Middle School Intermediate/Advanced Orchestra=

Musical Element: Performance

&nbs= p; The musical element of performance includes all of the various aspects of producing so= und, from rehearsing, to listening, to polishing and performing. For the purposes of the Curriculum= Web, it will include any facet of making music that is not covered by Theory or History.

Objectives: The students will…

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Rehearsal Skills

Apply rehea= rsal skills learned in Intermediate Orchestra to a more sophisticated music= al setting
Apply large= group rehearsal skills to a student run small group rehearsal:

Demonstrate appropriate set-up
Identify appropriate goals
Identify effective strategies to reach goals
Self-assess whether goals were obtained or if more work is needed

Practice Skills

Demonstrate awareness of individual practice skills (using a quiet room, practicin= g on a regular basis, targeted practice)
Demonstrate= use of relevant warm-up material
Demonstrate problem-solving strategies (e.g. slow practice, isolating difficult sp= ots, varied repetition)

Tone

Demonstrate correct posture and instrument carriage, and explain their relationshi= p to quality tone production
Demonstrate correct hand positions
Demonstrate appropriate bow placement, weight, and speed (“triangle of tone”)
Discuss upg= rading equipment (quality of strings, bow, instrument) to improve overall sou= nd

Balance/Blend

Identify the melody line or moving line in a composition
Identify if= parts are melody or accompaniment
Adjust bala= nce within sections: correctly self-identify if playing louder or softer t= han other members of their instrumental section
Adjust bala= nce between sections: adjust performance dynamic based upon whether studen= t is playing a melodic line or an accompaniment part (play melodies a little stronger than written dynamic and accompaniment parts a little softer = than written dynamic)
Perform cre= scendos and diminuendos while maintaining balance within the ensemble

Intonation

Demonstrate correct left hand finger placement and spacing
Match unison pitches in first position by adjusting hand/finger placement
Match unison pitches in higher positions
Identify and perform “beatless” sound in pa= irs and within sections

Articulation

Perform not= es with proper attacks and releases
Perform mel= odic lines using pizzicato, down bow, up bow, hooked bowing, slurs
Perform mel= odic lines with staccato, legato, accented, and sforzando notes
Learn to pe= rform melodic lines using spiccato
Learn to pe= rform melodic lines using brush stroke
Learn to pe= rform notes using tremolo

Technical Facility

Demonstrate ability to perform the following one octave major scales and arpeggios= :

D, G, C, F= , Bb, A

Learn to pe= rform a one octave Eb Major scale and arpeggio
Demonstrate ability to perform the following one octave minor scales and arpeggios= :

a, e, d

Learn to pe= rform the following one octave minor scales and arpeggios: g, c
Learn to pe= rform a one octave chromatic scale
Demonstrate slides/shifting motions
Demonstrate= basic vibrato motion
Perform dou= ble stops with one open string
Learn to pl= ay in additional positions (3^rd for violin and viola, 4^{th for
cello, 2^nd through 5^th for bass)}
Learn to pe= rform trills
Demonstrate mastery of an appropriate level technique book

Expression

Perform mel= odic lines in six different dynamic levels: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff=
Perform mus= ic with fp (fortepiano) and sfz (sforzando)
Perform mel= odic lines with crescendo and decrescendo/diminuendo
Perform variations of tone color by altering the variables of tone (placement, weight, speed)
Demonstrate= use of tone color to affect the emotional content of a piece of music=
Play music = with bow lifts
Play music = with four and eight measure phrases
Perform mus= ic with ritardando, accelerando, A Tempo=
Demonstrate shaping musical lines with dynamics and tempo
Begin to ma= ke musical decisions about phrasing, dynamics and tempo=

Music reading and Sightreading

Use a syste= m for counting to subdivide and decipher rhythms
Apply readi= ng skills to increasingly sophisticated music with more independent lines=
Perform mus= ic with mixed meters
Use a syste= m to successfully sightread ensemble literature= one grade level easier than what is being performed in class

Repertoire

Synthesize,= apply and exhibit performance skills in a variety of string literature<= /o:p>
Perform representative literature from a variety of cultures and historical periods

Performance Skills

Demonstrate appropriate concert behavior at school concerts
Explain the different expectations for performer and audience etiquette at jazz concerts, rock concerts, formal classical concerts
Demonstrate appropriate times to applaud
Demonstrate= appropriate type of applause

Resources:

Teacher model=

Terms:

phrase – a natural division o= f the melodic line, comparable to a sentence of speech

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dynamics – the loudness and quietness of sound

ensemble – a group of musicians that perform as a unit

fine &= #8211; word that indicates where a song ends

tempo markings – indications of the speed of the song

harmony - The sounding of two or more tones simultaneously; the vertical aspect of music

Unit Assessment:

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T= eacher observation and singing tests are both ongoing assessment tools, since the concepts are taught throughout the year.

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For the Teacher Checklist, click here.

For the Performance Rubric, click here.