Music Standards
Note: Throughout the music section of this document the * indicates levels of music difficulty, which range from Level I to Level VI. Level I is defined as beginning and Level VI as the highest degree of difficulty. This level classification is universally used so that music educators, students and others can distinguish how difficult any given music composition may be to execute. This classification system applies only to the difficulty of the music and does not apply to the grade level or performance level of the student.
Title: Honors Band
Overview: The intent of the advanced band program is to refine perceptions gained through musical interpretations. Honors Music A-Band will build on the competencies outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and Teacher Handbook. It is intended to provide an engaging means of personal, musical, social and emotional expression. Through analysis and the study of history, appropriate musical vocabulary and symbols, advanced band courses will also provide students with an appreciation of and an understanding of music in relation to styles of music, music periods, composers, and various cultures. There is scope and sequence in all levels of performance, conducting, listening, appreciation, history, analyzing, research culminating in written reports, composing, and use of current technology.
Prerequisite for honors Music A-Band is completion of 5013 band or teacher recommendation.
Standards:
1. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
The Student will:
Perform music in concert, competitions, and festivals at an IV-V* Level of difficulty.
Perform all major and all forms of minor (pure, melodic, harmonic) scales and arpeggios.
Perform modal, and chromatic scales for two octaves (wind instruments and mallet percussion instruments). Indefinite pitch percussion students will demonstrate proficiency of 13 essential
Rudiments.
Perform complex rhythmic patterns found in the music literature studied at the IV-V* level including advanced syncopated rhythms.
Demonstrate control of dynamic levels while maintaining appropriate tone control as required by the style of music.
Perform level IV-V* music as a member of a chamber ensemble(s) as well as large ensembles(s) and as a soloist.
Demonstrate appropriate advanced instrumental techniques as required by ensemble music and technical studies at an IV-V* level.
Exhibit increased awareness of instrument care and maintenance.
2. Improvising melodies, variations and accompaniment.
The Student will:
Improvise original melodies in a variety of styles, over given chord progressions, each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality.
3. Reading and notating music.
The student will:
Sight-read with 80% accuracy music at an IV-V* level of difficulty.
Interpret nonstandard notation symbols used by some twentieth-century composers.
Demonstrate the ability to read a full instrumental score by describing how the elements of music are used and explaining all transpositions and clefs.
4. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
The student will:
Demonstrate the ability formally to analyze chord structures and progressions.
Demonstrate refinement of intonation and advanced discrimination of pitch.
Exhibit an awareness of blend and balance within the ensemble.
Demonstrate and advanced understanding of intervallic ear training.
Demonstrate an advanced mature tone quality.
Title: Honors Music B-Band
Overview: the purpose of the advanced band program is to integrate a broad variety of musical perceptions though interpretation and performance of instrumental literature at the highest levels of difficulty. The instrument then becomes an extension of the student as a means of personal, musical, social and emotional expression. Through analysis and the study of history, appropriate musical vocabulary and symbols, advanced band courses also provide students with an appreciation of and an understanding of music in relation to styles of music, music periods, composers and various cultures. There is scope and sequence in all levels of band courses, students will exhibit an understanding of and highly advanced proficiencies in performance, conducting, listening, appreciation, history, analyzing, research culminating in written reports, composing, arranging, and use of current technology.
Prerequisite of honors music b-band is the completion of Honors Music a-band or teacher recommendation.
Standards:
The student will:
perform level V-VI music in concert, competitions, and festivals.
Perform all major and all forms of minor (pure, melodic, harmonic) scales and arpeggios.
Perform modal, and chromatic scales for two octaves (wind instruments and mallet percussion instruments). Indefinite pitch percussion students will demonstrate proficiency of 26 essential rudiments.
Perform whole tone and pentatonic scales.
Perform complex rhythmic patterns found in the music literature studied at the V-VI* level including advanced syncopated and complex rhythms.
Demonstrate control of dynamic levels while maintaining appropriate tone control as required by the style of music.
Perform level V-VI* music as a member of a chamber ensemble(s) as well as large ensemble(s) and as a soloist.
Demonstrate appropriate advanced instrumental techniques as required by ensemble music, the study of solo literature, and the study and preparation of etudes at a V-VI* level.
Demonstrate an advanced mature tone quality.
The student will:
Improvise original melodies in a variety of styles, over given chord progressions, each in a consistent style, meter and tonality.
The student will:
Read a sight music at a V-VI* level with 80% accuracy.
Interpret nonstandard notation symbols used by some twentieth-century composers.
The student will:
Exhibit increased awareness of the physics of the instrument as well as care and maintenance.
Demonstrate the ability formally to analyze form, i.e., fugue sonata, and symphonic, etc., chord structures and progressions, and 12-tone row and atonal music of the 20th century.
Conduct from a full musical score after preparation and analysis of the musical elements including all transpositions and clefs.
Exhibit refinement of intonation and advanced discrimination of pitch.
Exhibit awareness of blend and balance within the ensemble.
Demonstrate advanced understanding of intrevallic ear training.
The student will:
Evaluate his/her own music performance and those of others.
Evaluate a given music work in terms of its aesthetic qualities and explain the means it uses to evoke feelings and emotions.
