Ms. Rebecca Karwan
rkarwan@daltonschool.kr
Ms. Rebecca Karwan
rkarwan@daltonschool.kr
Course Description
Welcome to Music Class! Get ready for a year of learning new songs, playing instruments, movement, and making music together. We will CREATE. PERFORM. RESPOND. and CONNECT. Come ready to try your best and persevere to overcome challenges and improve. Come with an openness to try something new and expand on what you can do. Come to be part of a community that makes and enjoys music together!
In-Class Playing Checks, Written Work, Theory Checks, Draft Assessments
Performances, Compositions and Analysis Projects
Quarter 1: Music Foundations, Analysis and Performance
Quarter 1: Music Foundations, Analysis and Performance (August 18 - October 29)
Essential Questions:
How do performers interpret musical works?
How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
How do we collaborate musically with others?
Students will learn about the basic elements of music, and how they are used in compositions. They will also learn about the basics of instrument performance and how timbre and instrumental color are used in writing music. The quarter will culminate in a student performance and group analysis.
Unit 1 - Elements of Music - review of basic skills and knowledge.
Unit 2 - Timbre and Texture - How do composers use instrumental color in their compositions?
Unit 3 - Listening and Analysis - How do we actively listen to and analyze music?
Unit 4 - Student performance, analysis and peer review.
Quarter 2: Soundtrack Music
Quarter 2 - Soundtrack Music (October 29 - January 23)
Essential Questions:
How do musicians generate creative ideas?
What is a motif and what is its role in soundtracks?
How do you compose music for movies or video games?
Students will learn about how movie watching and game playing are enhanced by the inclusion of soundtrack music. We will also discuss how soundtrack composition is different from song or orchestral music composition. Students will create their own videos and game characters and create motifs and soundtrack music for them.
Unit 1 - What is a soundtrack? Discussion and example analysis.
Unit 2 - Melody and Harmony writing basics.
Unit 3 - What is a motif? Why is it important in writing soundtracks?
Unit 4 - Soundtrack project completion and presentation.
Quarter 3: Music Passport
Quarter 3: Music Passport (January 24 - April 15)
Essential Questions:
What meaning does music hold within a specific culture? (What type of music do people do there? What is the music used for? Why do they make the music? etc.)
How does music reflect a person or a group of people?
How can we connect with different cultures through improvisation and performance?
In the third quarter, students are taken on a trip around the world in a variety of world music experiences. Students will engage in different practical activities to explore multiple cultures’ music and will receive 'stamps' in their 'music passport' upon completion. They will also complete weekly reflections to articulate their understandings from that culture in their music passports.
Unit 1: Music of the Americas
Unit 2: Music of West and South Africa
Unit 3: Music of Southeast Asia
Week 4: Passport Performance Project - students will select a piece of music from one of the regions we studied, prepare and perform for the class.
Quarter 4: Music and Social Media
Unit 4: Music and Social Media (April 15 - June 12)
Essential Questions:
-What is the relationship between music and social media?
-What effect can music have on social media users?
-How do artists use social media as a platform for their career?
-How can social media be used as a music education tool?
In the last quarter, students will explore the use of music on social media. They will discuss the ethics, implications and advantages of using social media as a platform for music artists, and also how creators use social media as a music education platform. They will then create a social media content in the style of one of the content creators that we examine, where they will break down and analyze a piece of music.
Week 1/2: General overview - How is music used in social media? What are some ethical concerns, and how can social media be used responsibly? What is AI's growing role in music production? Student listening/watching analysis, reflection piece.
Week 3/4: Music analysis review - how do we listen to music? How can we describe what we hear melodically and harmonically? Students will choose a song to analyze for form, harmonic and melodic content.
Week 5/6: Social media as a music education platform: focus on social media content creators and how they use their platforms to teach about song structure and form. Students will watch and respond to a variety of music education-related social media content.
Week 7/8: Video creation: Students will create their own video in the style of one of the content creators we examined.
CREATING
Anchor Standard #1 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #2 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #3 Refine and complete artistic work.
PERFORMING
Anchor Standard #4 Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Anchor Standard #5 Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Anchor Standard #6 Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
RESPONDING
Anchor Standard #7 Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Anchor Standard #8 Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Anchor Standard #9 Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
CONNECTING
Anchor Standard #10 Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Anchor Standard #11 Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
SHOW RESPECT: Be respectful to your teacher, your peers, the instruments, resources and classroom. Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself. Only touch instruments if you have been given permission to do so. If in doubt - ask!
BE RESPONSIBLE: Take responsibility for your learning. Make sure you come to class on time and prepared. Stay up to date with any homework and assessment due dates. Communicate regularly with your teacher.
HAVE FUN: Have fun by engaging in all activities in the music class! Be safe, collaborate and enjoy.
KEEP IT CLEAN: You are expected to clean up after yourself everyday. Do not leave instruments out of place, rubbish on the floor, or your belongings in the classroom. Pick up after yourself.
LANGUAGE POLICY: English is the official language at CDS. You are expected to speak English at all times in the Music room.
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR MUSIC
Chromebook
Pen/pencil
Earphones/headphones
Instrument (if needed)
GRADING POLICY
Feedback: Feedback will come in multiple forms: oral, written, and/or via rubric.
Rubrics: All rubrics will contain the skills that are assessed on the left-hand side. On the top, you will see the achievement standards in ascending order from left to right: DND, Beginning, Developing, Proficient, and Mastery.
Late Work: You will not be penalised for late work. However, you risk receiving a DND if work is not submitted within two weeks from the due date and you have not communicated any reasons with your teacher for non-submission.
Re-assessment: Please refer to the Fine Arts Reassessment Policy 2023-24 for more information on re-assessments.