Concert Orchestra
Concert Orchestra is a non-auditioned course. In this course students will solidify musical concepts such as key signatures, notes outside of the first position, and tone quality. Concert Orchestra will prepare students for Symphonic Orchestra. Students enrolled in Symphonic Orchestra may enroll in Concert Orchestra to learn a secondary instrument and or fulfill a leadership role within the orchestra. Students will be expected to provide their own instrument.
Semester 1
Unit 1: Fall Performance
- Students will be reviewing rhythms and notes from previous classes to solidify all foundational skills.
- Students will refine anatomical needs of playing string instruments.
- Students will refine listening and evaluation skills.
- Students will review care and maintenance of their instruments.
- Students will refine tuning with pegs, fine tuners, and electronic tuners.
- Students will understand ensemble and orchestra expectations and necessary materials.
Unit 2: Winter Performance
- Students will be able to perform a variety of rhythms alone and together for their class at an age appropriate level.
- Students will be able to create their own rhythms and perform them for their class at an age appropriate level.
- Students will be able to perform their concert music alone and with others.
- Students will be able to identify, articulate, and discuss a variety of the elements of music at an age appropriate level.
- Students will understand the expectations and purpose of performance at an age appropriate level.
Semester 2
Unit 3: Adjudicated Performance
- Students can analyze repertoire for technical considerations and can select repertoire based on personal choice at an age appropriate level.
- Students will value and connect with the history, context and meaning of a piece of music at an age appropriate level.
- Students will refine and demonstrate collaboration, empathy, teamwork, responsibility and advocacy.
- Students will solidify their rhythms and note reading at an age appropriate level.
- Students will be able to perform their concert music alone and with others.
Unit 4: Spring Performance
- Students will understand musical considerations within the “pop” genre.
- Students will prepare for expanding all skills in future classes.
- Students will be able to reflect on skills attained and overall progress.
- Students will be able to perform their concert music alone and with others.
Essential Questions for Each Semester
- How do musicians make creative decisions?
- How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?
- When is creative work ready to share?
- How do performers select repertoire?
- How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?
- How do performers interpret musical works?
- How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
- How do context and the manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?