Symphonic Orchestra

2007-2008

Instructor:  Mr. White

Text:  Method book, individual music handouts

Grade Level:  9-12

Course Credit:  1/2 credit per semester

Community Service: Up to 4 hours may be received per Fall/Winter/Spinrg Concerts

Prerequisite:  middle school orchestra

Course Outline:

Students who enroll in Orchestra should have sufficient background and motivation to participate in advanced in-depth instrumental music activities.  The course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop and refine technical skills which will enable them to perform music at the Grade 3-6 level of difficulty.  Some musical arrangements from a variety of historical eras will be studied, but the emphasis will be on the study of literature composed originally for the orchestra. Analysis of the repertoire will provide students with an understanding of contemporary musical forms, music for mixed media, chance music, and the various approaches to modem harmony.  The culture backgrounds, personal history, and social and intellectual influences on the work of all composers will be researched and discussed.  Some harmonic dictation, transposition, and experiences at musical composition and/or arranging may be included.  Individual responsibilities at meeting performance obligations and leadership roles will be defined.  Additional experiences include, but not limited to, are pit orchestra and chamber and solo performances.  This course may be repeated for credit. The Orchestra represents the school in public performances.

Course Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

1. follow classroom rehearsal procedures

2. meet individual responsibilities for care and preventive maintenance of a musical instrument

3. follow concert performance procedures

4. meet performance obligations as indicated on the school's comprehensive instrumental calendar

5. care for a concert uniform where applicable

6. demonstrate basic competencies of instrumental performance in the areas of tone production, intonation, articulation/bowing, range, and memorized scales (refer to specific performance criteria outlined in the handbook)

7. identify and perform instrumental works from the Renaissance to the 21st century, including works with an ethnic or cultural orientation other than Western European, employing the correct style and performance practices of the period

8. investigate and summarize the social, historical, and intellectual influences on a variety of Renaissance to 21st century composers and their works

9. identify special 20th century compositional techniques and perform works which are aleatoric and/or utilize some mixed media

10. demonstrate basic skills in harmony, structure, form and musical composition as they may relate to a particular piece of music

11. identify types of expanded musical forms to include music for instruments with voices, explain the structure, and perform representative works from instrumental repertoire, e.g., opera, oratorio, musical theatre

12. identify types of large musical forms, explain their structure, and perform representative works in the instrumental répertoire, e.g., sonata, suite, symphony, concerto, etc.

13. identify and illustrate the use of some basic musical terms and symbols in Grade 3-6 music

14. construct and demonstrate major and minor scales and arpeggios

15. identify aurally and visually major and minor triads, arpeggios, and diatonic intervals within an octave

16. apply aesthetic evaluate criteria to live musical performances and professional recordings

17. demonstrate mature musical judgement in selecting music for performance and leisure activities

Grading policy, calendar of events, procedures, etc. are provided on separate pages in the Instrumental Music Handbook.

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