Beginning Choral Ensemble - Loudoun County Public Schools · Members of the Beginning Choral Ensemble will ... Lead students in tapping or speaking eight beat rhythmic phrases in

Beginning Choral Ensemble

The Beginning Choral Ensemble is an elective course that is available without audition to

students in grades nine through twelve. Members of the Beginning Choral Ensemble will

build a strong foundation of choral singing technique and will begin to perform choral music

in three or more parts with a difficulty of level two or three.

Category

Minimum Standard

Virginia

Standard of

Learning

Singing, alone and

with others

The beginning choral student will:

Sing with pitch accuracy and appropriate diction, posture, and

tone quality throughout their ranges.

HCB.3

Sing with good breath control throughout their ranges. HCB.3

Sing selections with a difficulty level of two or three from

memory with expression and technical accuracy.

HCB.3

Sing music representing various styles and periods in three or more parts.

HCB.7.1

Respond to basic conducting gestures.

HCB.4.6

Practice appropriate concert etiquette as an involved performer.

HCB.7.6

Practice appropriate concert behavior as an involved listener.

HCB.7.6

Suggested Activities:

Teach intervals and routinely sing scales and patterns.

Practice singing unaccompanied or with minimal accompaniment to

help in developing relative pitch (especially in warm-up activities).

Teach the concept of internalizing the pitch before externalizing.

Utilize rhythm flash cards to the beat of popular and classic instrumental

music.

Have students conduct varied patterns with director to help understand

change in tempo and articulation.

Sing on risers on the stage multiple times during the year in addition to the

time used on stage to prepare for concerts.

Improvisation/

Composition

The advanced choral student will:

Create variations of familiar melodic phrases.

HCB.2.5

Compose rhythmic exercises using traditional notations.

HCB.2.5

Arrange an accompaniment for a given melody. HCB.2


Include opportunities for students to improvise variations on warm-up exercises with which they are familiar.

Encourage students to improvise variations on solo sections within the choral pieces that they are currently rehearsing

Allow students to improvise variations on ostinato patterns in the harmony parts within the choral pieces that they are currently rehearsing.

Lead students in tapping or speaking eight beat rhythmic phrases in a

call-and response style by section. Then have students write their own

eight beat answers using quarter notes and quarter rests. Repeat the call-

and-response exercises with an individual student performing the

answer that he or she has written. Repeat the exercise in subsequent

rehearsals adding more variety of notes and rests to the answers.

Teach students a basic body percussion pattern to accompany a section

in a choral selection that they are currently rehearsing. Encourage the

students to experiment with their own body percussion patterns and

perform a new arrangement of the accompaniment in subsequent

rehearsals.

Fundamentals of

Music Theory


Rhythm Understand and recognize values for whole, half, eighth, sixteenth,

and dotted notes and rests in simple time.

HCB.1.2

Sight-read patterns accurately, with a level of difficulty level of

one, two or three, using syllables or numbers.

HCB.1.5

Respond to clear and basic conducting gestures in simple time.

HCB.4.6

Understand and recognize tied notes and slurs, pick-up notes and

syncopation.

HCB.1

Melody

Recognize melodic contour as well as similar and contrasting phrases.

HCB.2.3

Sight-sing patterns accurately, with a level of difficulty of one,

two or three, using solfeggio syllables or numbers.

HCB.1

Read melodies in both treble and bass clefs.

HCB.1

Harmony Analyze 2 and 3 part selections.

HCB.1, HCB.2

Understand and recognize chord structure, using correct terms.

HCB.2.4

Understand and identify key signatures.

HCB.1.4, HCB.2.2

Distinguish between monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures. HCB.2.4

Form Study AB and ABA forms, variations and through-composed literature.

Follow vocal parts and interpret musical symbols.

HCB.1

Score Reading Identify and define musical terms.

HCB.1, HCB.2

Identify the corresponding symbols for these terms, referring to

dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.

HCB.4, HCB.1


Clap and sing rhythmic examples using the Kodaly method.

Subdivide the beat vocally.

Write in rhythmic counts in selected measures of music. Then

perform each part on counts.

Practice conducting in simple meter with changing tempo and

articulation.

Sight-sing diatonic and arpeggiated exercises.

Aural Analyzing

and Evaluating


Develop and apply criteria for evaluating all aspects of choral

performances using appropriate terminology.

Analyze the various elements of music in the choral selections that are

currently being rehearsed.

Suggested activities:

Write a choral music term of the day on the board for each rehearsal.

Discuss the term briefly and instruct the students to keep a vocabulary

list of the terms and their definitions. Ask the students to indicate

points in that day‘s rehearsal at which the ensemble demonstrates that

term.

Listen to recordings or attend live performances of choral ensembles at

varying levels of proficiency. Develop an assessment tool using correct

musical terminology that is taken from your term of the day list and

have students use the assignment and terms to evaluate these

performances. Then discuss their evaluations.

Apply the same terminology to recordings of the ensemble

itself in rehearsal or performance.

Inter-disciplinary

Understanding


Describe ways in which the subject matter of music, such as history,

expression and text, and acoustics and vocal production, are

interrelated with those of other disciplines that are taught at school.

HCB.7

Explore careers in music.

HCB.7.4

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a musical style and its

corresponding period in history.

HCB.7.1

Compare the roles that music and musicians play in diverse world

cultures.

HCB.7.2

Suggested activities:

Coordinate with the Social Studies Department to listen to, analyzed,

and perform choral music selections from, about, or in the style of,

music that was composed in the historical periods that are being

discussed in the Social Studies classes.

Take a field trip to a local recording studio or radio station and discuss the

music related career opportunities that are available in each setting.

Study and perform music from at least two different historical periods

of music. Discuss the evolution of music, from one period to the next,

including a variety of styles.

Study great composers from different periods and styles of music,

ultimately being able to classify the period, the composer and style

from the work being performed.

Perform multicultural pieces, possible displaying the talents of students

from these cultures.

Research the roles of men and women in music from around the world.

Advanced Choral Ensemble

The Advanced Choral Ensemble is an elective course that is available by audition to students

in grades nine through twelve. Members of the Advanced Choral Ensemble will continue to

develop a high quality of choral singing through the performance of choral music in four or

more parts with a difficulty level of three of four.

Category

Minimum Standard

Virginia

Standard of

Learning

Singing, alone and

with others


Continue to sing with pitch accuracy and appropriate diction,

posture, and tone quality throughout their ranges.

HCI.3

Continue to sing with good breath control throughout their ranges. HCI.3

Sing selections with a difficulty level of three or higher

from memory with expression and technical accuracy.

HCI.3

Sing music representing various styles and periods in four or more parts.

Respond to complex conducting patterns and interpretive gestures.

HCI.4.6

Continue to practice appropriate concert etiquette as an involved

performer.

HCI.7.8

Continue to practice appropriate concert behavior as an involved

listener.

HCI.7.8


Routinely sing scales and patterns other than major/minor (i.e.,

whole-tone, pentatonic, and chromatic).

Practice singing unaccompanied or with minimal accompaniment

to assist in developing relative pitch (especially in warm-up

activities).

On a weekly basis, have students lead warm-ups in class,

emphasizing good listening skills and creativity.

Improvisation/

Composition


Create variations of familiar songs.

HCI.2

Improvise simple harmony lines to familiar melodies. HCI.2

Compose rhythmic exercises and short melodies using traditional notations.

HCI.2

Arrange a harmony part or a countermelody to a given melody.

HCI.2


Use simple, familiar canons (i.e., Dona Nobis Pacem, Frere’

Jacques) as warm-up exercises and encourage individual students

to create variations on the melody. The other students in the

ensemble can then repeat the variation as a canon.

For refreshment breaks during rehearsals, teach students the melodies from familiar- oldies (i.e. Goin’ to the Chapel, The Shoop Shoop Song, A Teenager in Love). Encourage students to improvise harmonies after they have become familiar with the melodies.

Give students a major scale and instruct them to write a simple

ascending or descending phrase to use as a warm-up exercise. In

subsequent rehearsals have students write a second, and then a third,

phrase to lengthen their melody. Photocopy these original melodies

and use them as sight-singing exercises for the ensemble.

Give students a short, familiar melody and instruct them to write a

harmony line using only consonant intervals. Photocopy the melody

and original harmony lines and use them as two-part sight-singing

exercises for the ensemble.

Fundamentals of

Music Theory



and dotted notes and rests in simple and compound time.

HCI.1.2


three or higher using syllables or numbers.

HCI.1.4

Respond to complex conducting patterns in simple and compound time,

and changing meter.

HCI.1.5, HCI.4.6

Continue to recognize and accurately perform tied notes and slurs, pick-

up notes and syncopation in the style that is appropriate to the musical

selection.

HCI.4.2

Melody Recognize melodic contour as well as similar and contrasting phrases.

HCI.2

Sight-sing patterns accurately, with a level of difficulty of a three

or higher using solfeggio syllables or numbers.

HCI.1.4

Sight-sing a four-part score.

HCAD.1.4

Continue to read melodies in both treble and bass clefs. HCI.1.9

Harmony Analyze four or more part selections.

HCI.1

Continue to understand and recognize chord structure, using correct

terms. (Include subdominants, sevenths, and inversions.)

Understand and identify major and minor key signatures. HCI.1.3

Distinguish between monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures.


HCI.2.3


HCI.1


HCI.1



HCI.1




Write in rhythmic counts in selected measures of music. Then perform

each part on counts.

Study the circle of fifths in both major and minor keys.

Sight-sing diatonic and arpeggiated exercises, and exercises with leaps

of fourths, sixths, sevenths and octaves.

Practice following changing meter in simple and compound times in

warm-up exercises.

Direct the class in student written sight-singing exercises, being sure to

note the key signature and time signature.

Aural

Analyzing and

Evaluating


Continue to develop and apply criteria for evaluating all aspects of choral performances using appropriate terminology.

HCI.8

Analyze recorded examples of choral selections that are currently

being rehearsed by describing the various musical elements and

expressive devices that area contained in those selections.

HCI.9


Building on the term of the day list (see ―Beginning Choral Ensemble

Suggested Activities), have the students develop a checklist of the

various elements of music involved in choral singing and the correct

musical terminology, which is used to describe the quality of each

element.

Use the checklists that were written by the students to analyze each

choral selection that the ensemble is currently rehearsing. Have the

students check off the qualitative terms that will be their goals in

performing each selection. Periodically, as the rehearsals progress,

record the ensemble‘s performance. Play back the recording and have

the students evaluate it using the same checklist.

Use the checklist to evaluate recordings of other choral groups that

are performing the same or a similar selection.

Inter-disciplinary

Understanding


Examine characteristics of the various arts within a particular

historical period and form cultural perspectives.

HCI.7

Explore careers in music. HCI.7.5



HCI.7.1


cultures.

HCI.7.3

Compare the musical styles from different historical periods. HCI.7.1


Using a selection that the ensemble is currently reh

Using a selection that the ensemble is currently rehearsing, discuss the

major influences, historical events and constraints, prevailing religious

and philosophical views, and mediums that influenced the arts within

the historical period in which the selection was written. Examine

selected works of art, architecture, and literature from that same period

of history and discuss how the historical factors affected each of the art

forms of the period.

Invite the conductor or principal vocal soloist from a local professional

or University choral ensemble to visit the class and discuss his or her

education, daily preparation, and work-related responsibilities. Take

the class on a field trip to sit in on a rehearsal or performance of that

ensemble.

Study and perform music from at lest three different historical periods.

Discuss the evolution of music, from one period to the next, including

a variety of styles.


ultimately being able to classify the period, the composer and style

from the work being performed.

Perform multicultural pieces, possible displaying the talents of students



Show Choir

The Show Choir is an elective course that is available by vocal and dance auditions to

students in grades nine through twelve. Members of the Show Choir will develop movement

skills and continue to develop advanced choral singing technique through the study and

performance of choral music in jazz, pop, and Broadway styles. The members of the show

Choir will perform choral music in at least four parts with a difficulty level of three or higher.

Category

Minimum Standard

Virginia

Standard of

Learning

Singing, alone and

with others, a

varied repertoire

The show choir student will:

Sing while performing choreographed movements with varying levels

of difficulty.

HCAR.3.10, HCAR.5

Sing with pitch accuracy and appropriate diction, correct posture, good

tone quality and intonation throughout their ranges, while incorporating

choreography into the musical selections.

HCAR.3

Sing with good breath control throughout their ranges, while

performing a variety of choreographed movements.

HCAR.3

Sing selections with a difficulty level of three or higher from memory

with expression and technical accuracy.

HCAR.3.11

Demonstrate and apply the knowledge of correct vocal production and

the understanding of the physique of the voice as an instrument.

HCAR.3

Sing music representing various styles and historical periods in four or

more parts.

HCAR.3.10

Perform with a variety of accompaniments.

HCAR.3.10


performer.

a.

HCAD.6


listener.

HCAR.7.7


Sing choral arrangements in a variety of musical styles, including but

not limited to, popular, rock and roll, jazz, swing, and Latin styles.

Attend choreography workshops offered to teachers and/or students.

As an end of the year project, have students choreograph a simple vocal

arrangement.

Incorporate movement into warm-up activities, emphasizing good

breath control, blend, and balance between parts.

Listen to the original composition of the music being studied. Analyze

which elements of music are the similar and which are different from

the arrangement that the class will perform.

Improvisation/

Composition


Improvise original melodies over chord progressions in jazz, pop, and

Broadway styles.

HCAR.3.10

Improvise more complex harmonies, which are appropriate to the styles

of specific choral selections.

HCAR.6.1

Compose longer melodies using traditional and nontraditional notations.

HCAR.6.1, HCAR.2.2

Arrange a melody using teacher-specified rhythms or notation.


Use four part chord progressions sung on neutral syllables as warm-up

exercises. Encourage students to improvise original melodies over the

progressions, as they become familiar with them. Record these

improvisations and notate some of the outstanding ones. Add lyrics

written by the students to these four part melodies and use them as

warm-ups or encores for performances.

Using a choral selection that the ensemble is currently rehearsing,

discuss the stylistic components of the harmonies that are used by the

composer or arranger. Subsequently, teach the ensemble a melody in

the same style and encourage students to improvise harmony parts that

are similar in style to those that you have already discussed. In

subsequent rehearsals, the ensemble will sing the melody with this new

harmony part while another student improvises a third harmony line.

Show students pieces of music that are written in nontraditional

notations. Include jazz charts and guitar tablature. Analyze each

example with the students. Instruct each student to create a melody

using his or her own nontraditional notation system or one of the

nontraditional notations that you have analyzed in class. Divide

students into groups of two or three and have them explain their new

notation systems to each other. In subsequent rehearsals, have the

students in each group try to sing or play the other students‘ melodies

in this new notation.

D Discuss some of the rhythmic techniques that are used by the composer

or arranger in one of the choral selections that the ensemble is currently

rehearsing (i.e., augmentation, diminution, syncopation). Discuss the

effects that each of these rhythmic techniques suggests for

choreographing movement. Give the students a melody and ask them to

write a new arrangement of it using that same rhythmic technique.

Photocopy the arrangements and use them for sight-singing exercises.

Fundamentals of

Music Theory



and dotted notes and rests in simple and compound time.

HCAR.1.2


three or higher using syllables or numbers.

HCAR.1.4

Recognize and accurately perform tied notes and slurs, pick-up notes

and syncopation in a style appropriate to the musical selection.

HCAR.1.2, HCAR.4.3


HCAR.2

Sight-sing patterns accurately, with a level of difficulty of a three

or higher using solfeggio syllables or numbers.

HCAR.1

Continue to read melodies in both treble and bass clefs. HCAR.1


HCAR.1

Continue to understand and recognize chord structure, using correct terms. HCAR.1

Understand and identify key signatures. HCAR.1.3



HCI.2.3


HCAR.1.1


HCAR.1



HCAR.1.1




Write in rhythmic counts in selected measures of music. Then

perform each part on counts.

Study the circle of fifths in both Major and minor keys.

Sight-sing diatonic and arpeggiated exercises.

Create warm-up exercises that compliment the music being studied.

For example, to introduce syncopated rhythms in a jazz piece, the

teacher may echo-sing offbeat patterns to students.

Build chords vocally from the root of the chord up, and then accurately

transfer the chords performed to paper. This emphasizes listening and

intonation as well as understanding how chords are written.

Aural Analyzing

and Evaluating

Continue to refine criteria for evaluation and offer constructive

suggestions for personal and group performance and composition.

HCAR.8.1

Evaluate specified musical works and explain how the various

elements of music are used in them to evoke human response.

HCAR.8, HCAR.9

Create and perform choreography in conjunction with selected

choral pieces.

HCAR. 5


Using student-constructed checklists (See --Advanced Choral

Ensemble Suggested Activities‖), have the students write a list of

constructive exercises that could be used to address difficulties with

the performance of each of the elements (i.e., to address singing under

the pitch, students might visualize the pitch as a helium balloon

rising). Then have the students use this list of ideas to offer

constructive suggestions as they evaluate group and ensemble

performances.

Listen to recordings of choral ensembles or use the ensemble’s own

current performance or rehearsal as a basis for a discussion of the

emotions that are evoked by a specific musical work. Discuss how

specific elements of music, (i.e., dynamics, tempo, timbre) are used by

the composer to evoke these specific emotions.

Watch excerpts from movies, television shows, or music videos and

discuss why the specific music and choreography might have been

chosen by the director to accompany the dialogue, the lyrics or the

visual images. Have the students discuss the use of various elements

of music to evoke the emotions that the director was hoping to touch in

his or her work.

Inter-disciplinary

Understanding


Investigate and describe in significant detail additional

interrelationships between choral music and other subjects such as

foreign language, computers, and science.

HCAR.7

Explore careers in music. HCAR.7.5



HCAR.7.1


cultures.

HCAR.7.3

Compare the musical styles from different historical periods. HCAR.7.1


Listen to or perform a choral piece with computer-generated

accompaniment or voices. Use keyboards and music software to allow

the students to experiment with computer generated sounds. Record

some of their compositions and use them as preconcert or intermission

music at the ensemble‘s next performance.

Invite a choreographer or musical theatre performer to visit the class

and discuss their daily preparation, education, work schedule, etc.

Include one of these guests in your next concert or arrange to have the

ensemble perform with them in their next performance.

Visit a local hospital, rehabilitation center, or nursing home and

observe a music therapist at work. Invite the therapist to visit the class

and teach the students some Basic music therapy techniques. Include a

discussion of the therapist‘s education, work schedule, etc.

Take a field trip to a local music store or music publishing house.

Discuss the many business- related careers that are involved in music

publishing and sales. In a later rehearsal, discuss each career that is

involved in the creation, production, and sale of a selection that the

Show Choir is currently rehearsing.

Study and perform music from at least three different historical

periods. Discuss the evolution of music, from one period to the next,

including a variety of styles.


ultimately being able to classify the period, the composer and the style

of the work being performed.

Perform multicultural pieces, possibly displaying the talents of

students from these cultures.

Research the roles of men and women in music from around the

world.

Small Vocal Ensemble

The Small Vocal Ensemble is an elective that is only available by audition to students that are

grades nine through twelve. Members of the Small Vocal Ensemble will develop advance

choral singing technique through the performance of choral music in four or more parts within

a small ensemble setting. This ensemble will perform choral selections with a difficulty level

of four or higher.

Category

Minimum Standard

Virginia

Standard of

Learning

Singing, alone and

with others, a varied

repertoire

Sing with pitch accuracy and appropriate diction, correct posture, good

tone quality and intonation throughout their ranges.

HCAD.3

Sing with good breath control throughout their ranges.

HCAD.3

Sing selections with a difficulty level of three or higher from memory

with expression and technical accuracy.

HCAD.3

Demonstrate and apply the knowledge of correct vocal production and

the understanding of the physique of the voice as an instrument.

HCAD.3

Respond to more complex conducting patterns and interpretive gestures.

HCAD.1.6, HCAD.4.5


performer in an ensemble.

a.

HCAD.6


listener.

HCAD.7.8


Sing a wide range of music from the Renaissance to the Contemporary

Periods, developing the appropriate styles.

Sing unaccompanied often, developing better listening skills in a smaller

group.

Routinely sing scales and patterns other than major/minor, (i.e., whole-

tone, pentatonic, and chromatic).

Redefine pitch and unify vowel sounds on a continual basis.

Improvisation/

Composition

The small vocal ensemble student will:

Improvise rhythmic and melodic variations in pentatonic, major and

minor tonalities.

Improvise more complex harmonies, which are appropriate to the styles

of specific choral selections.

Compose longer melodies using traditional and nontraditional notations.

Arrange a melody using teacher-specified rhythms or notation.


Teach the ensemble to perform pentatonic, major and minor scale

warm-up exercises and encourage individual students to sing back a

rhythmic or melodic variation of each exercise in a call-and-response

pattern.

Using a choral selection that the ensemble is currently rehearsing,

discuss the stylistic components of the harmonies that are used by the

composer or arranger. Subsequently, teach the ensemble a melody in the

same style and encourage students to improvise harmony parts that are

similar in style to those that you have already discussed. In subsequent

rehearsals, the ensemble will sing the melody with this New Harmony

part while another student improvises a third harmony line.

Show students pieces of music that are written in nontraditional

notations. Include jazz charts and guitar tablature. Analyze each

example with the students. Instruct each student to create a melody

using his or her own nontraditional notation system or one of the

nontraditional notations that you have analyzed in class. Divide students

into groups of two or three and have them explain their new notation

systems to each other. In subsequent rehearsals, have the students in

each group try to sing or play the other students‘melodies in this new

notation.

D Discuss some of the rhythmic techniques that are used by the composer

or arranger in one of the choral selections that the ensemble is currently

rehearsing (i.e., augmentation, diminution, syncopation). Discuss the

effects that each of these rhythmic techniques suggests for

choreographing movement. Give the students a melody and ask them to

write a new arrangement of it using that same rhythmic technique.

Photocopy the arrangements and use them for sight-singing exercises.

Fundamentals of

Music Theory


Rhythm Understand and recognize values for whole, half, eighth, sixteenth, and

dotted notes and rests in simple and compound time.

HCAD.1.3

Sight-read patterns accurately, with a level of difficulty level of four or

higher using syllables or numbers.

HCAD.1.4

Recognize and accurately perform tied notes and slurs, pick-up notes

and syncopation in a style appropriate to the musical selection.

HCAD.4.2

Respond to complex, conducting patterns in simple and compound time,

and changing meter.

HCAD.4.5


HCAD.1

Sight-sing patterns accurately, with a level of difficulty of a four or

higher using solfeggio syllables or numbers.

HCAD.1

Sight-sing a four part score. HCAD.1

Continue to read melodies in both treble and bass clefs. HCAD.1


HCAD.2

Continue to understand and recognize chord structure, using correct terms. HCAD.2

Understand and identify key signatures, major and minor. HCAD.1.3



HCAD.2.4


HCAD.1


HCAD.1



HCAD.4.3



Write in numbers (corresponding to place in the scale) in selected

measures in each part. Have each voice part sing alone. Then have all

perform together on their own parts keeping a balance and blend within

parts.

Study the circle of fifths in both Major and minor keys.

Sight-sing diatonic and arpeggiated exercises, and exercises with leaps

of fourths, sixths, sevenths and octaves.

Practice following changing meter in simple and compound times in

warm-up exercises. If done vocally, use a common vowel or consonant.

Aural

Analyzing and

Evaluating


Continue to refine criteria for evaluation and offer constructive

suggestions for personal and group performance and composition.

Evaluate specified musical works and explain how the various elements

of music are used in them to evoke human response.


Using student-constructed checklists (See --Advanced Choral Ensemble

Suggested Activities‖), have the students write a list of constructive

exercises that could be used to address difficulties with the performance

of each of the elements (i.e., to address singing under the pitch, students

might visualize the pitch as a helium balloon rising). Then have the

students use this list of ideas to offer constructive suggestions as they

evaluate group and ensemble performances.

Listen to recordings of choral ensembles or use the ensemble’s own

current performance or rehearsal as a basis for a discussion of the

emotions that are evoked by a specific musical work. Discuss how

specific elements of music, (i.e., dynamics, tempo, timbre) are used by

the composer to evoke these specific emotions.

Watch excerpts from movies, television shows, or music videos and

discuss why the specific music and choreography might have been

chosen by the director to accompany the dialogue, the lyrics or the

visual images. Have the students discuss the use of various elements of

music to evoke the emotions that the director was hoping to touch in his

or her work.

Inter-disciplinary

Understanding


Investigate and describe in significant detail additional interrelationships

between choral music and other subjects such as foreign language,

computers, and science.

Explore careers in music.




cultures.

Compare the musical styles from different historical periods.


Listen to or perform examples of choral music selections in foreign

languages. Discuss the influence that the country of origin of the

selection had on the history of music. Watch a movie describing the

biography and works of a composer or vocalist who was from that

country or region.

Discuss difficulties in tone production that are associated with the

foreign language in which a specific choral selection is being

performed. Invite a foreign language teacher to write a translation of

the selection or to visit the class and demonstrate correct

pronunciations.

Listen to or perform a choral piece with computer-generated

accompaniment or voices. Use keyboards and music software to allow

the students to experiment with computer generated sounds. Records

some of their compositions and use them as pre-concert or intermission

music at the ensemble‘s next performance.

Invite performing vocalists representing a variety of musical styles to

visit the class and discuss their daily preparation, education, work

schedule, etc. Include one of these vocalists in your next concert or

arrange to have the ensemble perform with the vocalist in his or her next

performance.

Visit a local hospital, rehabilitation center, or nursing home and observe

a music therapist at work. Invite the therapist to visit the class and teach

the students some basic music therapy techniques. Include a discussion

of the therapist‘s education, work schedule, etc.

Take a field trip to a local music store or music publishing house.

Discuss the many business- related careers that are involved in music

publishing and sales. In a later rehearsal, discuss each career that is

involved in the creation, production, and sale of a selection that the

ensemble is currently rehearsing.

Study and perform music from at least three different historical periods.

Discuss the evolution of music, from one period to the next, including a

variety of styles.

•


ultimately being able to classify the period, the composer and the style

of the work being performed.

•

Perform multicultural pieces, possibly displaying the talents of students



APPENDIX ONE - GLOSSARY Antiphonal- one group echoing or answering another

Arrangement- a composition that is different from what was originally written

Ascending- pitch progressing from lower to higher tones

Atonality- music in which there is no sense of a tonal center

Augmentation- doubling the note value of all given notes

Body percussion- rhythms produced by striking part of the body

Cadenza- an elaborate solo passage of improvisatory style played or sung by a soloist;

frequently played near the end of a composition

Call and response- a follow the leader process in which a melody begins in one part and then is

answered by a melody in other parts

Canon- a polyphonic composition consisting of one or more voices imitating what has already

been sounded on one voice and starting at later points in time

Choreography- movement specifically created to coordinate to specific music

Chromatic scale- 12-tone scale that moves by half steps

Consonant intervals- the intervals of a unison, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and octave

Countermelody-a melody which moves in opposition by consonance to another melody to

enhance or ornament the original melody

Descending- pitch progressing from higher to lower tones

Diatonic Diminution step-wise movement in singing- cutting the note values of all given notes

in half

Dynamics- loudness or softness of sound

Fluidity- the degree of smoothness in movement

Major scale- an arrangement of eight tones in a scale according to the following steps: whole

step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step

Meter- the way the beats in music are grouped

Minor scale- a scale based on a pattern distinguished by the minor 3rd, minor 6th, and minor 7th

intervals

Nontraditional- notation any system of musical notation other than the traditional system

Ostinato- any pattern, rhythm, chord change or melody that is repeated several times to form an

accompaniment

Pentatonic scale- any scale that contains only five pitches

Phrasing- the way a section of music is performed to become a musical thought, not just a

succession of pitches

Sequence- the repetition of a melody pattern at a higher or lower pitch level

Sight-singing- singing any piece of music which the vocalist has not seen or previously

rehearsed

Solfeggio- the system of syllables used to help pitch memory: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do

Strophic- a form in which all of the verses of the text are sung to the same music

Syncopation- an alteration from the normal eat, placing the stress on the weaker beats

Tempo- the speed of the beat

Tessitura- the general location of the majority of pitches in a song for each vocal part

Timbre- the aspect of sound that defines its quality or color

Traditional notation- the Western system of musical notation involving the use of a five line

staff

Variation- a changed version of a melody that varies one or more of the original musical

elements

Whole tone scale- a consecutive succession of six tones, each a whole step apart

APPENDIX TWO - CHORAL EVENTS

As a high school choral director, the following performance list is the annual minimum

requirement in Loudoun County Public Schools.

• Two (2) Concerts per performing ensemble (Winter and Spring)

• All-County Chorus (Participants auditioned by choral director)

• All-District Chorus (Participants auditioned by neutral judges)

• All-Virginia Chorus (Based upon the Students’ audition at All-District Chorus)

• District Choral Assessment

• Virginia Honors Choir (Based upon the students‘ audition)

The following events are listed as optional, and participation may vary from school to school.

• Talent or Variety Show

• Musical

Teachers may be required, at the discretion of the principal, to perform for feeder schools and/or

other school functions and celebrations, such as Music In Our Schools Month and American

Education Week.

Set all performance dates early, making certain that they are on the official school calendar.

For all events outside the school, be sure to make proper transportation arrangements through

the county.

APPENDIX THREE - DAILY REHEARSAL/CLASS OUTLINE

Objectives:

Define clear objectives for each rehearsal. For example, state the following as you

create your lesson plans, ―The Students will . . .― Each goal does not have to be performance

based. You may have a combination of concept and performance based goals to work on in

one rehearsal. Objectives should be challenging, yet realistically set for the amount of time

allotted in the period.

Procedure:

Class should always begin by taking roll, in accordance with school policy. After all

preliminaries have been taken care of you may proceed to warm-ups.

Warm-ups should consist of a variety of activities, including both vocal and physical

exercises. Pacing warm-ups should be consistent on a daily basis, but the content should vary

in order to help meet the rehearsal objectives for that day. Students should not be so

accustomed to a routine that the warm-ups become mundane, and not as effective as when

you first introduced them. Encourage individual student participation and/or leadership during

this warm-up time.

Rehearsing music will usually take up the majority of the class period. However, it is

suggested that the class period be divided up into rehearsal time and break time. Especially

for those teaching and learning under block scheduling, it is imperative to give the students a

water break, allowing the class to mentally regroup for the next activity. Theory work and

sight singing are two important elements of the choral curriculum, which may be used

effectively in the class period between rehearsal segments. Ending the rehearsal segment of

your rehearsal by singing a piece in its entirety is an important factor for the students to feel

accomplishment and closure of the class period.

Review:

Review can incorporate performance or question-answer based activity. Regardless of

the method, a review session may be imperative in some cases to help students retain the

information learned during class. Again, in block scheduling, a review session can be

extremely helpful since you will not see the class for two days.

APPENDIX FOUR - RESOURCES

Books and Periodicals

• Michelson, Stephen K., Getting Started with High School Choir. NAfME, 1994

• Robinson, Russell L., ed. Getting Started with Jazz/Show Choir. NAfME, 1994 • Music Educators Journal. NAfME, monthly publication.

• Teaching Music. NAfME, monthly publication. • Vocalese. Diamond Rock Productions, monthly publication.

Films. (available on video tape)

• Amadeus (1984) — rated PG — the life of Mozart

• Impromptu (1991) —rated PG13 — the life of Chopin

• Funny Lady (1975) — rated PG — the life of Fanny Brice

• LaBamba (1987) — rated PG13 — the life of Ritchie Valens

• Lady Sings the Blues (1972) — rated R — the life of Billie Holliday

• Selena (1997) — rated PG — the life of Selena Aquillano

• A Great Day in Harlem (1994) — documentary — various jazz artists

Web sites:

Music Therapy Websites • American Music Therapy Association www.musictherapy.org

• National coalition of Arts Therapies Associations (NCATA)

www.ncata.com/home.html

Music Career Websites • National Association for Music Education http://www.nafme.org/

http://www.musictherapy.org/

http://www.ncata.com/home.html

Documents

Beginning Choral Ensemble - Loudoun County Public Schools · Members of the Beginning Choral Ensemble will ... Lead students in tapping or speaking eight beat rhythmic phrases in