Music Standards

Acknowledgments - Development of Standards
Statements of Philosophy, Definitions, Purpose, and Other Defining Characteristics

Music Standards

Acknowledgments

Madison Metropolitan School District Music Standards Committee:

Grades K-5 General Music:

• Julie Cowing -- Sandburg Elementary
• Lona George -- Thoreau Elementary
• Maggie Steele -- Van Hise Elementary

Grades 4-12 Instrumental Music:

• Scott Eckel -- East High School
• Vicki Swedish -- Van Hise / Hamilton Middle School

Grades 6-12 Choral and General Music:

• Mary Lee -- Toki Middle
• Lisa Kjentvet -- Jefferson Middle School
• Ron Rockow -- Huegel / Memorial High School

Committee Facilitator:

• Mariel Wozniak -- Coordinator of Fine Arts

The Music Standards Committee referred to the National Standards for Arts Education (MENC, 1994) as a model from which to create the district's standards. The committee refined the expectations for the primary and intermediate levels and clarified those for the middle, high school, and advanced levels for this district. It extends its gratitude to the music educators across the nation who contributed to the national standards as well as the district's music faculty who reviewed Madison's standards and offered their suggestions. The document standardizes the expanding practice of music teachers as they respond to learners' abilities and their needs into the 21st century.

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Intent of Music Education

Music is one of the essential parts of human existence. It is the translation of ideas, feelings, and experiences into audible expression. Through the simple elements of rhythm, form, melody, timbre, harmony, texture, and expression, people from the earliest recorded history have created music. When people perform music composed by another, they interpret the composer's work in a personal way using those elements. One of the most revealing ways that people share their culture is through the arts. They radiate the lifestyle of the people who created them. Music is as varied as the cultures which create it. The different types of music define what this country is as a nation.

Music gives balance to human existence and helps it survive. Charles Fowler, a nationally renowned music educator, said that music in all its vast variety speaks to the heart of humankind. It is one of the ways we represent and communicate our humanity. It is a means to convey emotional reactions to the people and the life around us. Music permits people to express who they are and what they feel about the world they live in. With it, people's identity is established in a particular place at a particular time. "Music puts us in touch with our own humanness and with the humanness of other people. By probing the mysteries of our existence -- our uncertainties, our hunger, our excitements, our dreams -- music provides a portrait of the inner being. That is why it is such an important means of communication within and among all human societies. Through music we can find our roots as global human being members of the human race. The real wonder of it all is that these rewards can be ours for a lifetime." (Fowler, 1994, p. 537.)

Fowler pointed out further that in a world of cold technology, facts, and information, music brings people back to their basic humanness. It is one of the fundamental ways people have invented to search for life's meaning and to express their human essence in this world. It is a means of caring for and preserving the life of our spirit.

"Goals 2000: Educate America Act" established the arts as core subjects among the disciplines in which every American should demonstrate competence. Music is studied for itself, as well as for the important role it plays in developing the abstract thinking skills necessary in reading and in mathematics. The music curriculum and past practices of instruction have been expanded from singing, performance on musical instruments, and listening to greater understandings and applications. Additionally, the study of music assists consumers in making wise choices as they respond to the marketing of one of the nation's largest businesses, the entertainment industry.

Music instruction includes three areas of study: general music, choral music, and instrumental music. Because the cognitive, psychomotor, and psychoneuro development of each child is facilitated through music, daily experiences of it are highly encouraged. It is especially encouraged on the preschool level. Wisconsin Statutes PI 8.01(2)(j)(k)(l) require that regular general music classes, which follow a comprehensive curriculum, be taught by a music specialist from kindergarten through eighth grade in the elementary, and through the sixth grade in middle schools. Thereafter, general music must be offered as an elective through high school. The offering of choral music and instrumental music are also required of each school district through grade twelve. In the Madison Metropolitan School District, instruction on the stringed instruments begins in fourth grade and instruction on the woodwinds, brass and percussion begins in sixth grade.

Learners' expectations have been extended from performing, i.e., singing and playing by rote and note, listening and describing, to understanding, composing and improvising, understanding music in history and world cultures, and relating it to all arts and disciplines.

These music standards provide unified expectations for students and inform the community of what a musically literate person knows and is able to do at each level of their development.

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Music Standards

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Sings accurately and with good breath control throughout their singing ranges, alone and in small and large ensembles.
2. Sings with expression and technical accuracy a large and varied repertoire of vocal literature with a level of difficulty of 5, on a scale of 1 to 6.
3. Sings music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4. Sings in small ensembles with one student on a part.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Sings accurately and with good breath control throughout their singing ranges, alone and in small and large ensembles.
2. Sings with expression and technical accuracy a repertoire of vocal literature with a level of difficulty of 4-5, on a scale of 1 to 6, including some songs performed from memory.
3. Sings music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4. Sings music written in four parts, with and without accompaniment.
5. Demonstrates well developed ensemble skills.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Sings accurately and with good breath control throughout one's singing ranges, alone and in small and large ensembles.
2. Sings with expression and technical accuracy a repertoire of vocal literature with a level of difficulty of 2-3, on a scale of 1 to 6, including some songs performed from memory.
3. Sings music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4. Sings music written in two and three parts.
5. Sings in groups, blending vocal timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responds to the cues of a conductor.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Sings accurately with good breath control, diction, posture, and tone quality.
2. Vocally matches or adjusts to a given pitch. (Instrumental Music)
3. Sings expressively, with technical accuracy, appropriate dynamics, phrasing, and interpretation using a variety of literature of level 1 and 2, including some songs from memory.
4. Sings a varied repertoire of songs with expression appropriate to the genre.
5. Sings ostinatos, partner songs, rounds, and music in two parts.
6. Sings in groups, blending vocal timbres and responds to the cues of the conductor.
7. Sings with expression and technical accuracy a varied repertoire of vocal literature with a level of including some songs performed from memory. (Choral Ensemble).

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Sings independently on pitch within an appropriate range while maintaining good posture, good tone quality and a steady tempo.
2. Sings expressively with appropriate dynamics and phrasing.
3. Sings a varied repertoire of songs representing genres and styles from diverse cultures.
4. Sings simple ostinatos and partner songs.
5. Sings in groups blending vocal timbres and responding to the cues of the conductor.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Plays with appropriate dynamics and timbres.
2. Performs with expression and technical accuracy, a varied repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 5. (Instrumental Ensemble Classes)
3. Performs music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4. Plays by ear simple melodies on a melodic instrument and simple accompaniments on a harmonic instrument.
5. Performs an appropriate part in an ensemble, demonstrating well-developed ensemble skills.
6. Performs in small ensembles with one student on a part.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Plays with appropriate dynamics and timbres.
2. Performs with expression and technical accuracy, a varied repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 4-5. (Instrumental Ensemble Classes)
3. Performs music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4. Plays by ear simple melodies on a melodic instrument and simple accompaniments on a harmonic instrument.
5. Performs an appropriate part in an ensemble, demonstrating well developed ensemble skills.
6. Performs in small ensembles with one student on a part.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Plays with appropriate dynamics and timbres.
2. Plays with expression and technical accuracy a large and varied repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 2-3. (Instrumental Ensemble/Classes)
3. Performs music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4. Plays by ear simple melodies on a melodic instrument and simple accompaniments on a harmonic instrument.
5. Performs in groups, blending instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding to the cues of a conductor.
6. Performs in small ensembles with one student on a part.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Plays with appropriate dynamics and tempo maintaining a balance between instruments.
2. Performs on at least one instrument accurately and independently, alone and in small and large ensembles, with good posture, good playing position, and good breath, bow, or stick control. (Instrumental Ensemble/Classes)
3. Plays rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns with accuracy and independence on classroom instruments.
4. Plays with expression and technical accuracy on at least one string, wind or percussion instrument, a repertoire of appropriate instrumental literature with a difficulty level of 1-2.(Instrumental Ensemble/ Class)
5. Plays expressively a varied repertoire of music representing diverse genres and styles.
6. Plays rhythmic and melodic ostinato patterns by ear on classroom instruments.
7. Plays in groups, blending instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding to the cues of a conductor.
8. Plays independently instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts.
9. Plays with expression and technical accuracy a varied repertoire of appropriate instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 3, including some solos performed from memory. (Instrumental Ensemble/ Classes)

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Plays on pitch, in rhythm and maintains a steady tempo.
2. Plays expressively easy rhythmic and melodic patterns on classroom instruments.
3. Plays expressively a varied repertoire of music representing diverse genres and styles.
4. Echos short rhythmic and melodic patterns.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Improvises stylistically appropriate harmonizing parts in a variety of styles.
2. Improvises simple rhythmic variation and simple melodic embellishments of familiar melodies.
3. Improvises original melodies, in a variety of styles, over given chord progressions, each in a consistent style, meter and tonality.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Improvises stylistically appropriate harmonizing parts.
2. Improvises simple rhythmic variation and simple melodic embellishments on familiar melodies.
3. Sings with expression and technical accuracy, a varied repertoire of vocal literature with a level of difficulty of 4-5, including some songs performed from memory.
4. Improvises original melodies over given chord progressions, each in a consistent style, meter and tonality.

Required of all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Improvises simple harmonic accompaniments.
2. Improvises stylistic harmonic accompaniments. (Instrumental Music)
3. Improvises melodic embellishments and simple rhythmic and melodic variations and on melodies in major and/or minor keys.
4. Improvises short melodies, each in a consistent style meter and tonality.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Improvises simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments.
2. Improvises simple rhythmic variations and simple melodic embellishments on familiar melodies.
3. Improvises melodic embellishments and simple rhythmic and melodic variations and on melodies in major and/or minor modes.
4. Improvises short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources.

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Improvises "Answers" in the same style to given rhythmic melodic patterns.
2. Improvises simple rhythmic and melodic variations on given pentatonic melodies.
3. Improvises short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Composes music demonstrating imagination and technical skill in applying the principles of composition.
2. Arranges pieces for voices or instruments other than those for which the pieces were written in ways that preserve or enhance the expressive effect of the music.
3. Composes and arranges music for voices and various acoustic and electronic instruments demonstrating knowledge of the ranges and traditional usages of the sound source.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Composes music in several distinct styles, demonstrating creativity in using the elements of music for expressive effect.
2. Arranges pieces for voices or instruments other than those for which the pieces were written in ways that preserve or enhance the expressive effect of the music.
3. Composes and arranges music for voices and various acoustic and electronic instruments demonstrating knowledge of the ranges and traditional usages of the sound source.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Composes short pieces within specified guidelines demonstrating how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance.
2. Arranges simple pieces for voices or instruments other than those for which the pieces were written.
3. Composes and arranges music for a variety of traditional and nontraditional sound sources and electronic media.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Creates and arranges short songs and instrumental pieces within specified guidelines.
2. Uses a variety of sound sources when composing and arranging.

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Creates and arranges music to accompany readings and dramatizations.
2. Uses a variety of sound sources when composing and arranging.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Reads whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4 3/4 4/4 6/8 3/8 and alla breve meter signatures.
2. Reads at sight simple melodies in both the treble and bass clefs, in major and minor modes.
3. Demonstrates the ability to read a full instrumental score by describing how the elements of music are used and explaining all transpositions and clefs.
4. Uses standard notation to record their musical ideas and the musical ideas of others.
5. Interprets nonstandard notation symbols used by some twentieth-century composers.
6. Sight reads, accurately and expressively, music with a level of difficulty of 4, on a scale of 1 to 6. (Choral and Instrumental Ensemble Classes).

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Reads whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4 3/4 4/4 6/8 3/8 and alla breve meter signatures.
2. Reads at sight simple melodies in both the treble and bass clefs, in major and minor modes.
3. Demonstrates the ability to read an instrumental or vocal score of up to four staves by describing how the elements of music are used.
4. Uses standard notation to record their musical ideas and the musical ideas of others.
5. Sight reads, accurately and expressively, music with a level of difficulty of 3, on a scale of 1 to 6. (Choral and Instrumental Ensemble Classes)

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Reads whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4 3/4 4/4 6/8 3/8 and alla breve meter signatures.
2. Reads at sight simple melodies in both the treble and bass clefs, in major and minor modes.
3. Identifies and defines standard notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.
4. Uses standard notation to record their musical ideas and the musical ideas of others.
5. Sight reads, accurately and expressively, music with a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6. (Choral and Instrumental Ensemble Classes).

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Reads whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4 3/4 4/4 6/8 3/8 meter signatures.
2. Uses a system (symbols, numbers, or letters) to read simple pitch notation in the treble clef in major keys.
3. Identifies symbols and traditional terms referring to dynamics, tempo, and articulation, and interprets them correctly when performing.
4. Uses standard symbols to notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics in patterns and/or songs.

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Uses a system (syllables or numbers) to read simple patterns in duple and triple meters.
2. Identifies standard symbols used to notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics in simple patterns presented by the teacher.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Identifies simple music forms when presented aurally and visually.
2. Demonstrates the ability to perceive and remember music events by describing in detail significant events occurring in a given aural example.
3. Analyzes aural examples of varied repertoire of music, representing diverse genres and cultures, by describing the uses of elements of music and expressive devices.
4. Demonstrates extensive knowledge of the technical vocabulary of music.
5. Identifies the sound of a variety of instruments including many orchestral, band, and various cultural instruments, as well as male and female adult voices.
6. Describes selected prominent music characteristics or specific music events while listening to music.
7. Compares ways in which musical materials are used in a given example relative to ways in which they are used in other works of the same genre or style.
8. Analyzes and describes uses of the elements of music in a given work that make it unique, interesting, and expressive.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Identifies simple music forms when presented aurally and visually.
2. Describes specific music events in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology.
3. Analyzes aural examples of varied repertoire of music, representing diverse genres and cultures, by describing the uses of elements of music and expressive devices.
4. Demonstrates extensive knowledge of the technical vocabulary of music.
5. Identifies the sound of a variety of instruments including many orchestral, band, and various cultural instruments, as well as male and female adult voices.
6. Describes selected prominent music characteristics or specific music events while listening to music.
7. Identifies and explains compositional devices and techniques used to provide unity, variety, tension, and release in a musical work, and gives examples of other works that makes uses of these devices and techniques.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Identifies simple music forms when presented aurally and visually.
2. Describes specific music events in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology.
3. Analyzes the uses of elements of music in aural examples representing diverse genres and cultures.
4. Demonstrates knowledge of the basic principles of meter, rhythm, tonality, intervals, chords, and harmonic progressions in their analysis of music.
5. Identifies the sound of a variety of instruments including many orchestral, band, and various cultural instruments, as well as male and female adult voices.
6. Describes selected prominent music characteristics or specific music events while listening to music.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Identifies simple music forms when presented aurally and visually.
2. Describes specific music events in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology.
3. Demonstrates perceptual skills by answering questions about and describing aural examples of music of various styles representing diverse cultures.
4. Uses appropriate terminology in explaining music, music notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances.
5. Identifies the sound of a variety of instruments including many orchestral and band instruments from various cultures as well as male and female adult voices.
6. Describes selected prominent music characteristics or specific music events while listening to music.

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Identifies phrases and sections of music that are the same, similar, and/or different.
2. Demonstrates perceptual skills by responding to music of various styles representing diverse cultures.
3. Identifies sounds of a variety of classroom instruments and vocal timbres (singing, speaking).
4. Responds through purposeful movement to selected prominent music characteristics or to specific music events while listening to music.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Refines criteria for making informed, critical evaluations of the quality and effectiveness of performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations and applies the criteria in one's personal listening and performing of music.
2. Explains, using appropriate music terminology, their personal preferences for specific musical works and styles.
3. Evaluates a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to similar or exemplary models.
4. Evaluates a given musical work in terms of its aesthetic qualities and explains the musical means it uses to evoke feelings and emotions.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Refines criteria for making informed, critical evaluations of the quality and effectiveness of performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations and applies the criteria in one's personal listening and performing of music.
2. Explains, using appropriate music terminology, their personal preferences for specific musical works and styles.
3. Evaluates a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to similar or exemplary models.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Develops criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music performances and compositions and applies the criteria in one's personal listening and performing.
2. Explains, using appropriate music terminology, one's personal preferences for specific musical works and styles.
3. Evaluates the quality and effectiveness of one's own and others' performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations by applying specific criteria appropriate for the style of the music and offers constructive suggestion for improvement.

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Develops criteria for evaluating performances and compositions.
2. Explains, using appropriate music terminology, one's personal preferences for specific musical works and styles.
3. Evaluates the quality of theior own and others' performances and offers constructive suggestions for improvement.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Compares the uses of characteristic elements, artistic processes, and organizational principles among the arts in different historical periods and different cultures.
2. Explains how the roles of composers, performers, and others involved in the production and presentation of music are similar to and different from other arts.
3. Compares characteristics of two or more art forms within a particular historical period of style and cites examples from various cultures.
4. Explains ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines outside the arts are interrelated with those of music.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Explains how characteristic elements, artistic processes (such as imagination or craftsmanship), and organizational principles (such as unity and variety or reputation and contrast) are used in similar and distinctive ways in the various arts and cites examples.
2. Compares characteristics of two or more art forms within a particular historical period of style and cites examples from various cultures.
3. Explains ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines outside the arts are interrelated with those of music.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Compares in two or more arts how the characteristic materials of each art (that is, sound in music, visual stimuli in visual arts, movement in dance, human interrelationships in theater) can be used to transform similar events, scenes, emotions, or ideas into works of art.
2. Describes ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Identifies similarities and differences in the meanings of common terms used in the various arts.
2. Identifies ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.

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Music Standards (cont'd)

Elective:

Advanced Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Classifies by genre, style, historical period, and culture unfamiliar but representative aural examples of music and explains the reasoning behind their classifications.
2. Classifies by genre, style, historical period, composer and/or title a variety of exemplary musical works and explains why each is considered exemplary.
3. Identifies sources of American music genre, traces the evolution of those genres, and cites well known musicians associated with them.
4. Identifies/describes music genres or styles that show the influence of two or more cultural traditions, identifies the cultural source of each influence and traces the historical conditions that produced the synthesis of influences.
5. Identifies various roles that musicians perform, cites representative individuals that make certain music suitable for each use.
6. Identifies various roles that musicians perform, cites representative individuals who have functioned in each role, and describes their activities and achievements.
7. Demonstrates audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Proficient Performance Standards - Grade 12:

1. Classifies by genre, style, historical period, and culture unfamiliar but representative aural examples of music and explains the reasoning behind their classifications.
2. Classifies by genre, style, historical period, composer and/or title a variety of exemplary musical works and explains why each is considered exemplary.
3. Identifies sources of American music genre, traces the evolution of those genres, and cites well known musicians associated with them.
4. Identifies/describes music genres or styles that show the influence of two or more cultural traditions, identifies the cultural source of each influence and traces the historical conditions that produced the synthesis of influences.
5. Identifies various roles that musicians perform, cites representative individuals that make certain music suitable for each use.
6. Identifies various roles that musicians perform, cites representative individuals who have functioned in each role, and describes their activities and achievements.
7. Demonstrates audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Required for all Students:

Performance Standards - Grade 8:

1. Identifies by genre or style aural examples of music from various historical periods and world cultures.
2. Describes distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of world cultures.
3. Identifies by genre and style (and, if applicable, by historical period, composer, and title) a varied body of exemplary music works.
4. Identifies various uses of music in their daily experiences and describes characteristics that make certain music suitable for each use.
5. Compares, in several cultures of the world, functions music serves, roles of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed.
6. Demonstrates audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Performance Standards - Grade 4:

1. Identifies by genre or style aural examples of music from various historical periods and world cultures.
2. Describes in simple terms how elements of music are used in music examples from various world cultures.
3. Identifies various uses of music in their experiences and describes characteristics that make certain music suitable for each use.
4. Identifies and describes roles of musicians in various music settings and world cultures.
5. Demonstrates audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Performance Standards - Grade 2:

1. Demonstrates audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

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Updated: July 5, 2001
Editor & Publisher: Jeff Sutherland, jsutherland@madison.k12.wi.us
webmaster@madison.k12.wi.us