Saint Patrick High School Curriculum Guide Department: Music Grade and Level: 9-12 Class: Honors Choir Term (Semester or Year): Year Required Text: Music scores are provided by the school Additional Resources (i.e. texts, materials, apps, etc.): ipad Apps GarageBand Other Pencil, Concert Attire
Course Description This audition-only ensemble concentrates on an advanced repertoire of musical selections allowing for solo work and unaccompanied singing. Emphasis is placed on singing a variety of musical styles and performances of quality choral literature. The group performs two scheduled concerts per year. Students are encouraged to participate in Central District and All-State music festivals. Performances are an important component of this course and student participation is required. Academic Standards Addressed (CCSS or equivalent): 25.A.1c Music: Identify differences in elements and expressive qualities (e.g., between fast and slow tempo; loud and soft dynamics; high and low pitch/direction; long and short duration; same and different form, tone color or timbre, and beat). 25.A.2c Music: Identify elements and expres-sive qualities such as tone color, harmony, melody, form (rondo, theme and variation), rhythm/meter and dynamics in a variety of musical styles 25.A.3c Music: Identify and describe changes in elements and expressive qualities (e.g., crescendo, ritardando, fermata, meter, sforzando). 26.A.1c Music: Identify a variety of sounds and sound sources (e.g., instruments, voices and environmental sounds). 26.A.2c Music: Classify musical sound sources into groups (e.g., instrumental families, vocal ranges, solo/ensembles). 26.A.3c Music: Describe the processes involved in composing, conducting and per-forming 26.A.4c Music: Analyze ways in which musical sounds are produced and how they are used in composing, conducting and performing. 26.A.1d Music: Relate symbol systems (e.g., icons, syllables, numbers and letters) to musical sounds. 26.A.2d Music: Read and interpret the tradi-tional music notation of note values and letter names. 26.A.3d Music: Read and interpret traditional music notation in a varied repertoire. 26.A.4d Music: Demonstrate the ability to read written notation for a vocal or instrumental part. 26.B.1c Music: Sing or play on classroom instruments a variety of music representing diverse cultures and styles. 26.B.2c Music: Sing or play acoustic or electronic instruments demonstrating technical skill. 26.B.3c Music: Sing or play with expression and accuracy a variety of music representing diverse cultures and styles. 27.A.1a Identify the distinctive roles of artists and audiences 27.A.2a Identify and describe the relationship between the arts and various environments (e.g., home, school, workplace, theatre, gallery). 27.B.1 Know how images, sounds and movement convey stories about people, places and times. 27.B.2 Identify and describe how the arts communicate the similarities and differences among various people, places and times.
Unit Themes (Table of Contents) Theme 1: Choral Ensemble Theme 2: Music Literacy 1 Theme 3: Music Literacy 2 Theme 4: Music Literacy 3 Theme 5: Music Literacy 4 Theme 6: Music Literacy 5 Theme 7: Concert Music 1 Theme 8: Concert Music 2 Theme 9: Concert Music 3 Agreed Upon Assessments Forms of assessments may include but are not limited to. Written Tests/Quizzes Aural Tests/Quizzes Singing Tests/Quizzes Written Reflection Papers Research and Writing Expectations Drawing music notation symbols Writing text Writing music annotations Writing Letter names, solfege syllables, and rhythms Reflection Paper
Unit: Chorale Ensemble Duration: 3 Instructional Days How has my voice changed/developed over the summer What is my new role in this choir How do I reestablish a singing routine What are the new expectations for this ensemble Identify their role in the new ensemble Examine vocal changes that may have occurred over the break Compile a new warm up and practice routine Class Discussion Section Placement Audition
Unit: Music Literacy 1 Duration: 20 Instructional Days How do I sing music that has stepwise motion, as well as skips within the tonic triad What is dissonance What is consonance What is a D.C. al Fine? What is a slur? How do I distinguish between slurs and ties? What is a canon/round? How do I sing in two part harmony with independent lines? Define Dissonance Define Consonance Identify dissonance/consonance while singing Explain how a D.C. al Fine modifies the roadmap of their music Sing music that contains a D.C. al Fine Define a slur describe the difference between a slur and a tie Sing Music that has slur markings in it Define what a canon/round is Sing music that contains skips in the tonic triad as well as stepwise motion Group and individual singing Worksheets Quizzes Group Performance Individual Performance Video/audio recording Jenson book line 156
Unit: Music Literacy 2 Duration: 20 Instructional Days How do I sing all diatonic thirds What is multimeter How to I count in a multimeter piece How do I sing music that has stepwise motion and skips of a third How do I sing music in two and three part harmony Why are eighth notes sometimes beamed and sometimes not beamed Why are there sometimes two notes on one line of music? How do I read music that has multiple notes per line Define and identify what multimeter is Count and clap the pulse in simple multimeter Explain why eighth notes are sometimes beamed, and sometimes not beamed Sing excerpts with stepwise motion, and multiple skips of a third Sing excerpts with legato and staccato articulations Sing excerpts that include repeats (repeat, 1st and 2nd ending, DC al Fine) Identify which line to read if there are multiple notes per line(voices) Read an excerpt that has two voices printed on one line Worksheets Quizzes Group Performance Individual Performance Video/audio recording jensen book line 185
Unit: Music Literacy 3 Duration: 20 instructional days How do I sing excerpts in simple and compound duple meter, with stepwise motion, skips of a third, ties, and repeats What is a dot, and what does it do What is a D.S. al Fine and what does it do? How do I sing music that has stepwise motion and skips of a third How do I count music that has dotted figures How do I count music that has multimeter with duple meters in 4 and 8 How do I count in compound duple meter Identify dotted notes and rests Accurately modify notes and rests that are dotted count and clap simple dotted rhythms Explain what a D.S. al Fine is and sing excerpts that contain them Count excerpts that have mixed meter with a 4 and 8 base Count and clap simple rhythms in compound duple meter Worksheets Quizzes Group Performance Individual Performance Video/audio recording jensen book line 219
Unit: Music Literacy 4 Duration: 30 Instructional Days How do I identify key signatures How do I read music that has three staves how do I sing music that has stepwise motion How do I read and sing music that is in three parts How do I maintain part independence Identify major key signatures Name all notes using solfege in all major keys Sing in three part harmony Sight read music in three part harmony with quarter note rhythms Daily sight reading Group singing quiz
Unit: Music Literacy 5 Duration: 30 Instructional Days How do I identify key signatures How do I read music that has three staves How do I sing music that has stepwise motion and skips of a third How do I read and sing music that is in three parts How do I maintain part independence Identify major key signatures Name all notes using solfege in all major keys Sing in three part harmony Sight read music in three part harmony with quarter and eighth note rhythms and skips of a third Daily sight reading Group singing quiz
Unit: Concert Music 1 Duration: 3 Instructional days per piece What kind of songs do we sing at this concert In what style are our songs composed What is the concert order What style is our music What is the roadmap for each song What is the historical context of the songs we are performing What do our songs sound like What is the text that we are singing Identify the pieces we are performing in the concert Identify the style of each piece Describe (brainstorm) characteristics of each piece Read the musical symbols and follow the roadmap of each piece Describe and research events of historical significance that may have influenced each piece's composition Imagine how each piece would have been perceived by listeners in its historic context Rewrite the text and story in their own words Class discussion Aural examination Written quiz Text composition Worksheets
Unit: Concert Music 2 Duration: 10 instructional days per piece How do I sing my part How do I sing my part with the other parts What are the vowel shapes we are supposed to use Where are the important parts where we need to focus on tuning What do I need to do to tune within the ensemble Clap and count the rhythms in their part Identify correct vowel shapes for words Create correct vowel shapes for words Sing correct pitches from sheet music Identify specific parts of each song where chords are held out and must be tuned Discriminate in tune vs out of tune pitches while singing Correct for intonation while singing Determine whether they are high or low in pitch with relation to others Determine whether others are high or low in pitch in relation to the group Class discussion Audio recording/playback Peer review Group/individual aural quiz
Unit: Concert Music 3 Duration: 4 Instructional days per piece What are dynamics How should I execute dynamic markings What are my articulation markings What does the text mean - what is the story Where are the places where the historical context and/or text has determined what the music does How do I exploit the special moments in the piece How do I memorize music Identify and explain the meaning of the dynamic markings in their music Apply dynamic markings and articulations while singing Identify musical ideas that may have been influenced by the composer's experiences in history explain what the text means (allusions comparisons) Sing each piece from memory Class discussion Audio recording/playback Peer review Group/individual aural quiz Concert performance
Appendix CCSS Resources Common Core Website: http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/ Common Core App: Essential Questions Essential Questions help structure and plan an academic unit. For information regarding developing Essential Questions, please refer to the file shared with you on Google Drive. Affirmation Verbage (Action Words) Examples of Action Verbs: Discuss, recall, state, measure, identify, collect, create, hypothesize, analyze, identify, define, describe