La Cumbre Jr HS Music Department

Music

Advanced Band/Jazz Band/Intermediate Band
    These bands perform intermediate to advanced selections chosen from a wide range of musical
    styles. Participation in concerts and parades. Participation includes out of class practice and
    performance time.

Orchestra
    Open to all string players beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Out of class public performance
    time is require. Regular practice at home is required. The class is open to all students who wish to
    play standard string instruments.

Concert Choir
    Open to seventh, and eighth graders. The choir prepares students for performances. Activities of
    the choir include a performance in the Winter Program, Spring Sing, and possibly a Southern
    California Choral Festival. This group will also participate in any musical theater presentations
    during the year.

Outcomes:
    Reading and Notation: students will play instruments, alone and with others, to perform a varied
       repertoire of music.
    Playing Instruments: students will play instruments, alone and with others, to perform a varied
       repertoire of music.
    Improvisation and Composition: students will improvise, compose, and arrange music.

    Critical Response: students will describe and analyze their own music and music of others using
    appropriate vocabulary and interpret the meaning of works citing structural elements and expressive
    qualities to justify their interpretations.

Benchmarks: Students will be able to define the elements of music:

Music - is organized sound and silence
Rhythm - the organization of beats
Tempo - the speed of the music
Melody - a series of single notes making up a musical idea - the 'tune'
Chord - 3 or more notes played at the same time
Harmony - chords that enhance the melody

Study rhythm patterns, note values, rest values, and conducting patterns.

Practice scenes from musical theater.
Learn how to critique and analyze different styles of music.
Study the instruments of the orchestra.

GRADE 7
Outcome:
    Students will be able to read and write music.
Benchmarks:
    Students will recognize different note values.
    Students will identify, define and use standard notation symbols.
    Students will be able to identify and recognize the notes in the Treble and Bass clefs.
    Students will be able to compose a percussion score.
    Students will be able to understand the basic tools of musical composition.
    Students will compose an original ABA musical piece.
    Students will analyze the uses of music elements in listening examples.
    Students will demonstrate their musical knowledge by using appropriate terminology.
    Students will demonstrate their musical knowledge by using keyboard, percussion or computer
       instruments.
Assessment Criteria:
    Students will be assessed on their ability to improvise and compose an ABA original song.
    Students will be assessed on their ability to identify and notate standard music symbols.
    Students will be assessed on their ability to compose and perform short pieces for wind and on
       percussion instruments within teacher-specified guidelines.

GRADE 8
Outcome:
    Students will be able to explore highlighted contributions of music throughout the ages. The music
       curriculum for 8th graders will parallel in part the social studies curriculum.
Benchmarks:
    Students will recognize different styles from teacher-specified listening examples: Blues, Baroque,
       Jazz, Opera, Classical, World Music and Popular music.
    Students will understand the differences between Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical,
       Romantic, Blues, Jazz, and Impressionistic music from teacher-specified listening examples.
    Students will compose an original ABA piece
    Students will study folk music: Klezmer, Celtic, Asian, Russian, African and Latino music.
    Students will demonstrate their knowledge by using appropriate terminology.
    Students will demonstrate their knowledge by using wind and percussion instruments.
    Students will analyze the uses of music elements in listening examples.
Assessment Criteria:
    Students will be assessed on their ability to write an original ABA piece.
    Students will be assessed on their ability to continue to use the music notation system from the 7th
       and 8th grade music notation reading standard outcomes.
    Students will be assessed on their ability to evaluate listening assignments, develop lyric writing
       skills and play simple melody assignments.
    Students will be assessed on their ability to present a team project as a small ensemble.