances and selected recordings introducestudents to music representing diverse heritages. Studentsidentify characteristics of particular time periods, styles,cultures, and/or individual composers and apply theirknowledge to authentic performance. Having studentsprepare study guides of performance music can helpstudents connect music with its heritage.

Response/Evaluation Listening, analyzing, and making adjustments in exercises

and in performance literature is a continual process ofgrowth. Reflection on one’s own and others’ performancesand application of thoughts to practice are keys to success.By sharing the process of evaluation and commentary,teachers guide students in the development of individualevaluation processes. Teachers demonstrate exemplarytechnique, helping students learn the characteristics ofexemplary performance. Students evaluate specificperformances and learn to make constructive criticismbased on musical concepts. Students may keep journalsdocumenting growth that include tapes of performances.Appropriate rehearsal and performance etiquette isdeveloped over time.

Beth Skoggins and her colleagues atDuBois Junior High School use musicwritten with specific warm-upguidelines and exercises that addressspecific learning issues in their eighth-grade band, choir, and orchestraclasses. Among other things, theseactivities help prepare students forfuture rhythmic and melodic dictation.DuBois music students also arrangemusical selections within guidelinesset by their teachers. Teacherguidelines include the following:• Use the same melodic sequence,

rearranging rhythmic patterns.• Retain rhythmic pattern, but alter

melodic line to include othernotes in the chordal triaddesignated for each measure.

• Arrange an accompaniment to amelodic phrase using notes fromthe chord sequence.




PerceptionStudents continue technical studies as they work onperformance literature. Through selected literature,exercises, and warm-ups, they expand ranges, refinearticulations, develop and sustain breath control tosupport tone, work on precision in rhythmic patterns,and clarify intonation. Focused listening skills arerefined and combined with skills that enable studentsto make adjustments in pitch. Students continuedeveloping sight-reading skills to include materialswritten in keys such as C, F, and G, including bothtreble and bass clefs. Development of sight-readingskills is a continual process of adding intricaterhythmic patterns, melodic passages, and expandedmeters.

Creative Expression/Performance Students may be assigned to classes for treble

voices, changed male voice, or mixed voice. Studentscontinue developing individual vocal technique,refined listening skills, and expressive singing.Literature includes music written in two, three, andfour parts. Expressive interpretations, replicating theperiod, style, or cultural influence of literature arestandard performance expectations. With increasedtechnical proficiency, students can successfully playmore difficult music and perform selections that reflecta broader representation of styles, forms, cultures,and historical periods.

Historical/CulturalHeritage Literature includes songs in foreign languages. In

addition, live performances and selected recordingsintroduce students to music representing diverseheritages. Students identify characteristics ofparticular time periods, styles, cultures, and/orindividual composers and apply their knowledge toauthentic performance. Having students preparestudy guides of performance music can help themconnect music with its cultural and historical heritage.

Response/EvaluationListening, analyzing, and making adjustments inexercises and in performance literature is a continualprocess of growth. Reflection on one’s own andothers’ performance and application of one’s thoughtsto one’s performance practice are the keys tosuccess. Teachers demonstrate exemplary technique,helping students learn the characteristics ofexemplary performance. Students evaluate specificperformances and learn to make constructive criticismbased on musical concepts. Students may keepjournals that include tapes of performances.Appropriate rehearsal and performance etiquette isdeveloped over time.

Two times during a semester,Brett Veit records an excerpt ofeach of his students’ individualperformances during rehearsal orclass. In addition, two timesduring the semester, he recordseach student singing alone. Themusic may include solos orexcerpts from the ensemblerepertoire. The works vary instyle, represent two differenthistorical periods, and areassociated with two differentcultural groups. The solos andexcerpts are at least sixteenmeasures long and aremoderately difficult. Two of thefour works are in three or moreparts.

Mr. Veit asks each student toidentify the composers of theworks performed during thesemester and to briefly describethe works, incorporating whatthey have learned of musicterminology.




PerceptionStudents continue technical studies as they work onperformance literature. Through selected literature,exercises, and warm-ups, they expand ranges, refine andteach articulations, develop and sustain breath control tosupport tone, work on precision in rhythmic patterns, andclarify intonation. Students learn to tune to one pitch, thenlearn to tune harmonically within a chord with othermembers of an ensemble. Focused listening skills arerefined and combined with skills that enable students tomake adjustments in pitch.

Creative Expression/Performance Ranges are expanded to necessitate the use of expanded

positions for all instruments. Typically violins becomeproficient in 1/2 to 3rd positions and are possiblyacquainted with 5th position; violas: 1/2 to 2nd positionsand possibly 3rd; and cellos and string basses:1/2 to 4th

positions. Music is more technically and musicallydemanding. Students read in major keys and their relativeminors (C, G, D, F, B-flat, A minor, E minor, B minor, andG minor) and in meters including 2/2, 12/8, and 9/8. Theyperform articulations such as spiccato and hookedbowing. The development of the vibrato is an essentialtechnical skill that enhances the expressive qualities ofthe music and results in increased personal satisfactionfor students.

Historical/CulturalHeritage With increased technical proficiency, students

successfully play more difficult music and performselections that reflect a broader representation of styles,forms, cultures, and historical periods. In addition, liveperformances and selected recordings introduce studentsto new music representing diverse heritages. Studentsidentify characteristics of particular time periods, styles,cultures, and/or individual composers and apply theirknowledge to performance. Having students preparestudy guides of performance music helps studentsconnect music with its heritage. Teachers might alsoselect listening material that can be usefully comparedand contrasted with performance selections.

Response/EvaluationListening, analyzing, and making adjustments inexercises and in performance literature is a continualprocess of growth. Reflecting on one’s own and others’performances and applying thoughts to performancepractice are the keys to success. Teachers demonstrateexemplary technique, helping students learn thecharacteristics of exemplary performance. Studentsevaluate specific performances and learn to makeconstructive criticism based on musical concepts.Students may keep journals that include tapes ofperformances. Appropriate rehearsal and performanceetiquette is developed over time.

The ability to improvisesimple harmonicaccompaniment is animportant goal in ElizabethCarrey’s eighth-gradeorchestra. Towards the endof the year, Ms. Carreyprepares her students for anassessment of improvisationskills.

Ms. Carrey asks eachstudent to improvise anaccompaniment on a frettedinstrument, a keyboardinstrument, a malletpercussion instrument, or achorded zither (e.g.,Autoharp or Chromaharp)while the class sings afamiliar song containingsimple chords (e.g., I, IV, V).

The student being assessedimprovises an appropriateaccompaniment usingtraditional chords. Ms.Carrey identifies the tonicchord and suggests chordsthat would be appropriate,but she does not tell thestudent when or in whatorder to play them. Shegives the student 3–5minutes to prepare.


Course Title: Grade 8, Jazz Band


PerceptionGrade 8 Jazz Band is intended forstudents who have had twoprevious years of study on aninstrument. Students continue thedevelopment of jazz-relatedrhythms and articulations. Theystudy rhythmic notation andterminology. Tone quality,intonation, balance, and blend arestressed.


Students learn basic chordprogressions improvising eight-,sixteen-, and thirty-two–measuresolos based on specific chordstructure and progressions.

Historical/Cultural Heritage Students learn the difference

between jazz and standard styles.Characteristics of the severalstylistic eras in the development ofAmerican jazz are presented andstudied in live and recordedperformances. Students chart thecharacteristics of each style studiedin a well-organized format.

Response/Evaluation Students critically and reflectively

evaluate music through listening,and justify their opinions withillustrations based on their musicstudies.

Student expectation (8.4) of the Music TEKS forGrade 8 states that:

“The student is expected to: (A) create complexrhythmic and melodic phrases; and (B) arrangecomplex rhythmic and melodic phrases.”

The following exercise is an example of howstudents in Lee Reinhold’s eighth-grade jazzband demonstrate this student expectation:

Mr. Reinhold assigns an eight-measure melodicline in 4/4 meter in a designated key. Themelody is based on a chord progression suchas I, II, IV, I, IV, VI, V, I. Students write threeother parts for their ensemble, checking to besure each measure has four beats, the noteswithin the measure are selected from the chordtriad designated for that measure, and thenotation accurately communicates the group’sintent. The students learn their compositionsand share them with the class.

Prior to this exercise, Mr. Reinhold gives hisstudents a tonic chord in the key of C and asksthem to create a measure scored for fourinstruments using the notes in the triad. Mr.Reinhold also prepares many shortassignments covering other chords givenaurally and later supplemented with shortassignments to be written in notation to makecomposition and arrangement exercises easyand fun for his students.

Student-composed warm-ups incorporatechordal guidelines and other specifications,giving students practice solving musicalproblems with musical knowledge and skills thatare acquired over a period of time.


Course Title: Grade 8, Instrumental Ensemble


PerceptionGrade 8 Instrumental Ensemble may be composed ofstudents who have taken one year of instrumentalensemble in addition to the larger organization class whichmay have some students taking instrumental ensemble forthe first time. All students must have played theirinstrument one full year before taking this class, with twoyears preferred. Class materials are different from thoseused in orchestra and band. Classes study chamber musicand the educational values that accompany suchinstruction. Students learn about transposing instrumentswhen writing for a variety of wind instruments, deepeningtheir insight, and increasing their musical knowledge.Difficulty of performance materials varies according to theabilities of each ensemble. Students progress to meethigher expectations while maintaining performancestandards.


Students play different music in groups of duets, trios,quartets, quintets, and sextets. Students develop individualleadership by performing music in which the parts are notduplicated. Each student has responsibility for the successof a composition. A variety of music is available for study,with many instrumental configurations. Students work ingroups with different instrument combinations and performa diverse selection of music. They perform increasinglychallenging material and demonstrate competent technicalskills, improving personal achievement while contributingto the success of the group. Students apply creativity andoriginality to the composition of small ensemble selections.They may also arrange material for a specific ensemblewith specific instrumentation. The objectives of this classalways focus on fostering the musicianship of students, noton success in competitive contest.


Students demonstrate stylistic authenticity. They add totheir repertoire by attending live performances and bylistening to recorded works performed by chamber groups.Insight and knowledge of historical periods, styles, genres,and composers increase student awareness of personalperformance abilities and expectations.

Response/Evaluation Students use reflective evaluation and critiques in

assessing personal progress. They also reflectivelyevaluate the progress of the ensemble as a whole.Critically listening to characteristic timbres, blend, andbalance increases students’ interpretation skills and buildstheir criteria for musical judgment.

Ben Whitney helps his eighth graderslearn to compose music by settingspecific guidelines for their work. Aspart of the composition process, Mr.Whitney asks his students todemonstrate how the elements of musicare used in their compositions toachieve unity and variety, tension andrelease, and balance.

To assess their progress, Mr. Whitneyasks each student to compose a workin ABA, AABA, ABACA, or theme-and-variations form; to perform it as a soloor with a group of students; and toexplain to the class how they have usedthe elements of music to achieve theirmusical goals. Any melodic, harmonic,rhythmic, or electronic instruments maybe used. Each student writes out his orher piece using sufficiently precisenotation to allow the same performancegroup to reproduce the piece accuratelyin subsequent performances.


Music in the High SchoolLevel I, II, III, and IV music courses may be selected to fulfill the fine artsrequirement for graduation. Level numbers represent achievement levels, not studentclassification. For example, a student in high school choir for the first time isenrolled in Choir I, regardless of his or her grade level. Likewise, a senior in BandIV taking instrumental ensemble for the first time earns credit for InstrumentalEnsemble I. Because students in secondary level performance classes often havediffering skill and experience levels, student expectations are individualized.

Materials used in performance groups change from year to year. For example, eachof the four levels of choir has its own lesson plans and materials. As teachers analyzeand choose literature, they consider the skills and techniques needed to build studentproficiency and make selections that represent a broad range of cultures, timeperiods, and genres.

Because TEKS achievement standards are rigorous and classroom space is limited,class size decisions are important. Safety, levels of student development, and rangeof course activities (e.g., whole class discussions, individual and/or group projects)are essential considerations. Additional factors affecting class size are coursecontent, available staff, and facilities. The following questions might be useful in thedecision-making process. Will teachers be team teaching? Do students’ developmentlevels vary significantly? Will beginners need lots of individualized instruction?There are multiple influences on scheduling and class size decisions, but strongstudent achievement should always be the main priority.

Time allotment decisions are also critical in building a quality music program.Teachers need adequate time to teach the TEKS, and students need adequate time tolearn. This should be the primary scheduling consideration. High school scheduleconfigurations vary in length of class time and in pattern of class meetings; however,time allocations and credits given for music courses should be commensurate withallocations for foundation subjects. A course taken to satisfy a high schoolgraduation requirement must be a full credit course. Two partial courses do notsatisfy the requirement of one full fine arts credit.

Graduation RequirementsOne fine arts credit is required in both the Recommended High School Program andthe Distinguished Achievement Program. These requirements may be satisfied byany of the following courses from 19 TAC Chapter 17.

Course DescriptionsThe following courses are described in broad terms and include many suggestions,which are neither definitive nor all-inclusive. The descriptions and vignettes areprovided to stimulate curriculum development at the local level and to demonstratethe wide range of instructional strategies encompassed by the TEKS. This flexibilityis provided so that each district and campus can implement the TEKS with theparticular strengths, needs, and interests of its students and community in mind.

. . . teachers say that if wedon’t learn to play musicalinstruments as children wewill never be able to learn asadults . . . not so. Of courseit is nice, if we come freely tomusic, come to it young, butif we don’t come to it then,we can later. It is never toolate.John Holt


Course Title: Band ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionStudents receive formal instruction in musictheory with emphasis on understanding chordstructure. In live and recorded music, studentsidentify melodic and harmonic parts. Directorsuse patterns inherent in melodic and harmonicsequencing to communicate expressive musicalqualities, and students are able to define theseconcepts using standard terminology.


Students learn to read music literature andapply their knowledge and skills to developingproficiency on a chosen instrument. Studentsindependently read new materials and singand/or play them. Technical expectationsinclude performing scales from memory; readingand playing music with dotted eighth andsixteenth notes, syncopation, compound andasymmetrical meters; and performing assignedparts in moderately easy to moderately difficultliterature.


As students listen to and perform compositionsselected from a variety of cultures, periods,styles and composers, they develop anunderstanding of the characteristics used tocategorize music literature. They begin to definethe relationships between music and the otherfine arts, and they begin to understand the rolesof music in society.

Response/Evaluation Students formulate personal criteria for

evaluating their own study, performance, goals,and the performance of others by comparingperformances to exemplary models.

John Miller realized that many of hisnew Band I students would not knowone another. Because of theimportance of working together inBand, John designed a simpleactivity to foster dialogue among theband members and himself.

In brief structured periods, studentsdiscuss in pairs or small groupstopics such as favorite composersand literature selections they hadlistened to in class. Mr. Millerencourages students to providesupport for their preferences, thushelping them develop andunderstand criteria for evaluatingperformances.

The dialogues seemed not only tobuild a rapport within the class butalso to help students appreciatesimilarities and differences in theirthinking, so Mr. Miller decides tocontinue the discussions throughoutthe school year, adding topicsrelated to new areas of study.


Course Title: Orchestra ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionStudents identify and distinguish betweenmelody and harmony while listening andplaying. They study and define the concepts ofperformance, intervals, chord structure, andmusic notation. Students use standard notation.


Students sight-read ensemble parts andinterpret symbols and terms that definedynamics, tempo, and articulation during soloand group performances. They create andarrange a variety of phrases and can performfrom memory as well as from the page.Technical expectations include refinement ofvibrato; key expansion to encompass E-flatmajor, C minor, A major, and F-sharp minor;bow articulations adding tremolo; and the abilityto sustain legato passages.


As students perform and listen to compositionsselected from a variety of periods, cultures,styles, and composers, they develop anunderstanding of characteristics used tocategorize music literature. They identify music-related vocations and avocations and explorethese roles within the community.

Response/Evaluation Students begin to formulate personal criteria for

evaluating their own study, performance, goals,and the performance of others by comparingperformances to exemplary models.

Students in Sandra Jones’ Orchestra Iclass write in journals at least once aweek, and Ms. Jones reads a portion ofthe student journal entries each week,responding to them in writing. In theirjournals, students keep written self-evaluations, document progress onassignments, and keep their practicecards.

Because a significant aspect ofOrchestra I involves learning musicliterature from a variety of periods andcomposers, students also respond topieces that they listen to in the musicdepartment’s listening laboratory.Though students may select particularareas of personal interest from the lab’stapes, they respond in their journals toselected questions designated forOrchestra I in the accompanying guide,especially noting how what they listen tocan help them learn new techniques ontheir instruments.


Course Title: Choir ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionStudents receive formal instruction withemphasis on understanding chord structure. Inlive and recorded music, students identify bothmelodic and harmonic parts. Directors usepatterns inherent in melodic and harmonicsequencing to communicate expressive musicalqualities.


Students learn music literature and applyknowledge and skills to developing proficiency inchoir. Students sing new material that they haveread independently. Technical expectationsinclude expansion of reading material to themajor keys of C, F, G, D, B-flat and relativeminors; reading simple and compact meters andasymmetric rhythms including sixteenth notes;listening to and performing three-part and four-part literature; developing vocal and choraltechniques such as vowel production, expansionof vocal range, intonation awareness, balance,and blend; and expressive singing and stylisticrepresentation.


As students perform and listen to compositionsselected from a variety of periods, cultures,styles, and composers, they become familiar withthe characteristics used to categorize musicliterature.

Response/Evaluation Students begin to formulate personal criteria for

evaluating their own study, performance,expectations, and the performance of others.

Choir I students in DanielleRodriguez’s class study the historyof choral music through anexamination of its function in theceremonies of many cultures andtime periods. By listening tomodern renditions of ancient choralcompositions, students learn howchoral music has adapted to itshistorical context and explore howchoral music has evolved into itscurrent forms.

At the end of the unit, students areassessed on original medleys thatreflect the history of choral music.In addition to performing theoriginal scores in small groups,each student writes a rationale forthe selections they incorporatedinto their medleys.


Course Title: Jazz Band ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionJazz Band I students learn a variety of rhythms,articulations, and terminology in order to prepareand perform basic jazz literature. Concepts relatedto specific styles of jazz idioms such as blues,Dixieland, swing, and rock are learned and used inperformance.


Fundamental playing skills, including rangedevelopment, are addressed. Students work tounderstand the differences between creative groupexpression and solo work with an emphasis onaccurate intonation, rhythm, and dynamics. Theyperform from memory as well as by sight-reading.


Students study an overview of the unique history ofjazz, its roots in the blues, and its early developmentin the Southern United States. The role of slavery,especially as it relates to the mix of African,Caribbean, and western European dance and musiccultures, is explored as a foundation for thehistorical development of jazz worldwide. Studentsformulate their own questions to structure theirdiscovery process. For example, students maybegin to ask such questions as: What socialenvironment prompted the creation of a new andindependent genre of music? How did this newmusic differ from the established music scene andits role in everyday life?

Response/Evaluation Improvisation is encouraged and developed by

listening, analysis, and evaluation of professional,personal, and student performance.

Students in Terry Marshall’s JazzBand I class study how early jazzbands formed in New Orleans andplayed what would later come to beknown as Dixieland jazz. Studentslisten to and play the works ofsome of the most popularmusicians and groups of the timesuch as King Oliver, Kid Ory, andLouis Armstrong’s Hot Five.Students also learn the value of therecording industry, especially OkehRecords, in documenting this era ofjazz, and they listen to selectionson CD reissues. They also listen tocontemporary Dixieland jazz,evaluating its evolution as amusical form and its influence onother jazz forms.


Course Title: Instrumental Ensemble ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionStudents identify, and distinguish between, melody andharmony while listening and playing. They defineconcepts of intervals, chord structure, and musicnotation. They use standard notation and study anddefine concepts of performance.


Students perform literature composed for a variety ofinstrumental and vocal combinations including trios,quartets, quintets, sextets, septets, mariachi, andensemble. They build a repertoire that reflects thediversity of literature. They develop independence andleadership skills that are not as easily attained in largergroups. Participation in a variety of differentinstrumental chamber groups expands students’musical horizons.

Focusing on the content of the course rather than onpreparation for solo and ensemble competition,performance and performance theory is essential tounderstanding the workings of ensembles. Forexample, balancing and blending sound requiresdifferent problem-solving skills in a string quartet than ina symphonic setting. Ensembles perform studentcompositions. Playing reinforces aspects ofmusicianship such as establishing precision without thepresence of an adult director; leading and responding ina small group format; and listening and tuninghorizontally and vertically.


Classes discuss the history and cultural origins ofcompositions, composers, and musicians. Studentsexamine the historical and cultural conventions and thestylistic demands of the genres they study.

Response/Evaluation Students perform for teachers and for each other.

Audience members listen attentively and giveconstructive, critical feedback to performers.

Students in the Central HighSchool Instrumental Ensemble Iclass visit the fine artsdepartment of a nearbycommunity college. The collegehas an ensemble thatspecializes in late 18th-centurychamber music. Studentsattend a performance of theensemble and afterwards havean opportunity to meet with theperformers and examine theirinstruments.

When the students return toschool, they discuss thesimilarities and differencesamong the instruments. Theytalk about why each instrumenthas evolved as it has and howmodifications have changed orimproved the sound ofinstruments. Students alsodiscuss the quality of theperformance, noting thebalance and blend of theinstruments.

Additionally, students evaluatethe performance according toevaluation criteria they haveestablished as a class. Whenthey recognize features of theperformance that are notaddressed by their criteria, theymodify the criteria.


Course Title: Vocal Ensemble ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionInstruction focuses on understanding chordstructure. In live and recorded music, studentsidentify melodic and harmonic parts. Studentsacquire independence and leadership skills often notlearned in larger-format music classes.


Students perform literature composed for a varietyof instrumental and vocal combinations includingtrios, quartets, quintets, sextets, septets, madrigal,and show choirs. They build a repertoire that reflectsthe diversity of chamber literature. Althoughensemble groups focus on course content ratherthan on preparation for solo and/or ensemblecompetition, performance and performance theory isstill essential to understanding the workings ofensembles. For example, the skill of balancing andblending sounds varies from one ensemble format toanother. Ensemble singing reinforces such aspectsof musicianship as establishing precision without thepresence of a director, leading and respondingwithin the small group format, and listeninghorizontally and vertically.


Classes discuss the history and cultural origins ofcompositions, composers, and musicians. Studentsexamine the historical and cultural conventions andthe stylistic demands of the genres they study.

Response/Evaluation Students perform for teachers and for each other.

Audience members listen attentively and giveconstructive, critical feedback to performers.

Recently, Gregorian chants haveenjoyed a resurgence ofpopularity in the United States.Andrea Michael’s VocalEnsemble I class listens to anumber of modern recordings ofGregorian chants before learningseveral in different ensemblegroupings.

As a class, the students and Ms.Michael talk about the culturalfunctions of ceremonial chants inthe past and discuss how theGregorian chants differ from thesecular choral music they havestudied.


Course Title: Music History ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionStudents trace the development ofelements such as the Grand Staff and themodern system of notation. Listening tomusic from designated historical periods,students examine the manner in whichmusic has been preserved through theyears.

Creative Expression/Performance Students perform (vocally and

instrumentally) some of the music studied.They use pitched classroom instruments,traditional instruments, and keyboards.

Historical/CulturalHeritage Music literature reflects many cultural and

historical characteristics of the time periodin which it was written. Students learn toidentify and to examine these historically-based characteristics. In-depth study ofspecific composers and compositions is alarge part of course content.

Response/Evaluation Students apply knowledge of music

reading, notation, and theory to theanalysis of performances and scores.Students learn to distinguish betweenprofessional and student performances.Works are evaluated on the basis ofcriteria developed during classdiscussions and presentations. Studentslearn to justify their opinions witharguments supported by research and/orknowledge gained from class study.

In addition to studying the history ofWestern music, Tom Ballantine’sMusic History I class also studiesmusic from the Middle East, India,and the South Pacific.

Mr. Ballantine’s students explore theinfluence of non-Western music onWestern composers and researchhow political and economic events inhistory have influenced the arts.

As part of a curriculum unit on EastIndian music, a group of threestudents research the impact of 19th

century colonialism on the popularmusic of Great Britain and India andpresent their findings to the class.

The students begin their presentationby challenging the audience to findsimilarities in two brief selections. Therest of their presentation effectivelydemonstrates the impact of Indianmusic on British compositions of thetime and reflects on reasons for thischange and long-term impact.


Course Title: Music Theory ICourse Sequence: IntroductoryCredit: 1


PerceptionMusic Theory I enables students todevelop an understanding of thetheoretical elements of music and theirrelevance to music composition.Common student expectations includereading and writing music in treble andbass clefs; knowledge of C clefs;identifying chords in major, minor, andmodal scales; and accurately takingrhythmic and melodic dictation.

Creative Expression/Performance Students work with the components of

sight reading, melodic and rhythmicdictation, ear training, scales and modes,intervalic relationships, chord structure,cadences, and initial harmonicsequences. Students use commoncadences in creative compositionassignments, compose short musicalworks, demonstrate an understanding ofbasic sequences of chord progressions,and perform compositions.

Historical/CulturalHeritage Students relate specific theoretical style

conventions to historical periods andexamine how various composersincorporated accepted styles intocompositions.

Response/EvaluationStudents evaluate work usingappropriate criteria and support theirevaluations with well-organizedarguments.

Mark Ramirez asks his MusicTheory I class to listen to recordedmelodies and to follow along withwritten notation of the melodies.However, the notations are notidentical representations of therecordings. Mr. Ramirez asks hisstudents to mark their copies ofthe melody notations where therecording deviates from thewritten notation.

In addition to this exercise inreading notation, Mr. Ramirezplans exercises that build hisstudents’ abilities to identify thefollowing:• Major and minor scales,

aurally and in notation• Intervalic relationships of two

tones, aurally and in notation• Chord progressions in short

sequence, aurally• Cadence chord progression,

aurally and in notation.

Mr. Ramirez’s students also learnto analyze a melodic line in orderto identify chordal notes andpassing tones. Given a chordalanalysis, students identifysuspension and anticipation inmelodic line.


Course Title: Band IICourse Sequence: Follows Band ICredit: 1

Strand Content/Processes VignettePerception

Students continue to develop and refinetechnical skills and increase their musicknowledge with performance and listeningliterature. These listening experiences refinemelodic and harmonic pitch.

Creative Expression/Performance The class focus is on student performance as

part of a band. As students gain greaterindependence in lines of their score, theyrecognize that an increased understanding ofthe complexity of rhythmic and harmonicconcepts is necessary. They understand eachpart separately and as an integral componentof the whole composition.Technical expectations for musicians in BandII include:• Range expansions• Increased independence with pitch and

rhythm• Memorization of increasingly difficult

selections• Interpretations of articulations,

expressive symbols, and terms• The performance of approximately one-

third of all major and minor scales frommemory.

Historical/CulturalHeritage Music reading, notation, and theory assist

students in studying and performing literatureof various cultures, styles, genres, andhistorical periods. Students work together andindividually to discover ways of accessing themusic of selected historical eras and cultures.Research involves exploring the music ofother cultures and music’s roles in botheveryday life and special ceremonies.

Response/EvaluationStudents develop criteria for evaluatingperformances. Thoughtful response isimportant for individual achievement and forthe progress of the group as a whole.

George Gershwin combinedthe popular band music of the1920s with the sophisticationof the orchestra, resulting inthe development of a new,distinctly American musicalform. Band II students in ElizaWheeler’s class are learninga Gershwin medley forperformance.

As part of their performancepreparation, the studentsresearch the history behindGershwin’s creative decision-making process. The classcompiles a list of questions tostructure their research.Among their guidingquestions are the following:• In what context did

Gershwin becomefamiliar with orchestralmusic? With popularband music?

• Did Gershwin considerhis audience whencomposing his new,hybrid musical form?

• Was he writing for theorchestra appreciators,the fans of popular bandmusic, or both?

• How did the musicalelements of each genreaffect the other?

• What were the specifictechniques Gershwinused to create his newwork?


Course Title: Orchestra IICourse Sequence: Follows Orchestra ICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents continue to develop and refine technicalskills and increase their music knowledge withperformance and listening material. Listeningexperiences refine melodic and harmonic pitch.

Creative Expression/Performance Classes focus on student performance as part of

an orchestra. As students gain greaterindependence in lines of their score, theyrecognize that a more complete understanding ofthe complexity of rhythmic and harmonicconcepts is essential. They understand eachpart separately and as integral components ofthe composition as a whole. Students arecomfortable writing and arranging their owncompositions. Technical expectations inOrchestra II include:• Advanced bowing technique and off-the-

string articulations• Familiarity with additional types of vibrato• Familiarity with additional key signatures,

including A major, F# minor, and C minor• A working understanding of treble clef,

harmonics, tenor clef, and bass clef• Increased independence in the preparation

of assignments with pitch, rhythmicaccuracy, and good intonation

• Memorization of increasingly difficultselections

• Keen interpretations of articulations,expressive symbols, and terms.


students in studying and performing literature ofmany styles, genres, cultures, and historicalperiods. Students work together and individuallyto discover ways of accessing historical eras andcultures. Research involves exploring the musicof other cultures and music’s role in everyday lifeand special ceremonies.

Response/EvaluationStudents develop criteria for evaluatingperformances. Thoughtful response is importantfor individual achievements and for the progressof the group.

Wang Lung’s Orchestra IIstudents start the yearwith an exercise theypracticed toward the endof Orchestra I.

Mr. Lung writes a chordalsequence on the board,such as I, IV, V, I. Eachchord covers a measure in4/4 meter signature. Thestudents play a givenrhythmic pattern such asquarter, quarter, eighth,eighth, quarter. Studentsselect any note of the triadof the given chord andplay the rhythmic patternin every measure.

Students then playspecified parts withdifferent rhythmic patternsin each part. For example:Top note of the triad, (1st

tenors, flutes, clarinet,trumpets, violins) quarter,eighth, eighth, quarter,quarter, rest; middle noteof the triad, (2nd tenor,saxophones, oboes,French horns, violas) half,quarter, quarter; root ofthe triad, (bass, bassoons,trombone, tuba, mallets,cello) quarter, quarter rest,quarter rest, quarter.

The rhythmic pattern isrepeated in each measureexcept the last. Allinstruments then play awhole note.


Course Title: Choir IICourse Sequence: Follows Choir ICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents develop and refine technical skills andincrease their knowledge with performance andlistening literature. Listening experiences refinemelodic and harmonic pitch.

Creative Expression/Performance Classes focus on student vocal performance as

part of an ensemble. As students gain greaterindependence in lines of their score, theyrecognize that a greater understanding of thecomplexity of rhythmic and harmonic concepts isessential. They understand each part separatelyand as integral components of the compositionas a whole.

Students become more comfortable writing andarranging their own compositions. Technicalexpectations for students in Choir II include:• Individually sight-singing selections in major

and minor keys• Memorization of increasingly difficult

selections• A demonstration of their understanding of

articulations, expressive symbols, and terms• Increased singing in languages other than

English• Precise diction.


students in studying and performing literaturerepresenting many cultures, genres, styles andhistorical periods. Students work together andindividually to discover ways to access historicaleras and their cultures. Research involvesexploring the music of other cultures and the roleof music in everyday life and traditionalceremonies.

Response/EvaluationStudents continue developing criteria forevaluating performances. Thoughtful critiquesare important for individual achievement and forthe progress of the choir as a whole.

The Harlem Boys Choir is asuccessful example of askilled musical organizationwith particular social value.When attending aperformance of the Choir,students in BethanyWilliams’ Choir II class takenote of the technicalexpertise exhibited by theHarlem Boys Choir.

When they return to school,the class discusses how thedevelopment of technicalskills helps the group build asense of community. Theyask questions and exploreanswers that delve intosocial as well as musicalissues, such as:• How does the formation

of a strong sense ofcommunity help give theboys goals and directionthat extend beyond theboundaries of the choir?

• What are the historicalrelationships, if any,among the performanceselections?

• Are performanceselections closelyrelated to the history ofHarlem? What criteriacan we use to answerthis question?


Course Title: Jazz Band IICourse Sequence: Follows Jazz Band ICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents learn variations of notation, articulation,rhythm, and terminology needed to prepare andperform jazz literature with acceptable proficiencyand style.


Students are introduced to variations of toneproduction related to particular effects used in jazzperformance. They learn chord recognition andnotation. They perform improvised solos withensemble accompaniment as well as composing andperforming simple pieces. Improvisation and its placein the genre are emphasized, and students areencouraged to write their own solos, maintaining thetheme of the composition.


Continuing from Jazz Band I, students trace thedevelopment of jazz and blues to the East and WestCoasts and up the Mississippi River to the CentralU.S. Students study the role of the emergingvaudeville scene and music houses in the formationof jazz protocol. Questions of authenticity, origins,and identity are explored. Creativity is developed byencouraging students to form their own questionsthroughout their discovery of jazz. Students may askquestions such as: How did new music scenes affectvarious cultures? How and why did the “jazz scene”differentiate itself from society at large? How did themedia represent (or come to transform/create) theidentities and stereotypes of jazz and its musicians?Were there differences between the roles of men andwomen in jazz?

Response/Evaluation Students critique personal compositions as well as

their peers’ writing and performances. Studentsdevelop evaluation criteria by listening toperformances and analyzing critical aspects of boththe performance and the composition.

Jazz Band students at Booker T.Washington High School haveperformed a spring concert for theirschool and community every yearfor the past four years. Theconcerts and the brief concertintroductions are designed torepresent the content and quality ofBooker T. Washington’s musicprogram.

Each concert represents the resultsof second year students’ researchon a specific era of American jazz.A description of the performers andstyles of the selected era in jazzhistory is always included in theintroduction to the studentperformance.

Last year’s concert focused on jazzof the 1940s and ’50s and featuredthe works of Dizzy Gillespie.Students explored the Cubaninfluence on Gillespie’s music inthe 1950s. Through their research,they discovered how Gillespieencountered popular Cuban musicin New York City and incorporatedaspects of the Cuban style into hisown music. The class chose toprepare one traditional Cuban jazztune to play following the historicalintroduction to their concert.


Course Title: Instrumental Ensemble IICourse Sequence: Follows Instrumental Ensemble ICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents continue to develop and refinetechnical skills and increase their musicknowledge with their performance andlistening selections. Listening experiencesrefine melodic and harmonic pitch.

Creative Expression/Performance Within the class format, students perform

music by memory and notation, and they arepart of more than one ensemble group.Students’ individualism and independenceare demonstrated through their preparation(writing and arrangement) of music forperformance. Students gain greater depth ofknowledge, independence, and personal andmusical skills. In preparation for aperformance, students may:• Write program notes• Create personal journals reflecting the

thought processes used in rehearsal andpresentation

• Develop inventories of technical skills• Develop and discover technical exercises

that assist in the refinement ofperformance skills

• Make recommendations for thecompletion of projects.

Historical/CulturalHeritage Students learn a repertoire selected from

different cultures, historical periods, genres,and styles. They might study a composer’smusical influences to place the music in abroader social context. Interpretiveinformation in the score and characteristics ofsimilar works from the same time period helpstudents replicate past performances.

Response/EvaluationTeachers help students isolate and defineperformance problems and concerns.Students practice thoughtful, constructivecriticism of ensemble works-in-progress.

The Kronos Quartet hassuccessfully adapted manymusical styles for recording andlive performance. In listening toand performing a selection ofthe Quartet’s compositions,students in Lamar HighSchool’s Instrumental EnsembleII class examine how theKronos Quartet has adaptedcontemporary popular,classical, and world musiccompositions for the stringquartet.

One of the most valuableoutcomes of their study is adeeper understanding of thestring quartet format. The classlearns a great deal abouttraditional repertoire for stringquartet and discovers that theformat has far more flexibilitythan they had previous realized.


Course Title: Vocal Ensemble IICourse Sequence: Follows Vocal Ensemble ICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents continue to develop and refine technicalskills and increase their music knowledge withliterature selected for performance and listening.These listening experiences refine melodic andharmonic pitch.


Within the class format, students perform frommemory and notation and are part of more thanone ensemble group. Individuality andindependence are encouraged in studentpreparation (writing and arrangement) ofcompositions. Students gain greater musicknowledge, independence, and skills. Inpreparation for a performance, students may:• Write program notes• Keep personal journals reflecting their thought

processes in rehearsal and presentation• Develop inventories of technical skills• Develop and discover technical exercises that

assist in refining performance skills• Make recommendations for the completion of

projects.


Students learn a repertoire representative ofdifferent cultures, historical periods, genres, andstyles. They explore the historical and culturalinfluences affecting composers of theirperformance and listening literature. Characteristicsof similar compositions from the same period andculture and interpretive data in scores helpstudents accurately interpret the pieces theyperform.

Response/Evaluation Teachers help students isolate and define

performance problems and concerns. Studentspractice constructive criticism of ensemble works-in-progress.

Paul Simon’s GrammyAward–winning album, Graceland,features Ladysmith BlackMambazo from South Africa.Jeannine Harvey’s Vocal EnsembleII class is learning some of thesongs from this album forperformance.

In the context of learning thesongs, Ms. Harvey’s classinvestigates the roots of LadysmithBlack Mambazo’s singing. Ms.Harvey directs the class’s inquiryby choosing several topics forstudent research.

Ms. Harvey writes the followingquestions on the board and asksfor student volunteers to researchanswers and report back to theclass. Her questions are:• Is Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s

singing representative of aparticular musical style, genre,or culture in Africa? Describeits cultural roots.

• What are the politicalimplications of Ladysmith’scollaboration with Paul Simon?

• Look up the English translationof Zulu phrases Ladysmithsings in their songs.

Students who conduct the researchfulfill one of three requirements forin-class presentations.


Course Title: Music Theory IICourse Sequence: Follows Music Theory ICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents study pitch and rhythmic notation, scaleand chord structure, intervals, and part writing.The course includes introductions to new studies,such as learning the implications of harmonicovertones and the impact on timbre or tone color.Students begin to take four-part dictation: theylisten to a chord progression in block rhythm, thenidentify tones, confirm the selection, makeappropriate changes, and notate the base line. Togain proficiency in these skills, students acquireand label chord progressions and sequences.


Students compose and perform works that reflecttheir knowledge and understanding of the moretheoretical aspects of music. Their compositionsinclude examples of recently learned materialand/or address current class topics.

Historical/Cultural Heritage By listening to and analyzing music from diverse

cultures and historical periods, students learn todiscuss music theory and the relationships amongmusic theories from various cultures.

Response/Evaluation Students analyze and evaluate performances

using criteria developed during the course. Theyreflect on their own work and respond to the workand critiques of their peers.

Music is sound. To betterunderstand this concept, LindaJamison’s Music Theory II classexamines how the common 12-note scale corresponds to soundwave frequencies. Among thequestions and exercises theclass explores are the following:• How do these frequencies

relate to tone and harmony?• Using an oscilloscope, show

how certain notes orfrequencies are actuallywave forms.

• What happens on theoscilloscope when you playmore than one note orchord?


Course Title: Band IIICourse Sequence: Follows Band IICredit: 1

Strand Content/Processes VignettePerception

The study of selected compositions can include a varietyof activities such as score study, analysis of thematicmaterial, identification of counter melodies, and theidentification of solo and accompaniment lines in eachselection. Students recognize that music selectionsutilizing modes of the scales are found in contemporarymusic as well as in compositions from the past.Advanced students hear and play new sounds andharmonies as they learn contemporary pieces.


Students illustrate harmonic texture and complexity inmore advanced rhythm and meter. Chordal structure isexpanded with music that includes atonality and freelycomposed segments representative of diverse styles ofmodern composition. Technical expectations include:• Demonstrating individuality• Preparing and executing leadership skills• Extending range and tone control• Performing all scales from memory• Performing literature that incorporates modal scales• Identifying complex rhythms and meters• Improvising within specific guidelines• Composing, scoring, and performing short

selections for two or more instruments.


Students classify music by style, culture, and historicalperiod and justify their classifications. They describecultural and technological influences on developments inmusic. Students recognize, identify, and describe theharmonic textures of music from different cultures,historical periods, styles, and genres. They relateelements of music study to those of other disciplines.Students research vocational and avocationalopportunities in music.

Response/Evaluation Students analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their

own and others’ performances. This practice informs thecreative process. Some students might prepare studyguides for specific compositions. Writing program notesmore fully involves students in structuring learningexperiences.

Film scores are one of thefew contemporary visualmedia that use full band andorchestral arrangements.Cooperative groups ofTammy Roper’s Band IIIstudents choose a film clipand experiment with itsscore. The students discussthe contribution of the scoreto the dramatic effect of thefilm, and they discuss howchanges in the score affectthe mood of the film clip.

The students then compose adifferent score to play alongwith the muted film clip toillustrate to their class howthe score contributes to theoverall impact of the film.


Course Title: Orchestra IIICourse Sequence: Follows Orchestra IICredit: 1


PerceptionThe study of selected compositions includes a variety ofactivities such as score study, analysis of thematic material,identification of counter melodies, and identification of solo andaccompaniment lines in designated compositions. Studentsrecognize that music selections utilizing modes of the scalesare found in contemporary music as well as in compositions ofthe past. Advanced students hear and play new sounds andharmonies as they begin performing contemporary music.


Students illustrate harmonic texture and complexity in moreadvanced rhythms and meters. Chord structure is expandedwith music that includes atonality and freely composedsegments representative of diverse styles of moderncomposition.Technical expectations include:• Demonstrating individuality• Demonstrating performance technique using appropriate

bowing style, vibrato, and extended playing positions• Preparing and executing parts with accurate intonation

and rhythm• Exhibiting leadership qualities• Demonstrating proficiency in musical comprehension• Performing all scales from memory• Identifying complex rhythms and meters• Improvising• Composing and arranging simple compositions for more

than one medium.

Historical/Cultural Heritage Students recognize, identify, and describe the harmonic

texture of music from different cultures, time periods, stylesand genres. They classify music by style and historical periodand justify their classifications. They discuss the impact ofsociety on the development of music, compare music to otherdisciplines, and research vocational and avocational musicopportunities.

Response/Evaluation Students consider the strengths and weaknesses of their own

and others’ performances and apply the results of theiranalysis to their creative work. Students prepare study guidesfor specific compositions. Participating in activities such aswriting program notes for concerts more fully engagesstudents in the process of structuring learning experiences.

Orchestra III students in SusanVaughn’s class research andreport on specific vocational andavocational opportunities ofinterest to their class. Once amonth, Ms. Vaughn and herstudents choose one vocationalor avocational opportunityavailable to students upongraduation from high school.Then, two students research thechosen a/vocational opportunity.

Areas of research include:• Educational requirements• Professional opportunities• Interviews with music

professionals or membersof the music community

• Audition criteria.


Course Title: Choir IIICourse Sequence: Follows Choir IICredit: 1


PerceptionThe study of selected compositions includes, amongother possibilities, score study, analysis of thematicmaterial, identification of countermelodies, and theidentification of solo and accompaniment lines indesignated compositions. Students recognize thatmusic selections utilizing modes of the scales arefound in contemporary music as well as incompositions of the past. Advanced students hearand play new sounds and harmonies as they beginperforming contemporary music.


Students illustrate harmonic texture and complexity inmore advanced rhythm and meter. Chordal structureis expanded with music that includes atonality andfreely composed segments representative of diversemodern composition styles. Technical expectationsinclude:• Demonstrating individuality• Demonstrating performance technique• Preparing and executing parts with accurate

intonation and rhythm• Exhibiting leadership qualities• Demonstrating proficiency in the comprehension

of musical elements• Reading in major and minor keys• Singing all types of intervals and triads• Performing literature incorporating modal scales• Identifying complex rhythms and meters• Improvising• Composing and arranging simple compositions

for more than one medium.


Students recognize, identify, and describe theharmonic texture of music representative of differentcultures, time periods, styles, and genres. Theyclassify compositions by style and historical periodand justify their classifications. They discuss theimpact of culture on music, define the relationshipsbetween music and other disciplines, and explorea/vocational music opportunities.

Response/Evaluation Students consider the strengths and weaknesses of

their own and others’ performances and incorporatetheir learning into creative work. Students preparestudy guides for particular compositions. Activitiessuch as writing program notes for concerts allowstudents to be more fully involved in structuringlearning experiences.

One of Tom Lowry’s goals for Choir III is tostrengthen his students’ ensemble skills.Towards the end of the year, Mr. Lowryprepares his students for an assessmentdesigned specifically to determine how well theclass demonstrates ensemble skills. Hisassessment strategy consists of two grouptasks.

First, Mr. Lowry asks the choir to sing threediverse works. The works vary in level ofdifficulty from moderate to difficult, and allworks have been rehearsed prior to theassessment.

After this task is complete, the students areorganized into small ensembles with onestudent on a part, and each ensemble is askedto sing three different works without aconductor. The works vary in level of difficultyfrom moderate to difficult, and all works havebeen previously rehearsed.

Mr. Lowry develops very specific assessmentcriteria and shares the criteria with his classover the course of the year in order to preparethem for the assessment.


Course Title: Jazz Band IIICourse Sequence: Follows Jazz Band IICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents learn the advanced notation, articulation,rhythm, and terminology necessary to beproficient in preparing various styles of jazzliterature. They define performances, intervals,notation, rhythm/meter, and harmonic textureusing standard terminology and identify themusical forms of their repertoire.


Students perform in ensembles varying in sizeand instrumentation. They exhibit accurateintonation and rhythm, fundamental skills, andadvanced techniques in performance ofmoderately difficult to difficult literature. Theydemonstrate understanding of diverse styles bychoosing appropriate literature for performanceand expressively perform their choices frommemory and notation. Students create andarrange music within specified guidelines. Theyare expected to exhibit competency in bothensemble and solo performance. Some studentsmay begin studying second instruments.


Students perform a repertoire representing stylesand genres of diverse cultures. They classifycompositions by style, culture, and historicalperiod and justify their classifications. Theydiscuss the relationship of culture to music and ofmusic to other educational disciplines. Theyidentify and describe career and avocationalopportunities in music.

Response/Evaluation Students evaluate performances by comparing

them with exemplary models and offerconstructive suggestions for improvement. Theycompose, describe, and teach a piece of music inthe style of their choice and are evaluated andcritiqued by their classmates and teachers.

Students in Jackie Johnson’s jazz bandwork with Louisa Phelps, a jazz singerfrom their community, to arrange andplay Polkadots and Moonbeams.

In rehearsal, students listen to anumber of versions of the song bydifferent performers. They then play thesong with Ms. Phelps as part of a publicconcert. After the performance, theclass compares the experience ofplaying with a singer to playing only withinstruments.

In addition to the musical experience,rehearsing and performing with Ms.Phelps gives students an opportunity tofind out what life is like for a workingjazz musician. Many of the classmembers ask her questions about whoher influences are, how she learnedmusic, and how she earns her living.

Some students want to know whetherMs. Phelps had an opportunity to playan instrument when she started hercareer as a woman in jazz. Others wanther to talk about the role jazz played inher community when she was growingup. Ms. Phelps enjoys the experienceand answers the students’ questionsfully and patiently.


Course Title: Instrumental Ensemble IIICourse Sequence: Follows Instrumental Ensemble IICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents define musical performances, intervals, musicnotation, chord structure, rhythm/meter, and harmonictexture using standard terminology. They identify themusic forms of their performance and listeningrepertoires.


Students exhibit accurate intonation and rhythm,fundamental skills, and advanced techniques usingliterature ranging from moderately difficult to difficult,performing alone and in ensemble. They demonstratecomprehension of musical styles by seekingappropriate literature for performance. Theyexpressively perform, from memory and notation, avaried repertoire representing styles of diverse cultures.They are familiar with small- and large-ensembleperformance techniques. They sight-read major, minor,modal, and chromatic melodies; read and write musicthat incorporates complex rhythmic patterns in simple,compound, and asymmetric meters; and interpretsymbols and terms referring to dynamics, tempo, andarticulation when performing. They improvise musicalmelodies and compose or arrange segments ofinstrumental pieces.


Students select and perform literature from severalhistorical periods, representing a range of genres,styles, and cultural influences. They classify music bystyle, culture, and historical period and justify theirclassifications. They discuss the relationship betweensociety and music, and between music and otherdisciplines. They consider possible career andavocational opportunities in music.

Response/Evaluation Students take leadership roles in selecting, rehearsing,

and critiquing ensemble literature. Discussion andcoaching help address common performance problems,providing additional instruction and developing criticaltechniques. Students give input into the schedulingprocess, evaluation, and constructive problemsolving—intrinsic components of ensemble classes.

Marti Springfield has recentlyobtained music software for herschool’s computer lab. Thesoftware assists her students incomposing, recording, and editing.After the class becomes familiarwith the software, she issues thefollowing challenge: Make a smallensemble sound like an orchestra.Her students are surprised todiscover how they can abstractmusical ideas with the aid ofsoftware, and they are pleased tosee how this exercise informs andimproves their own performance.


Course Title: Vocal Ensemble IIICourse Sequence: Follows Vocal Ensemble IICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents define musical performances, intervals,music notation, chord structure, rhythm/meter, andharmonic texture using standard terminology. Theyidentify the musical forms of their listening andperformance repertoires and expressively performselected literature.


Students exhibit accurate intonation and rhythm,fundamental skills and advanced techniques usingliterature ranging from moderately difficult to difficult.They perform independently and in ensemble. Theydemonstrate comprehension of musical styles byseeking appropriate literature for performance. Theyperform expressively, from memory and notation, avaried repertoire of music representing styles fromdiverse cultures. They become familiar with small- andlarge-ensemble performance techniques. They sight-read major, minor, modal, and chromatic melodies;read and write music incorporating complex rhythmicpatterns in simple, compound, and asymmetric meters;and interpret music symbols and terms referring todynamics, tempo, and articulation when performing.Students are expected to improvise melodies andcompose or arrange segments of vocal pieces.


Students select and perform musical literature fromseveral historical periods, representing a wide range ofgenres, styles, and cultural influences. They classifycompositions by style, culture, and historical period.They discuss the relationship between music andsociety, and between music and other educationaldisciplines. They explore career and avocational musicopportunities.

Response/Evaluation Students perform assignments with different ability

ranges, voice groupings, and instrumentalcomponents. They take leadership roles in selecting,rehearsing, and critiquing ensemble literature.Discussion and coaching help in addressing commonproblems, in providing additional instruction, and indeveloping critical techniques. Students give input intothe scheduling process, reflective evaluation, andconstructive problem solving--intrinsic components ofensemble classes.

Vocal Ensemble III students atTexas High School spendseveral class periods listening tothe recordings of contemporaryvocal groups and artists such asManhattan Transfer, BobbyMcFerrin, and Sweet Honey inthe Rock.

The students pay particularattention to how voices are usedin a cappella music. They hearhow voices can simulate differentinstruments, and they particularlyenjoy hearing voices imitateinstruments with very distincttimbres, such as BobbyMcFerrin’s percussive singing.

After listening to and examiningmusic without instrumentalaccompaniment, the classchooses several popular tunes toperform a cappella. Eachmember of the ensemble takesan instrumental part to transformwith his or her voice. Bass,guitar, and drums are allrepresented with voices.


Course Title: Band IVCourse Sequence: Follows Band IIICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents demonstrate independence in interpretingmusic through the performance of selected literature.They analyze musical performances, intervals, musicnotation, chord structure, rhythm/meter, and harmonictexture using standard terminology. They also analyzethe musical forms of their performance and listeningrepertoires.


Students perform independently, demonstratingaccurate intonation and rhythm, fundamental skills,and advanced techniques. Literature ranges frommoderately difficult to difficult. Comprehension ofmusical styles is demonstrated by the appropriatenessof literature selected for performance. Studentsperform expressively, from memory and notation, arepertoire representing styles from diverse cultures.They become familiar with small- and large-ensembleperformance techniques. They sight-read major, minor,modal, and chromatic melodies; read and write music;and interpret music symbols and terms. Theyimprovise melodies and compose or arrangecompositions.


Students classify music by style, culture, and historicalperiod and learn to justify their classifications. Theydescribe the relationship between music and societyand discuss the relationships between music and otherdisciplines. Some students explore career andavocational opportunities in music by meeting andtalking with members of the local music community.

Response/Evaluation Students evaluate their own and others’ performances

and compositions by comparing them to exemplarymodels and learn to practice constructive criticism.Students are familiar with and practice proper concertetiquette.

To assess her Band IVstudents’ knowledge of thediverse styles of music theyhave studied over the course offour years in band, Pam Renogives her class a simple test.

Periodically, Ms. Reno givesstudents a list of compositions,possibly unfamiliar to students,but nonetheless clearlyrepresentative of particularmusical periods, styles, genres,and cultures studied in BandI–IV. Students classify theexamples by style and byhistorical period and/or cultureand justify their classifications.

Though Ms. Reno grades theassessments, this is not theprimary purpose of theexercise. She uses the tests todraw students’ attention to thevariety of works studied over aperiod of four years and toemphasize to students theimportance of contextualizingperformance literature withknowledge of itshistorical/cultural heritage.


Course Title: Orchestra IVCourse Sequence: Follows Orchestra IIICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents demonstrate independence ininterpreting music through the performance ofselected literature. They analyze musicalperformances, intervals, music notation, chordstructure, rhythm/meter, and harmonic textureusing standard terminology and analyze the musicforms of their performance and listeningrepertoires.


Students perform independently, demonstratingaccurate intonation and rhythm, fundamentalskills, and advanced techniques. Literature rangesfrom moderately difficult to difficult. Understandingof musical styles is demonstrated by theappropriateness of literature selected forperformance. Students perform expressively, frommemory and notation, a repertoire representingstyles from diverse cultures. They become familiarwith small- and large-ensemble performancetechniques. They sight-read major, minor, modal,and chromatic melodies; read and write music;and interpret music symbols and terms. Theyimprovise melodies and compose or arrangecompositions.


Students classify music by style, culture, andhistorical period and learn to justify theirclassifications. They describe the relationshipbetween music and society and discuss therelationships between music and other disciplines.Some students explore career and avocationalopportunities in music by meeting and talking withmembers of the local music community.

Response/Evaluation Students evaluate their own and others’

performances and compositions by comparingthem to exemplary models, and they learn topractice constructive criticism. Students arefamiliar with and practice proper concert etiquette.

Exploring the many possibilities in thevarious disciplines of music is the keyto helping advanced students developindividual styles. Students in HainesHigh School Jazz Band IV andOrchestra IV study many examples ofmusic that combine jazz with orchestralarrangements. Students listen to abroad range of literature—from theearly works of Miles Davis to theexperiments of Ornette Coleman andJohn McLaughlin in the 1970s—anduse the listening repertoire as a basisfor their own experimentation.

After the two classes have had anopportunity to experiment separately,they work together to develop anorchestral accompaniment to astandard jazz tune, helping both groupsexpand their musical horizons.


Course Title: Choir IVCourse Sequence: Follows Choir IIICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents demonstrate independence ininterpreting music through the performance ofselected literature. They analyze musicalperformances, intervals, music notation, chordstructure, rhythm/meter, and harmonic textureusing standard terminology and analyze themusical forms of their performance and listeningrepertoires.


Students perform independently, demonstratingaccurate intonation and rhythm, fundamentalskills, and advanced techniques. Literatureranges from moderately difficult to difficult.Comprehension of musical styles isdemonstrated by the appropriateness ofliterature selected for performance. Studentsperform expressively, from memory andnotation, a repertoire representing styles fromdiverse cultures. They become familiar withsmall- and large-ensemble performancetechniques. They sight-read major, minor,modal, and chromatic melodies; read and writemusic; and interpret music symbols and terms.They improvise melodies and compose orarrange compositions.


Students classify music by style, culture, andhistorical period and justify their classifications.They describe the relationship between musicand society and discuss the relationshipsbetween music and other disciplines. Somestudents explore career and avocationalopportunities in music by meeting and talkingwith members of the local music community.

Response/Evaluation Students evaluate their own and others’

performances and compositions by comparingthem to exemplary models, and they practiceconstructive criticism. Students are familiar withand practice established concert etiquette.

Margaret Lapham’s approach towarm-ups is very straightforward. HerChoir IV students warm up before allperformances and performancepreparation. She does not try to fit anyother goals into the time allocated forwarm-up exercises. Some of herfavorite, simple warm-ups are listedbelow:• Loose lips buzz on 5 tone

descending scale (so fa mi re do)and tongue trills (as forward onthe tongue as possible) using thesame descending 5 tones. Analternative to this exercise isdoing ascending and descending5-tone scales using 8th noterhythms.

• Octave drops on oo-ee (with theoo on high ‘do’ as a grace note tothe ee on low ‘do’ on beat one),then continuing the ee vowel onquarter notes (as the beat) on re,mi, re (up and back down), thendo, mi, so, do, ti, so, fa, re, do(16th note rhythms). So, the countis uh 1234 1e&a 2e&a 3 rest(change keys). Repeat.

• u I—ea ea a (IPA) or• u I—eo eo e.


Course Title: Jazz Band IVCourse Sequence: Follows Jazz Band IIICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents learn the chord symbols, advanced rhythms,articulations, and terminology necessary to prepareand perform various styles of jazz literature. Theyanalyze the musical forms of their performance andlistening repertoires and demonstrate independencein interpreting music through the performance ofselected literature.


Students sing or play instruments individually and ingroups, performing a varied repertoire of music.Some students study second and/or thirdinstruments. Current trends in the jazz idiom areanalyzed, demonstrated, and evaluated. Studentsread and write music notation. They create andarrange music within specified guidelines, composingworks for at least two media.


Jazz compositions are classified by style, culture, andhistorical period, and students explain and supporttheir classifications. They describe the relationshipbetween jazz and American society. They define therelationships between the content, concepts, andprocesses of jazz and those of other fine arts media.Some students research the career and avocationalopportunities for jazz musicians.

Response/Evaluation Students critique their own and others’ work and seek

out and integrate criticism from teachers andmembers of the jazz community. They discuss theirprocess of composing. All students exhibit properconcert etiquette during all performances.

Toni Manguson invites a localjazz musician to a jam sessionwith her advanced jazz bandstudents. Not only do they playtogether, but the guest musiciangives the class rationales for themusical decisions he makes. Healso discusses how he writesoriginal compositions, reworksold ones, and selectsimprovisation techniques.

After the session winds down,Ms. Manguson’s studentsquestion their guest at greatlength about his musicalinfluences and career choices.The students enjoy the sessionand suggest to Ms. Mangusonthat their guest perform severalsongs with them during theirspring concert.


Course Title: Instrumental Ensemble IVCourse Sequence: Follows Instrumental Ensemble IIICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents demonstrate independence ininterpreting music through the performance ofselected literature. They analyze musicalperformances, intervals, music notation, chordstructure, rhythm/meter, and harmonic textureusing standard terminology and analyze themusical forms of their performance and listeningrepertoires.


Students perform independently, demonstratingaccurate intonation and rhythm, fundamentalskills, and advanced techniques. Literature rangesfrom moderately difficult to difficult.Comprehension of musical styles is demonstratedby the appropriateness of literature selected forperformance. Students perform expressively, frommemory and notation, a repertoire representingstyles from diverse cultures. They become familiarwith small- and large-ensemble performancetechniques. They sight-read major, minor, modal,and chromatic melodies; read and write music;and interpret music symbols and terms. Theyimprovise melodies and compose or arrangecompositions.


Literature selections represent diverse styles,genres, cultures, and historical periods.Performances illustrate students’ understanding ofhow music grows out of specific traditions.Students describe the relationships among music,technology, and society, and discuss therelationship of music to other fine arts media.Students research music and music-relatedcareer opportunities.

Response/Evaluation Students compose ensemble selections for more

than one medium. Critique and evaluation ofthese compositions involve self-reflection andconstructive response from classmates, teachers,and professional musicians. In rehearsing andconducting medium-sized ensembles forperformances, student leadership roles areemphasized.

Some of the advanced music studentsat Mount Arden High Schoolparticipate in the World Band Projectvia the Internet. The World BandProject is an international studentmusic project that involves creatingand performing music electronically,both locally and via the Internet.Participating schools are equippedwith a MIDI synthesizer studio thatenables the transmission ofcompositions to other World BandProject sites. Participating studentslearn, compose, and perform musiccollaboratively.

The project began in 1993 when fourschools collaboratively performed TheConversation by John Williams. Thelive performance was transmitted tothe I/ITSEC conference in Orlando.

In addition to studying and learningmusic for performance and practicingskills of improvisation andcomposition, students often take partin the research and planningnecessary to make the projects asuccess.


Course Title: Vocal Ensemble IVCourse Sequence: Follows Vocal Ensemble IIICredit: 1


PerceptionStudents demonstrate independence ininterpreting music through the performance ofselected literature. They analyze musicalperformances, intervals, music notation, chordstructure, rhythm/meter, and harmonic textureusing standard terminology, and analyze themusical forms of their performance and listeningrepertoires.


Students perform independently and as a group,demonstrating accurate intonation and rhythm,fundamental skills, and advanced techniques.Literature ranges from moderately difficult todifficult. Comprehension of musical styles isdemonstrated by the appropriateness of theliterature selected for performance. Studentsperform expressively, from memory and notation,a repertoire representing styles from diversecultures. They become familiar with small- andlarge-ensemble performance techniques. Theysight-read major, minor, modal, and chromaticmelodies; read and write music; and interpretmusic symbols and terms. They improvisemelodies and compose or arrange compositions.


Literature represents diverse styles, genres,cultures, and historical periods. Students interpretselections with a solid understanding of themusic’s cultural and historical traditions. Theydiscuss how music and society interact and howmusic is related to other fine arts media. Studentshave the chance to explore career andavocational opportunities in music.

Response/Evaluation Students compose ensemble selections for more

than one medium. Critique and evaluation of theircompositions involve self-reflection andconstructive response from classmates, teachers,and professional musicians. In rehearsing andconducting medium-sized ensembles, leadershiproles are emphasized.

Vocal Ensemble IV students begin thesemester with a discussion of what itmeans to keep a journal in anadvanced music class. Mr. Valdez asksstudents to brainstorm about what ajournal is and how it can be used. Asstudents call out their ideas, he writesthe ideas on the board. Studentsmention:• Tracking the preparation for a

performance• Evaluating areas of difficulty in a

performance selection• Suggesting exercises to help with

difficulties in performance.

Several students suggest using journalsto respond to and evaluate selectionsthe class is working on:• What do students like or not like

about a selection?• What are the reasons they respond

to a selection as they do?

Other students remark that journals area good channel of communicationbetween themselves and Mr. Valdez.After the students present their ideas,Mr. Valdez mentions several otherthings.

Journals can be used to explore manyideas and topics that come up in class.Mr. Valdez asks his class to visit themusic library once a week for half anhour. He asks his students to use thetime to explore an idea or interest thatcame up in class and to use theirjournals to describe their findings.

Mr. Valdez gives the class a journal“idea list” following their discussion. Heasks the class to write in their journalsfor five minutes every day and to spendthirty minutes a week on an entry basedon library research.

Music Curriculum Framework Addendum, Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) 74a

APPLIED MUSIC I AND II The Applied Music I and II courses allow students in grades 9-12 to advance their development of proficiency in instrumental or vocal performance. The courses address the specific needs of each student and provide individualized instruction through challenging literature for study and performance. The courses are based upon the Fine Arts Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in Music, Levels I and II, as specified in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part II, Chapters 117.60 and 117.61. Students may satisfy fine arts and elective requirements for high school graduation by successfully completing the Applied Music I and II courses. Private Study Programs Local school districts may implement the Applied Music I and II courses by contracting with private instructors to serve as consultant resources for enrichment under the supervision of the campus music director as the teacher of record. School districts have the authority to offer private study programs in accordance with the following guidelines from the Texas Education Agency: • Guidelines for use of school facilities for private study are a local school board

decision. • Both the school district and the students benefit from the private study program. • The school district puts in place adequate safeguards to ensure that the school

district and its students receive the full range of the intended benefits of the private study program.

• Although school districts as an entity may not charge students a fee for participation in a private study program, a private teacher may charge a fee in a manner approved by the local school board.

• A district cannot require students to participate in a private study program as part of the curriculum and instruction of a course or for participation in any school activity.

School districts should consult with attorneys and/or insurance agents concerning any potential liability issues related to private study programs. To ensure equal access to this enrichment opportunity, school districts are encouraged to make local scholarship funds available to students whose families’ income status may prohibit participation in the private study program. As with all academic disciplines and subject areas, school districts are responsible for the development of local curricula for Applied Music I and II that are aligned with the Music TEKS. Because of the unique characteristics of the Applied Music I and II courses, however, the following procedures are suggested for the implementation of these courses.

Administration To receive fine arts or elective credit for high school graduation, students must enroll in the Applied Music I or II courses as listed in the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), as shown below. (The full one-credit courses must be successfully completed in their entirety for state graduation requirements.) Course Title: Applied Music I (Music, Level I) Academic Achievement Record (AAR) Abbreviation: (MUS1APL) Course PEIMS Code: 03152500 Unit of Credit: One Course Title: Applied Music II (Music, Level II) Academic Achievement Record (AAR) Abbreviation: (MUS2APL) Course PEIMS Code: 03152600 Unit of Credit: One

Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto. Ralph Waldo Emerson

74b Music Curriculum Framework Addendum, Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA)

Course Requirements Outlined below are suggested course requirements that may be used as guidelines for the implementation of Applied Music I and II, instrumental and vocal. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Prescribed Music List is suggested for solo repertoire. Applied Music I • The student will perform two juried solo recitals–one during the fall semester and

one during the spring semester. • At each recital, the student will present a minimum of two solo selections that

represent contrasting periods and styles and that are the equivalent to UIL Class I or II repertoire.

• Instrumental and vocal students will memorize the solo selections for both recitals, regardless of classification.

• Performances will be accompanied by piano if accompaniments are written. • The recitals will be juried by a minimum of three music educators, including the

music director of the student’s school. • For each recital, the student will develop a printed program that includes program

notes about the solo selections and composers. • Equally important as the solo selections are the warm-up routines, scale and interval

studies, sightreading exercises, and method book literature studied by the student. Scales by instrumental and vocal students will include all twelve major and pure minor scales, two octaves. Vocal music students will be trained in a variety of languages, including English, Latin, and Italian. The student will demonstrate all, or a portion of, these Applied Music course components at the recitals.

Applied Music II • The student will perform two juried solo recitals–one during the fall semester and

one during the spring semester. • At each recital, the student will perform a minimum of two solo selections that

represent contrasting periods and styles and that are the equivalent to UIL Class I repertoire.

• Instrumental and vocal students will memorize the solo selections for both recitals. • Performances will be accompanied by piano if accompaniments are written. • The recitals will be juried by a minimum of three music educators, including the

music director of the student’s school. • For each recital, the student will develop a printed program that includes program

notes about the solo selections and composers. • Equally important as the solo selections are the warm-up routines, scale and interval

studies, sightreading exercises, and method book literature to be studied by the student. In addition to all twelve major and pure minor scales (from Applied Music I), instrumental and vocal students will study all twelve harmonic and melodic minor scales, two octaves. In addition to English, Latin, and Italian (from Applied Music I), vocal music students’ repertoires will include German and French. The student will demonstrate all, or a portion, of the Applied Music course components at the recitals.

As with any course, school districts must develop and implement local curricula to meet the goals and objectives of state-approved Music TEKS. Districts, however, may use these guidelines for the Applied Music I and II courses in the Music Curriculum Framework as a basis for offering this valuable music performance opportunity.

Music is the sole domain in which man realizes the present. Igor Stravinsky


Advanced CoursesAdvanced courses consist of:• College Board advanced placement courses (e.g., Music Theory) and

International Baccalaureate courses in the discipline (e.g., IB Music SL, IBMusic HL). These courses are recommended to be taken as Level III or IVcourses.

• High school/college concurrent enrollment classes that are included in theCommunity College General Academic Course Guide Manual (Part I)

• Level IV music courses.

Credit by ExaminationA school district provides six days per year when examinations for acceleration willbe administered. A school district may not charge for these examinations. If a studentin Grades 6–12 scores 90% on a criterion-referenced test for the applicable course inwhich he or she has no prior instruction, the student must be given credit. If a studentearns credit in a subject based on the examination, the school district enters theexamination score on the student’s transcript.

Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP)—Advanced MeasuresA student wishing to complete an advanced high school program (DistinguishedAchievement Program) must take the courses outlined in the Texas AdministrativeCode, §74.13, and also satisfy the requirements of four of the following advancedmeasures, in any combination. Original research/projects may not be used for morethan two of the four measures. The measures specify demonstrated studentperformance at the college or professional level, and student performance must beassessed through an external review process. The advanced measures and theirrequirements are as follows:

Original research/project:• Judged by a panel of professionals in the field of the project’s focus, or• Conducted under the direction of a mentor(s) and reported to an appropriate

audience, or• Related to the required curriculum set forth in 19 TAC §74.1 (relating to

Essential Knowledge and Skills).

Test data:• A score of three or above on a College Board Advanced Placement examination• A score of four or above on an International Baccalaureate examination• A score on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) that qualifies a

student for recognition as a Commended Scholar or higher by the National MeritScholarship Corporation; as part of the National Hispanic Scholar Program ofThe College Board; or as part of the National Achievement Scholarship Programfor Outstanding Negro Students of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.The PSAT may count as only one advanced measure regardless of the number ofhonors received by the student.

College courses:• A grade of 3.0 or higher on courses that count for one college credit, including

tech-prep programs.

The Distinguished Achievement Program gives students the opportunity to gainrecognition for outstanding achievement in the field of music by producingindividual projects. Each participating student independently designs a proposal,conducts in-depth research, prepares products, performances, and/or findings ofprofessional quality, and presents the work to invited audiences. Students areencouraged to work with mentors who are recognized experts in their areas of study.

What answer tothe meaning ofexistence shouldone requirebeyond the rightto exercise one’sgifts?W.H. Auden


Proposals should include the names and brief biographical sketches of mentors, andmentors must be approved by each student’s advising teacher and review committee.

The four strands of the Music TEKS provide a broad, unifying structure fororganizing the knowledge and skills that students acquire in the program. Among theskills gained, students demonstrate original thought, communicate expressively andinsightfully, and demonstrate college- or professional-level technical skills andknowledge in their performances and presentations. Over the course of their projects,students demonstrate the ability to:• Work with a mentor and teacher to design a project, develop a time line, and

produce a presentation and performance• Analyze pertinent aspects of historical and cultural heritages• Research recognized musicians from the past and present• Investigate and develop technical skills in various media unique to the discipline• Synthesize all facets of a project in an original, formal presentation• Reflect on both the process and product(s) to make recommendations for future

personal work and to assist future DAP participants.

The following account of a DAP project describes how the best programssuccessfully extend learning beyond the classroom and recognize exceptional studentwork.

Project description:Brian played the alto saxophone in his high school’s jazz band for the last threeyears. His involvement in the music program, combined with his family’s East Texasheritage, inspired him to design a DAP project reflecting the history of East Texasblues. Brian wanted to research and write a composition for quartet. The first fourweeks of his senior year, he wrote a detailed proposal outlining the project, which heplanned to work on the entire school year. The proposal included an explanation ofthe assessment criteria for the final performance and presentation. Brian, his mentor,Beth Johnson, and the project’s advising teacher, Mr. Tatum, developed the criteria.In order to be awarded a measure of distinguished achievement, Brian’s final productwould have to be of professional- or college-level quality. Brian understood from theearly stages of the project that the quality of his presentation and the merits of hisoriginal composition would be assessed by a panel of experts, using the pre-determined criteria as a guide, on the night of his final performance.

Requirements for Brian’s project included:• Written intent of the original composition• Theme books, depicting the development of form and melodic, rhythmic,

harmonic, and textural complexities• An original composition of sufficient length to present, develop, and complete

thematic material• A final form that could be replicated by others (e.g., MIDI-file/written score and

parts)• Tapes of rehearsals, rehearsal schedules, and a description of the composer’s

role• Performance of the composition• A presentation on the development of the composition• Critique, response, justification, and recommendations after the final

performance• Evaluation and assessment of the performance by a pre-designated panel of

experts.

Working with his mentor, Beth Johnson, a music historian and jazz pianist, Brianoutlined his project on a time line. After thorough research, he developed the

The history of apeople is found in

its songs.George Jellinek


conceptual basis for his composition by synthesizing information he gathered frommusic history books, old recordings, and interviews with East Texas residents andblues artists. Throughout the year, Brian worked on his research and compositionand regularly discussed and evaluated his progress with Beth and his teacher, Mr.Tatum. Brian’s research included analyses of the stylistic and historical precedents ofhis piece and specific theoretical justifications for his harmonic, melodic, rhythmic,textural, and thematic choices.

In the spring, Brian prepared to perform his composition and make theaccompanying presentation on the project’s development. He discussed the influenceof his research on his composition and the rationales supporting his ideas andtheoretical positions. He included recordings of early blues musicians, such asMuddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, in the presentation and discussed theirinfluence on East Texas blues and on his own music. Finally, in the few weeksbefore the show, Brian took care of last-minute details. He finished his presentation,wrote program notes, invited guests, and confirmed attendance of the panel ofexperts.

On the night of the big performance, Brian, his family, friends, teachers, and fellowmusicians assembled in a small performance hall near the school. His family andfriends beamed while Mr. Tatum, Beth, and the panel members took careful notes onhow Brian communicated his intent, the depth of his reflections, and the clarity of hisrecommendations for future work. After the presentation, the panel questioned Brianon his plans for the future, and then everyone enjoyed a performance of the BrianDavis Quartet. The final response and evaluation, based on the pre-determinedassessment criteria, included both Brian’s reflections and assessments and thepanel’s critique. After a thorough investigation of Brian’s process and a carefulevaluation of the quality of his final work, Mr. Tatum recommended that Brian beawarded a measure of distinguished achievement.

Music is your ownexperience, your ownthoughts, your wisdom. Ifyou don't live it, it won'tcome out of your horn.They teach you there's aboundary line to music.But, man, there's noboundary line to art.Charlie Parker


INSTRUCTION

A successful music curriculum, horizontally and vertically aligned according to theTEKS, is built on careful selection of instructional materials, the professionaldevelopment of music educators, and good strategies of instructional delivery.Additionally, the student expectations articulated by the TEKS provide a frameworkfor performance-based assessment, a strategy long used by music educators toanalyze student achievement in course content. The integration of instruction andassessment and the interdependence of the four strands of the TEKS help makemusic concepts more relevant to students as teachers help them make essentialmusical connections.

MotivationOne goal of public education, in every discipline, is to make students lifelonglearners motivated by internal drives to know, do, and accomplish. Schoolmotivation techniques greatly influence students’ desire to be self-directed learnersin school and out. Two types of motivational strategies are common in school:• Extrinsic motivation, such as grades and rewards, which are often successful in

the short run but may have negative effects on long-term student self-direction• Intrinsic motivation, cultivated by the use of choice, collaboration, and

meaningful content, which fosters long-term self-direction and achievement.

Too often, motivation is based solely on extrinsic rewards and/or gimmicks that onlytemporarily boost student achievement. Unless learning is made relevant to students’lives through the use of intrinsic motivation techniques, formal education will notfoster long-term knowledge retention or continued creative and intellectual growth.

The right motivation stimulates student response to and desire for expression andlays the groundwork for learning. One of the best motivators for any student is thefeeling of success that comes from meeting a challenging goal. There is no euphoriagreater than a student’s, or teacher’s, at the realization that a difficult goal has beenreached through commitment and effort. Once a student feels this exhilaration, theexperience will be sought time and time again. This reward, an intrinsic motivator, ismore deeply satisfying than stickers or free time could ever be. It builds a solidfoundation for future educational pursuits.

Kindergartners who have many experiences of “the light bulb coming on” arebuilding confidence and motivation skills to face more complex learning situations inthe future. However, if students reach middle school or high school without this baseof successful learning, it is not too late to introduce them to these experiences.Success in learning motivates students in many ways, including inspiring them tostay in school and in music classes. Parents, peers, and communities all contribute toa student’s drive and direction, but students who have a series of triumphs in learningsituations and who can identify the reasons for their successes strive for additionallearning. Here are some questions teachers might ask themselves or discuss withtheir students to develop intrinsic motivation in class and to build self-direction ofclass members:• In the last several weeks, what concept-based activity did students like best?

Why did they like it best?• What skills or concepts did students learn through the activity, and how does it

affect their technique?• How could activities with similar qualities be used to teach other content, skills,

or techniques?

Nothing can stop theman with the rightmental attitude fromachieving his goal;nothing on earth canhelp the man with thewrong mental attitude.Thomas Jefferson


Strategies for Teaching the Music TEKS

Critical ThinkingWhether or not a student has formally discussed sound and music, everyone, evenkindergartners, comes to school with a history and understanding of his or her ownsensory perception. Teachers draw on this knowledge base to begin teaching soundidentification. Composing, performing, and analyzing music all require strongcritical thinking skills. Students develop cognitive skills by examining and analyzinghow and what they hear. Below are some activities and questions teachers can use tostimulate creative and critical thinking:• Close your eyes and describe what you hear.• How are the following sounds alike: a faucet dripping, a waterfall, and the

ocean’s waves hitting the beach?• What are some differences between the sound of thunder and the sound that

comes from a television?• How are the sounds of a person sleeping and the wind blowing the same?

Different?• Is music a sound? Why, or why not?• List some sounds that your voice can make.• What is the difference between a speaking voice and a singing voice?• Listen to these two instruments and compare their tones.• Listen to the recording of the song we just sang. What sounded good? What

could be better? How can we change or improve things?

High school students use similar, though more sophisticated, prompts to strengthentheir critical thinking skills. It takes time and guided practice to develop andmaintain these skills, but once students establish good habits of mind, their educationwill extend beyond the limits of their teachers, textbooks, and schools. Students withstrong critical thinking skills have the ability to gather information, incorporate newlearning, evaluate results, seek new challenges, and accomplish their goals.

Problem SolvingBy exploring complex auditory relationships, interacting with peers, and solvingmusical dilemmas, music students develop sophisticated problem-solving skills.Following is a list of steps, included in a number of different theoretical models, forsuccessful problem solving:1. Identify the problem.2. Analyze the cause and scope of the problem.3. Brainstorm a variety of solutions.4. Evaluate the proposed solutions.5. Come to consensus on the most viable approach.6. Implement the solution.7. Evaluate its effects.

When students seem to be at a loss in generating solutions to a problem, providethem with this framework, or a similar model appropriate for their developmentallevel, to help them arrive at their own solutions.

CreativityWith the new Music TEKS, Texas public schools have the potential to create musicenvironments that foster imagination and creative expression in studentdemonstration of knowledge and skills. Music teachers who actively explore anddevelop their own ideas of what it means to be creative will, in turn, model theirbeliefs and practices for their students. The following teaching strategies andsuggestions are intended to help students develop emergent creativity.

When I am working on aproblem I never think

about beauty. I onlythink about how to solvethe problem. But when I

have finished, if thesolution is not beautiful,

I know it is wrong.Buckminster Fuller


A music classroom that fosters creativity may have the following characteristics:• Natural light, harmonious colors, and comfortable work areas• Climates that encourage risk-taking and expressive freedom within the structure

of the Music TEKS• Long-term, open-ended projects that utilize collaborative modes of work and

study• Revisiting earlier compositions and revising original ideas• A variety of materials, including inexpensive, found, or recycled materials

incorporated into projects.

Creative teaching and learning strategies can have the following results:• Providing concrete sources of inspiration for creative student work• Students who form and express their own ideas• In-depth exploration and research• Students who share and understand others’ perspectives.

Individualized InstructionMusic classes, especially at the beginning levels, potentially have a wide range ofstudent knowledge and skill levels. Students may exceed or fall short of a course’sgeneral student expectations for a number of reasons, such as music studies outsideof school or newness to a school’s music program. Additionally, the learningenvironments of music classes support diverse approaches to exploring ideas andmedia. The combination of different experience levels and diverse learning stylesmakes individualizing instruction an important music teaching strategy. Here are afew ideas on individualizing instruction in the music classroom:• Within a larger group, individualizing instruction allows each student to

progress through the curriculum at his or her own pace.• If the diversity of student needs is considered in the design of teaching strategies

and curricula, advanced students can move ahead while others work on thebasics.

• One basic means of individualizing instruction is to explain a lesson ordemonstrate a technique to small groups of students at a time.

Other strategies music teachers might use include:• Contracts for independent learning• Learning centers• Computer-aided instruction.

Cooperative LearningResearch shows that students who complete cooperative group tasks tend to havehigher academic tests scores, higher self-esteem, stronger social skills, and greatercontent knowledge and skills. When cooperative learning is used well, teachersensure that tasks completed in small groups truly result in learning for all groupmembers. Though this strategy may not be extremely common in music classes, hereare some useful guidelines for teachers wishing to incorporate cooperative learninginto their curriculum:• Clarify specific student learning outcomes.• Give students opportunities to “buy into” the targeted outcome.• State instructions clearly before students begin their group efforts.• Use heterogeneous groups.• Make sure each group has an equal opportunity for success.• Structure tasks so students must rely on one another to complete the task and

learn new content and skills (e.g., assign specific roles to individuals).• Seat students face-to-face so they can use “12-inch voices”.• Expect positive social interactions.• Provide access to resource materials.

You can’t make italone; you haveto have loyaltyand commitmentfrom others toplay this music.Marcus Roberts

I criticize bycreation, notby findingfault.Cicero


• Provide sufficient time for working in groups.• Make sure each student is held accountable for individual learning, and• Provide time during and after project completion for reflection and/or

debriefing.

There is a consensus among many writers, trainers, and researchers that these are theessential strategies for learning and achieving through cooperative group tasks.

TechnologyTechnology provides the world with a set of powerful tools for thinking, working,and communicating. Synthesizers, drum machines, electronic instruments, and arange of recording and editing equipment are used to compose everything frompopular dance music to esoteric sound art. Technology is not the heart of musiceducation; nor are these ideas on using technology to teach music intended to directlearning in music classes. However, new technologies can support learning of theMusic Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as well as offer students theopportunity to learn new technological tools.

The implementation of technology into the music classroom must be well-planned,organized, and carried out in a comprehensive manner. If you are uncertain aboutwhich technologies are available to you in your school or district, ask schooladministration about your options. If there is not yet a school or district-widetechnology plan in place, consider initiating the discussion with administrators,specialists, and faculty.

The following ideas are intended to help teachers in the process of implementingtechnology in public school music programs. These thoughts and strategies are notexhaustive; rather, they are intended to inspire new ideas for using technology in thearts. Technology supports traditional learning goals in music by:• Offering additional means for teachers to accommodate different learning styles

and paces. For example, interactive technology enables students to learn at theirown pace, making decisions within the structure of the program about what, andhow, they learn.

• Motivating students to learn in new ways. The excitement of exploring theInternet can spark new interest in the music.

• Encouraging students’ self-direction. Students can make the choices of what andhow to research online and how to plan and create online music performances.

• Giving special-needs students more opportunities to collaborate with peers.Internet and interactive technologies can be a rich source of peer coaching andcooperation among students. Learners take on different tasks in working towardscommon research, production, or presentation goals.

Technology provides new learning tools in music by:• Providing students with valuable, new creative tools, such as MIDI in music

classes• Offering students efficient, exploratory ways to research musicians and their

contributions, music history, trends, and styles with the Internet’s network oflibrary catalogs, campus information systems, directories, data bases, archives,and other interactive media technology

• Enabling students to communicate with musicians, teachers, and students aroundthe world in on-line discussion groups, list servs, bulletin boards, and e-mail

• Providing a new way for students to document and assess their learning.Students can save their compositions digitally and practice basic keyboardingand computer skills.

Music was myrefuge. I could crawl

into the spacesbetween the notes

and curl my back toloneliness.

Maya Angelou


Schools must develop comprehensive plans for integrating technology into theircurricula. An effective plan is based on the shared vision of teachers, administrators,parents, community members, and technology experts. Technology shouldstrengthen a district’s curricula and strategies for teaching the Music TEKS,providing another means of engaging students in learning. When a technology plan isin place, teachers might consider the following strategies for making the most ofthese new learning tools.

If a plan is not yet in place, many of these strategies can prepare teachers andstudents for future use of technology.• Create an atmosphere that emphasizes collaboration.• Develop music activities that incorporate challenging, authentic tasks with

technological tools used as supports when they add significant value to thelearning experience. Learning the content of the Music TEKS should be theprimary goal. Incorporating technology is secondary.

• Develop assessment procedures to monitor and learn from each student’sprogress.

• Seek opportunities to collaborate with other music teachers; work in teams todesign and implement technology-supported projects.

• Join students in learning new technology that expands their understanding ofmusic, demonstrating problem-solving and thinking skills that show studentspositive ways to approach new learning challenges.

• Design activities so that every student has something to offer. Draw from yourknowledge base of students’ strengths and weaknesses to foster success and tobolster specific areas of learning.

CompetitionWhen music groups participate in competitive events, the events are consideredextracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities are not recognized as coursecontent in the TEKS or in state graduation plans and are governed, in large part, bythe University Interscholastic League (UIL).

Used constructively, competition can improve a student’s enthusiasm andmotivation. Entering competitions has the potential to stimulate students to try theirbest; however, the thoughtfulness and quality of student work will suffer ifcompetition is valued above all else, without emphasis on the importance ofindividual growth and personal goals in the context of learning the Music TEKS. Thefollowing questions can be used by music educators and program developers asguidelines to evaluate different types of competition.• Is student learning the activity’s primary goal?• Are the rules and criteria for judging aligned with the standards outlined in the

TEKS and the local curriculum?• Will the competition challenge students too far beyond their current range of

skill and understanding, causing them to neglect their process of creativedevelopment?

Ultimately, each teacher’s approach to competition determines the value ofcompetitive experiences. Competition can be a tool for engaging students in learningif teachers take time to choose activities and events that support the goals and skilllevels of their students.

Awarding credit for curricular and extracurricular courses, such as band, is oftenconfusing. Marching band is not a course. It takes place outside of the school dayand is extracurricular. However, students who complete one year of band withcontent based on the TEKS may receive one fine arts credit. Students receive a gradein Band I, II, III, and IV based on their demonstrated proficiency in course content as

I love the music of thetraditional aspect of ourcommunity. Conjuntomusic, the ballads, andthe romantic singer/songwriter songs—theolder music fromMexico that my parentslike a lot—made a verypositive impression.There’s a sense of theguitar and the voice. Iguess it ties in the folkelement, which reallyexcites me.Tish Hinojosa


outlined by the TEKS. Additionally, students who participate in marching band mayhave one-half credit of physical education waived during the fall semester. Studentsassigned to band classes who are flag bearers, who do not play instruments or do notdemonstrate proficiency in course content as defined by the TEKS may not receivefine arts credit.

Study TripsCarefully planned field trips reinforce and broaden students’ music education, butthey cannot replace classroom instruction of carefully scaffolded course content.After establishing solid music courses for all grades, teachers might use outsidepresentations to demonstrate specific concepts. All outside activities and projectsshould relate to planned course content. Students can have difficulty processingevents unrelated to their studies, and the experiences are less likely to contribute tothe students’ growing understanding of music.

Study guides can help students connect concepts studied in class to liveperformances. Drawing on earlier course content, older students attendingprofessional performances can research productions and create their own studyguides. Designing evaluation criteria based on course content enables students toform opinions and make judgments supported by specific production details. It isimportant for study guides to be aligned with class instruction. Study guides preparedby outside companies are only beneficial if content is aligned with the students’curricula and methods of learning.

SafetyIn order to avoid potential hazards inherent in music programs, music teachers mustencourage student attitudes that support safe practices in the classroom. It isimperative that teachers model and discuss safety procedures and regulations. Safepractices help to ensure the welfare of students and teachers and can help preventdamage to equipment and facilities. Music teachers must also ensure that thefacilities they use are accessible to everyone. Adjustments may be required to makefacilities barrier-free. The following recommendations for teachers suggest ways tokeep a classroom environment safe and healthy:• Plan and carry out regular inspections of equipment, risers, platforms, and choral

shells to prevent accidents. Specific hazards to watch for include:∗ Lights that are not working or dark areas∗ Frayed or loose electrical cords∗ Open traps, unusable platforms, or step units∗ Disorderly work areas, storage areas, stage areas, or dressing rooms∗ Flashlights that are not working.

• Ensure that students do not share mouthpieces or reeds without adequatesterilization.

• Establish safety procedures and make sure that students understand and observethem.

• Use emergency procedures established by the school, such as evacuation plansfor classrooms and other school environments, and make it clear to studentswhat to do in case of an emergency.

• Telephone access is important for production, rehearsals, and performanceactivities both during and outside of regularly scheduled school hours.

• Emergency numbers and procedures should be permanently posted, legible, andaccurate.

• Inspect facilities regularly.• Use posters and bulletin boards to emphasize potential dangers and safety

procedures.• Demonstrate and model safe behavior.

[Speaking of musician TishHinojosa:] Her art isdeeply rooted in the

traditions of her ancestors.In her songs, the spirit of

our people is given voice.Americo Paredes


The following recommendations for school administrators suggest ways to support asafe classroom environment:• Schedule regular inspection and maintenance of equipment and facilities.• Install a direct outside line and post a list of emergency telephone numbers.• Provide teachers with current information on accident liability and insurance.• Ensure that students are given and tested on safety guides.• Maintain fully-stocked first-aid kits and working fire extinguishers in each

music classroom.

Special ConsiderationsTexas public schools are responsible for helping all students develop to their fullpotential. The content and structure of music curricula naturally providesopportunities to involve all students in the learning process, regardless of theirlanguage, cultural background, disabilities, or familiarity with course content. Musicclasses can be designed to recognize and utilize students’ abilities, rather than theirdisabilities. Teachers can modify instructional methods, pacing, and materials tomeet the individual needs of their students.

Special EducationTeachers of students receiving special education services should participate in thedevelopment of each student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and take part instudents’ Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee meetings. By gettinginvolved in IEP and ARD consultations, music teachers can share students’ progressand achievements with parents and other educators. The following considerationsand classroom strategies are provided to help teachers unaccustomed to modifyingtheir instruction for special education students:• Students who receive special education services are not a homogeneous group.

Each individual has unique strengths, needs, and interests.• Despite the presence of a disability, every student can learn skills in music

classes that enable him or her to participate more fully in school, recreation, andcareer preparation.

• Students with severe disabilities require the greatest support and individualattention. Special education teachers, sign language interpreters, orientation andmobility instructors, or instructional aides may provide support in the context ofthe class.

• Students with moderate disabilities may need to have materials and activitiesadapted to meet their individual strengths and needs.

• Some students may have disabilities that require only slight modifications in theclassroom—such as special seating or assistance with reading.

Educators may be daunted by the challenge of teaching a classroom of students withdiverse, individual needs. The following suggestions should help teachers establishthe full participation of every learner:• Align the content with the developmental level of the learner.• Give instructions through several modalities (e.g., visual and aural).• Summarize key content points before moving to new topics.• Ask leading questions to encourage self-assessment as work progresses.• Establish a peer tutoring system to assist students with disabilities and to allow

them to help others.• Assign appropriate roles for cooperative learning activities.• Use adaptive devices and technology.• Provide recorded or braille directions, music, and textbooks.• Adjust pacing and time requirements for work completion.• Allow students to demonstrate proficiency using their best means of expression.


Multicultural PerspectivesMusic classes are ideal environments for building multicultural understanding.Activities based on personal experience give students opportunities to share theirindividual and cultural ethics, goals, and forms of expression. When given thechance, students love to explore new ideas and interests and to discover the manygifts and abilities of students from diverse backgrounds.

As students learn about the musical contributions of the world’s societies, they findthat in many societies, such as the United States, the cultural roots of art and musicrun broad and deep. Studying music expands multicultural understanding andencourages cross-cultural connections by helping students to:• Transcend verbal language barriers by expressing perceptions and ideas through

music or other fine arts media• Understand the importance of music and the arts in conveying a society’s hopes,

desires, values, beliefs, and rituals• Develop a broad music vocabulary to describe the musical contributions of

many cultures• Apply evaluative judgment to contemporary and traditional musical forms• Discover how music serves as enduring cultural and historical records,

documenting the progression of people’s thoughts and emotions over time• Examine an idea from multiple and diverse viewpoints.

AssessmentMusic students demonstrate their acquired knowledge and skills in various ways.They make presentations and performances, document works-in-progress with audioand video logs, and use pen/paper and many other tools of communication. Thougheducators often think the primary purpose of assessment is grading, meaningfulassessment simultaneously facilitates learning by:• Aiding teachers in planning (e.g., by indicating when to reteach and when to

move ahead)• Documenting student performance• Serving as tools for student self-assessment• Evaluating overall teaching performance.

Following is a list of guidelines to aid teachers in the process of formulating theirown methods of assessment:• Provide regular, formative student evaluations based on the integration of

instruction and assessment.• Assess students only on the content/skills they have had adequate opportunity to

learn.• Base student assessments on multiple sources of evidence of student

performance, whenever possible.• Clarify the criteria for satisfactory performance before beginning tasks.• Teach students strategies for self-assessment and for explaining their thinking

processes.• Communicate student performance clearly to students, parents, and other

professionals.• Give targeted feedback, in addition to praise, to improve student performance.• Include students’ growth in self-evaluation in final project grades.• Provide descriptive evaluations and avoid rigid numerical or alphabetical

grading systems.

I learned that alongwith the toweringachievements of

the cultures ofancient Greece and

China there stoodthe culture of

Africa.Paul Robeson

Finally a little musictrickles out of the horn. I

always say somethinggood, then offer

constructive criticism.Young musicians are

very sensitive. Youhave to be a good judge

of character to levycriticism, and even if

you are, sometimes youmake a mistake.

Wynton Marsalis


RubricsOne way of implementing effective assessment is by using rubrics that clearlycommunicate acceptable levels of student performance and aid students in assessingtheir own progress. Though rubrics can take many forms, they are often representedin tables. To develop a rubric, first determine the critical dimensions of theperformance to be assessed. Place these dimensions in the left-hand column of atable. Next, decide on the number of performance levels to be described. Thisnumber determines the number of additional columns.

Now describe the differences in performance levels along a continuum. This iseasiest if a sample of performances is already available. The sample can be separatedinto groups by common characteristics and by level of performance. Without asample, teachers have to make their best prediction of levels. Involving students inthis process really encourages them to “buy into” the structure of their education andassessment.

Once a rubric has been set up, it can be revised for further use. Keep performancesamples that illustrate desirable achievement levels on hand for future classes.Having many examples of strong performances shows learners that there are multiplecreative ways to demonstrate knowledge and skills.

Effective scoring rubrics might include the following characteristics:

• A scale of assessment criteria that accurately reflects the learning outcomesdemonstrated by the task

• Specific information about learning that helps the teacher make instructionaldecisions and communicates to students what they have learned and what theystill need to learn

• Descriptors that are clear and easy to understand• Ease and efficiency of use• Examples of student performances• Reliable scores (i.e., ratings of various scorers are fairly consistent).

Educators learning to use rubrics may get frustrated. Consider these cautions whenintegrating rubrics for the first time:• Don’t expect to get the rubric exactly right the first time. Like all assessment

tools, a rubric must be field tested and revised based on actual use.• A rubric is not a checklist. The descriptors for each level are taken as a whole.• A performance may not fall neatly into one level. It may have characteristics of

more than one level of performance. In this model of scoring, the score assignedshould be the one that most closely resembles the overall performance.


CAMPUS/DISTRICT-LEVEL CONSIDERATIONS

Scheduling and Time Quality music education relies on students and teachers having sufficient time toachieve the knowledge and skills outlined in the Music TEKS. Below are theguidelines for ensuring that districts provide adequate time for their music program.

ElementaryAll elementary students receive at least 55 minutes of music instruction weekly.Instruction in music concepts and skills, completion of work, and distribution andcollection of materials are included in this time allotment. Additionally, elementaryschool scheduling should remain flexible enough to allow for special events, such asdemonstrations and class trips.

When a music specialist is available, the specialist should have no more than sixclasses per day and a total of no more than 150 students. Specialists should have oneduty-free planning and preparation period per day with at least five-minute intervalsbetween scheduled classes. Classroom teachers escort students to and from theclassroom, providing security for the students and time for the music specialist to setup for the following class. Specialists may require additional assistance when a classcontains students with special needs. Specialists assigned to multiple campusesrequire one additional period for travel, record keeping, materials management, andpreparation of multiple music laboratories. One benefit of having a music specialiston the faculty is the added flexibility in scheduling teacher conference periods.

Middle and High SchoolMiddle school class periods should be at least 45 minutes long, and high schoolperiods should be at least 55 minutes. The number of classes and the number ofstudents taught per day should be comparable to the student load in other disciplines.On campuses that use block scheduling (e.g., four periods per day), music teachersshould have three classes and one conference/planning period per day.

It is recommended that secondary school classes not exceed 25 students per class.Furthermore, the needs of all learners, i.e., advanced studies students, students withidentified special needs, and those who are not fluent English speakers, should beconsidered in all scheduling decisions.

StaffingThe skill of a program’s music educators is one of the primary determinants ofstudent achievement.

Music SupervisorsTrained, experienced music supervisors and consultants are valuable resources forcentral office administrators, principals, teachers, and communities. Supervisors arean organizing, motivating force for the development of coherent, concept-basedmusic programs. Consultants and supervisors coordinate stimulating programs byproviding the following services:• Defining the components of an effective, comprehensive music program to meet

the TEKS• Providing ongoing leadership in planning, implementing, and evaluating K–12

music programs• Organizing professional development opportunities for music teachers and

specialists

Without music, Imay feel blind,atrophied.Duke Ellington


• Serving as advocates for quality music instruction (e.g., ensuring that adequatetime is allotted for instruction; suggesting quality resources that supportinstruction in the TEKS)

• Communicating standards for and safe use of music facilities, classrooms, tools,and materials

• Facilitating efficient ordering of music supplies and equipment (e.g., providingguidelines, bulk purchasing)

• Coordinating school music programs with community activities• Attending professional meetings to keep informed about current music

instruction practices.

Districts with exemplary music programs depend on highly skilled consultants andsupervisors to assist and guide teachers, administrators, and communities. Althoughspecialists are an invaluable part of every district’s music program, full-timeleadership is critical for districts with 14,000 or more students. To ensure meaningfulassistance and strong, comprehensive instruction in music, supervisors andconsultants should have formal music training and teaching experience in music.

Music TeachersAs important as supervisors and consultants are, teachers are the single mostinfluential part of any music program. In everyday classroom activities, teacherscommunicate knowledge of music in ways that challenge each of their students tolearn.

Effective teachers help students see that the study of music transcends the making ofmusic and that the study of music history extends beyond an isolated subject.Through music, students develop their own insights into ways of thinking, learning,communicating, and preparing for the future.

A teacher’s education, background, and training in music and music educationprofoundly influence the musical achievement of his or her students. To ensureteaching competency, the state requires beginning music teachers to have academicpreparation in the TEKS.

Certified elementary music specialists receive a minimum of four years’ study inmusic and music education. In the classroom, they plan and deliver comprehensive,sequential music instruction based on their own knowledge and skills, the growthand development of their students, and the TEKS.

Music content should ensure the comprehension and synthesis of information andskills related to sensory awareness, creative expression, technical proficiency,cultural appreciation, and critical judgment. Music teachers for grades 6–12 haveknowledge, training, and facility in a variety of music media and processes,pedagogy, music history, and music criticism. The number of teachers per buildingshould be sufficient to develop each student’s potential for creative and criticalthinking and to individualize instruction for students at different levels of musicaldevelopment.

Professional DevelopmentProfessional development is a continual process of helping teachers define directionand implement change in their music programs. It is essential for setting andachieving new goals, such as those outlined by the Music TEKS. Some professionaldevelopment activities relate to all teachers, but music teachers benefit fromadditional seminars and programs that specifically address music content and theparticular concerns of music educators.

I have alwaysfelt that the

true textbookfor the pupil is

his teacher.Mohandas K.

Gandhi


Though workshops and presentations are still the predominant mode of professionaldevelopment for teachers, the definition of professional development has expandedto include activities other than workshops and college courses. Teachers have foundgreat benefit from writing curricula, mentoring beginning teachers, scoring studentor teacher performance assessments, and serving on district and/or state standardscommittees. Administrators and teachers should strive to incorporate this broaderdefinition of professional development into their programs.

The Appendix contains a checklist to assist in designing staff development sessionsthat meet the needs of music teachers and help them effectively teach the TEKS. Thechecklist is also designed to help educators choose and present workshops formaximizing student learning.

Effective professional development programs contain practical knowledge thatdirectly impacts student learning and provide specific models and approaches forteaching the TEKS. Professional growth activities should be carefully developed toemphasize scaffolded curricula targeting specific music content at each grade level.Professional development should also provide ongoing assessment strategies thatemphasize student achievement and critical and creative thinking processes. Modelsof excellence inspire music teachers to try new ideas and to grow professionally.Ideally, master teachers with expertise in the teaching areas of their audience shareand teach their effective techniques.

Professional development is critical for the growth and development of curricula andinstruction in Texas schools. School districts, regional educational service centers,universities, and state and national music associations may plan and conduct musicworkshops and seminars, often for advanced academic credit. Districts and campusessupport continuing professional development by providing release time and fundingfor teachers to build their knowledge and skills.

Program EvaluationThe development and growth of a quality music program, capable of preparing allstudents to demonstrate the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in music,depends on a comprehensive process of evaluating program effectiveness. Musicteachers, supervisors, coordinators, principals, and other campus and districtadministrators should participate in the process of program evaluation. Informationfrom this process can be used to develop a plan for strengthening music programs.• Are music classes regularly scheduled and available to every student?• Are the Music TEKS the foundation of classroom activities, instruction, and

student assessment? Describe how teachers use the TEKS in planning andimplementing instruction.

• Are music curricula aligned with the Music TEKS at each grade and courselevel?

• Are instructional materials, classroom activities, and teaching strategies alignedwith the Music TEKS and local curriculum?

• How does student assessment in music measure or demonstrate the studentexpectations outlined in the TEKS?

• Describe how current course offerings meet the needs and interests of students.How do they achieve the goals of the Music TEKS?

• How does the music program’s structure and content help retain students inmusic?

• How are tools of technology used to increase student learning of content inmusic?

• How do physical classroom facilities support quality teaching and learning ineach of the music areas?

The future enters intous, in order totransform itself in us,long before it happens.Rainer Maria Rilke


APPENDIX

Checklist for Quality Professional Development


CHECKLIST FOR QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Curriculum/Content• How will the teacher’s new learning impact student learning (e.g., providing teachers with multiple

models and approaches for teaching the TEKS)?• Are professional growth activities carefully structured to reflect the scaffolded music curricula with

specific music content targeted for each grade or course level?• Will participants have opportunities to experience new ideas and curricula that extend beyond the

requirements of the TEKS?• Will multiple examples of student performance be discussed?• How will connections be made between teachers’ current knowledge and new learning?• Will connections be made to other subject areas? If so, how?• Will the instruction be experiential?• How will follow-up be provided to participants as they apply new skills or strategies?

Assessment• Will a variety of assessment models be shared?• Will models for oral and written critiques be given? Practiced?• How will the new methods or strategies help students reflect on their own learning and performing

processes?

Thinking Processes• How will creative thinking processes be encouraged in participants? In their students?• How will these strategies/methods facilitate critical thinking in participants? In their students?• How will these strategies/methods encourage participants to think divergently? Their students?

Presenters• How does the presenter model exemplary teaching practices?• Will a facilitator and a resource person be available to assist the presenter?• How will the facility and equipment enhance the quality of the session?• How can younger teachers be encouraged to present professional development sessions early in their

careers?

Audiences• How is content tailored to teachers of specific developmental levels (e.g., primary and middle school)?• How will the special needs of classroom teachers who teach music among many other subjects be

addressed?

Alternative Formats• Are beginning teachers and teachers new to the district paired with experienced mentor teachers in the

same discipline?• Are teachers provided opportunities to observe or team-teach with master teachers on other campuses

or in other districts?• Are music teachers funded to attend and make presentations at state and national professional

conferences?• Do music teachers have access to the Internet?• Do music teachers have opportunities to participate in conferences via satellite with teachers on other

campuses, with musicians, and/or with professional performers?• Are satellite conferences provided for music teachers who share common interests, such as advanced

studies?

music curriculum framework - texas music educators association

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