HS Concert Choir

Music Grade(s)9th-12th,1Credit
ElectiveCourse
Course Description
Year-longaudition-basedintermediatelevelperformanceclassesopentostudentswhohavecompletedMixedChorusorhave
previousensembleexperience.Advancedlevelsofsight-reading,pitchmemory,basicmusicnotation,propertonequality,breath
managementandintervalrecognitionarecontinuedfromthechorusclasses.Participationinfourconcertsplusotherspecialprograms
isrequired.Thiscoursemayberepeatedforadditionalcredits.
Scope And Sequence
Timeframe Unit Instructional Topics
Ongoing MusicReadingSkills 1.MusicReadingSkills
Ongoing ChoralBlend 1.ChoralBlend
Ongoing Sight-Singing 1.Sight-Singing
Ongoing AppreciationforChoralLiterature 1.AppreciationforChoralLiterature
Ongoing PerformanceSkills 1.PerformanceSkills
Course Rationale
TheMusicDepartmentoffersavarietyofcoursesforstudentsinterestedinthestudyofmusic.Coursesrangefromnon-audition,non-performing
classestoperformanceclassesatvariouslevelsofproficiency.Onlystudentswithpreviousinstrumentalmusicexperiencemayenrollin
instrumentalmusiccourses.Allstudentsmayselectfromavarietyofvocalmusicandspecializedmusiccoursesaccordingtotheirprevious
musicalexperiences.
Enduring Understandings
Inthecontextofthechoralensemble,thestudentwillbecomemusicallyindependentintheareasofreadingmusic,sight-singing,choralblend,
performanceetiquetteandskills,andappreciationofchoralmusicliteraturethroughstudyandperformance.
Key Resources
Selectedoctavos
Variousaudioandvisualchoralexamples
Variouswebsites
Board Approval Date
May24,2012
Course Details
Unit: MusicReadingSkills Duration: Ongoing
Unit Overview
Readingchoralmusicnotation.
Enduring Understandings
Musicreadingskillisattainedthroughthestudyofdefinitionsandmusicsymbols.
Musicreadingskillisappliedindictationofauralmusicexamples.
Essential Questions
Whyarethesesymbolsonthemusicalscore?
Howdoyouusethesemusicsymbolsfromthescore?
Howdoyouwritethenotationtoshowthemusicyourheard?
Example Assessment Items
Studentwillnotatea2-4measureauralexampleusingstandardrhythmandpitchnotation.
Sight-readingtests.
Topic: MusicReadingSkills Duration: Ongoing

Learning Targets
Thestudentwillinterpretandexplainstandardrhythmicnotationinsimpleandcompoundmeters,expressivemusicalelements,pitch
notation,andnonstandardnotationsymbols.

Unit: ChoralBlend Duration: Ongoing

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HS Concert Choir
Music Grade(s)9th-12th,1Credit
ElectiveCourse
Unit Overview
ChoralBlend
Enduring Understandings
Choralblendisachievedthroughcorrectintonation,unifieddictionandbalancebetweenvoiceparts.
Essential Questions
Whyisunifieddictionneededforgoodchoralblend?
Howdoesdictionofthetextaffecttheoverallblendofthechoir?
Whyisbalancebetweenvoicepartsanimportantpartofchoralblend?
Example Assessment Items
Studentswillbeplacedintovoiceselectionsbasedonindividualvocalassessmentbytheinstructor.
Studentswillbeinformallyassessedduringthechoralrehearsalintheareasofdiction,intonationandbalancewithinandbetweenvocal
sections.
Topic: ChoralBlend Duration: 0Day(s)

Learning Targets
Thestudentwilldemonstrateproperchoralsingingtechnique.
Willfocusonbodyalignment,breathsupport,intonationandpitchaccuracy,appropriatechoralbalanceandblend,anddiction.

Unit: Sight-Singing Duration: Ongoing

Unit Overview
Sight-singinginthechoralensembleisthefoundationforadvancingmusicreadingskills.
Enduring Understandings
Solfegesyllables,basedthemovable-dosystem,isthefoundationofchoralsight-singing.
Theabilitytosight-singasanindividualwillimprovethesight-singingabilityoftheensemble.
Essential Questions
Howdoesidentifyingthekeysignaturehelpyouidentify"do?"
Whyisthetimesignaturesignificanttothesight-singingprocess?
Example Assessment Items
Giventhewrittenkeysignature,astudentwillbeabletoidentifythenameofthekey.
Givenasinglemelodyline,thestudentwillbeabletosingthelinewithoutinstrumentalassistance.
Givenamultiplevoicedmusicexample,thechoruswillbeabletosingthemusicwithoutinstrumentalassistance.
Topic: Sight-Singing Duration: 0Day(s)

Learning Targets
Thestudentwilldemonstrateproperchoralsingingtechnique.
Willfocusonbodyalignment,breathsupport,intonationandpitchaccuracy,appropriatechoralbalanceandblend,anddiction.
Thestudentwillinterpretandexplainstandardrhythmicnotationinsimpleandcompoundmeters,expressivemusicalelements,pitch
notation,andnonstandardnotationsymbols.
Thestudentwillsightreadstandardmusicalnotation.
Atlevel4difficulty[Level4-moderatelydifficult;requireswell-developedtechnicalskills,attentiontophrasinginterpretation,andabilityto
performvariousmetersandrhythmsinavarietyofkeys]ThislevelmatchestheMSHSAAStateLargeChoralEnsemble,Class5sight-
readingrubric.

Unit: AppreciationforChoralLiterature Duration: Ongoing

Unit Overview
Appreciationforchoralliteratureisnecessaryforawell-roundedchoralexperience.
Enduring Understandings
Appreciationofchoralliteraturewillbeattainedthroughthestudyandmusicalperformanceofmultipletimeperiodsandcultures.
Essential Questions
Howdoesthestyleofchoralmusicfromonetimeperiodcontrastwiththemusicfromalatertimeperiod?
Whyisitnecessarytochangethevocalproductionofmusicfromoneculturetoanother?
Example Assessment Items
GivenRenaissancemusic,howwouldyousingitdifferentlythantwentiethcenturymusic?
Studentswillbeassessedontheirabilitytosingthecorrectdictionforagivenforeignlanguage.
Topic: AppreciationforChoralLiterature Duration: Ongoing

Learning Targets
Thestudentwillgainanappreciationofchoralliterature.

CourseSummary Page2 04/20/201503:34PM

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HS Concert Choir
Music Grade(s)9th-12th,1Credit
ElectiveCourse

Unit: PerformanceSkills Duration: Ongoing

Unit Overview
Goodperformanceskillsareimperativetothesuccessofahighlevelperformingensemble.
Enduring Understandings
Appropriateperformancerequirestheincorporationofwell-rehearsedmusicalskills.
Professionalisminachoirperformanceincludesappropriateconcertattireandetiquette.
Criticalanalysisofmusicalperformanceisanessentialpartofamusiceducation.
Essential Questions
Howdoproperfundamentalskillsaffectamusicalperformance?
Howdoesappropriateconcertattireandetiquetteaffecttheoverallconcertperformance?
Whyiscriticalanalysisvaluabletoimprovingmusicalperformance?
Example Assessment Items
Givenarecordingofaconcertperformance,acritiquewillbewritten.
Givenaperformanceopportunity,theskillslearnedforthatpiececanbedemonstrated.
Givenasetconcertattire,studentswillbeexpectedtomaintainthestateduniformity.
Studentswilldisplayappropriateconcertetiquettebothonandoffstageduringaperformance.
Topic: PerformanceSkills Duration: Ongoing

Learning Targets
Thestudentdemostrateappropriateperformanceskills.

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