Orchestra Belts

In martial arts, such as karate, colored belts are often used to represent the advancement or growth of a student.  Our band and orchestra belts function in the same way.  When a student can masterfully perform the task linked to a certain colored belt, they will be rewarded with that belt to attach to their instrument case.  Students may not skip ahead to the benchmark belt pieces, but must complete all assigned material in order.  Pieces must be performed all the way through without stopping, at a steady tempo (tapping foot on beat). Belt test pieces are taken from Essential Elements for Strings book 1.  

1. White Belt -   #19 Rolling Along (played pizzicato in guitar position) 

2. Yellow Belt - #22 Lightly Row (played pizzicato in guitar position)

3. Orange Belt - #34 Natalie's Rose (played pizzicato in guitar position)

4. Green Belt - #43 Mozart Melody (must identify note names and play pizzicato in playing position)

5. Purple Belt - #63 Scale Simulator (arco - Successful performance of this piece earns you a seat in beginning orchestra) 

6. Blue Belt  - #73 Buckeye Salute (played arco)

7. Red - #86 Ode to Joy (played arco)

8. Brown - Part 1 - #101 Baa Baa Black Sheep  (must identify notes names on the G string and play arco)

Part 2 - #116 Song for Maria  (played arco with accurate slurring)

9. Black - Part 1 - #134 Bluebird's Song (Played arco)

Part 2 - #152 Long, Long Ago (Played arco) 

Pop- Up Belts

Lime Green Belt - "The Note Quiz" (A timed note/pitch identification assessment)

Pink Belt - "The Rhythm Quiz" (A timed rhythm identification assessment)

Light Blue Belt - "The Counting and Clapping Belt" (analyzing, labeling, counting & clapping assessment)

Rainbow Belt - "The Concert Ready" Belt (Perform all spring concert pieces)

Gray Belt - A Midterm Vocab Assessment (Year 2&3 - January)

Khaki Belt - Chromatic Scale at 100bpm (Year 2&3 - May)