Syllabus

Overview:

Each class period consists of a variety of tasks including but not limited to a book assignment from the Essential Elements for Strings, technical and scale exercises, and rehearsal of current performance literature. It is my intent to involve each student in a total musical experience, not just purely focusing on their particular instrument. As time and opportunity permits, participation in smaller ensembles of varying instrumental combinations will also be encouraged. In addition to the class students will be involved in a number of out of class concerts and field trips when appropriate. In the spring the students will have the opportunity to travel and perform at a selected venue to supplement their performance opportunities.

National Music Education Course Standards:

Standard 1- Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music

Standard 2- Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music

Standard 3- Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments

Standard 4- Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines

Standard 5- Reading and notating music

Standard 6- Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

Standard 7- Evaluating music and music performances

Standard 8- Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts

Standard 9- Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Objectives:

The following objectives are based on the National Music Education Course Standards, the South Carolina Music Education Achievement Standards, and the Core Concept Matrix adopted by the School District of Greenville County:

Middle school strings objectives build on skills and concepts previously exercised in prior grades (with the exception of beginning sixth grade students).

* The student will be able to demonstrate fluent vibrato.

* The student will be able to demonstrate shifting as needed to perform three octave scales.

* The student will be able to perform two octave Junior All-state scales.

* The student will be able to perform two and three octave Minor Scales.

* The student will be able to tune Instruments by Fifths (violin/viola) and Harmonics (Cello/Bass).

* The student will be able to sight-read music in standard duple and triple meter.

* The student will be able to perform rhythms containing triplets and syncopation.

* The student will be able to demonstrate bowing with detached slurs, spiccato, martele, and tremolo.

* The student will be able to describe relative majors and minors.

* The student will be able to write major and minor scales.

* The student will be able to identify written intervals.

* The student will be able to define vocabulary in method book and orchestral selections.

* The student will be able to perform in wide range of dynamics to include pp to ff.