Mr. May

Welcome to our NTI page! First, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. I miss seeing all of you. Do you miss my dad jokes ?

We will be using google classroom, smart music, and a music theory text pdf for our work. We may also use google meet to meet virtually as a group .

General Google Classroom Link: https://classroom.google.com/

Students should be familiar with their google classroom page as we have being using the site for 2 years for our practice submissions. Email me if you need assistance logging on.

Traditional practice logs will no longer need to be submitted. I realize that some of you will not have instruments at home (although I did instruct you to take your instruments home after our fabulous KMEA performance, Distinguished!). We will have assignments that do not require instruments for those without and a choice of assignments for those with instruments at home.

I will send a link out for help with tuning instruments. Please DO NOT over tune and break your string. I will not be able to provide a replacement this year. If you must adjust your peg please turn slowly listening to the pitch raise as you adjust so as not to over turn. check google classroom for a link for tuning help.

Weekly directions:

Tuesday-

*First things first, attendance! Say hello in the discussion board post on google classroom or ask a question, this is how I will be taking attendance this week. I only need to hear from you once on the board or email per week to know you are engaged in our NTI.

*check google classroom and follow the directions to open a Smart Music account. Smart music is a cool online tool that I think you will enjoy! Have some fun looking around at the features, notice you have an assignment!

*make sure you are signed up for Remind, there was a link sent to your student email if you need to register. Parents and students should both register for remind so we can stay in touch. Let me know if you need the code.

*download the Music Theory PDF from the link on Google.

*send me an email, remind, or google discussion board post if you do not have an instrument at home.

*All students look over the theory pdf, students with instruments who are interested in learning theory may decide between completing their work with smart music of taking the theory course. Whatever assignment you choose will need to be the choice for all of NTI.

Wednesday-

All Students send me an email or google discussion board by noon of Wednesday letting me know if your work will be done in smart music of the theory course thru google classroom. The email will be how I know you are participating in NTI this week. We will be contacting the homes of students homes who we do not hear from to check on NTI access.

Theory Students- both classes will begin with lesson one. There is information that all students will need to learn. Advanced class may progress at a faster pace as we go forward. We will need to see how NTI unfolds to determine the pace of each classes theory work but for know we will all start at the beginning.

Theory assignments for the week are posted in google classroom but you will essentially be responsible for Unit 1 this week. Complete the following: Read Lessons 1-5. Answer the following Exercise questions for each lesson.

Lesson 1, ex 4

Lesson 2, ex 2

Lesson 3, ex 2

Lesson 4, ex 2 and ex 3

no ex in lesson five but do read and answer all questions for Review of lesson, Unit 1, questions 1-14

Example of your submission would be

Lesson 1, ex 4 HLHLLLLL

Lesson 2, ex 2 absdefg

All work is due by Friday at 2:30, you may choose to spread the work out a little over each day.

2nd period smart music students continue exploring smart music. Your first assignment is the piece Afterburn by Brian Balmages, find the assignment, read the instructions of focus, listen to piece all the way thru- follow your part, practice the first page 15 minutes Wednesday and Thursday, submit recorded work to me of first page by Friday 2:30

3rd period smart music students continue exploring smart music, Your first assignment is the piece Lyric Metal by Brian Balmages, find the assignment, read the instructions of focus, listen all the way thru-follow your part. Practice the first page 15 minutes Wednesday and Thursday, submit your recorded work to me by 2:30 on Friday.

There are a lot of google classroom post, double check that you have not missed anything, Happy weekend!

Week 2 NTI

All Students, go to Orchestra google chat NTI page and add a comment in week 2 attendance. You can say something as easy as, "here, hi, or hello. " I need to hear from you once a week in this method to take your attendance/participation.

Theory Students.

Read all lessons in unit 2. Complete the attached google doc for Unit 2 of the theory text. Be careful to look at the question number, some questions have been omitted in the doc due to issues of NTI. Also, in some case you will be asked use words rather than musical symbols like quarter note.

I have included the assignment in all sections of google classroom because there are a couple of students that have not joined the new orchestra google chat class. I would prefer you do your theory classwork in the new chat classroom if possible. Encourage your classmates to join the NTI classroom!

Read and complete one lesson a day.

Assignment is due by Friday at 2:30.

Smart music students.

Continue working on the piece assigned in smart music. You should be practicing in smart music 15 minutes a day during school days. Smart music tells me if have been practicing in the app so remember that I can see how much time you are working. Begin working on page two of the piece while continuing to refine your previous work on page one. Second period students, are you able to work on the entire piece? Several of you only uploaded specific passages. Let me know if there is an issue.

Areas of focus- articulation and key signature (three flats for 3rd period Bb, Eb, Ab).

explore the tools in the tool bar, you can adjust the speed of the piece if you need to work slowly, you can play with the entire orchestra or alone.

I have been purposeful not to make the assignment too broad as I am allowing for you to become comfortable with smart music. We will begin to have additional assignments in addition to the piece you are currently working on as NTI continues. Please use this time to become familiar with the software and get your daily 15 minutes logged in.

Record page one and record page 2 by 2:30 Friday.

Let me know if there are any technical issues.

Week 3 NTI

Smart music people.

Please log into smart music. You should see comments on your previous assignment reflecting the amount of time you practiced in the app last week. Remember you should be working in smart music 15 minutes a day of a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes for the five days of the school week.

You have two assignments this week. Continue working on the piece that was previously assigned, continue to look at rhythm and key signature, (flats). 2nd period, I have adjusted the parameters and you will now be able to record the entire piece. 2nd and 3rd periods you are now responsible for uploading the entire piece start to finish. I have also assigned a 2 octave c Major scale for both classes. You may need to use the drop down box to select your instrument. Feel free to adjust the tempo to a speed that allows you to play with good pitch. Both assignments are due by Friday at 2:30.

Theory Students,

Read and complete the lessons theory unit 3 and it's review. You will need to use words rather than musical symbols in some cases to provide your answer. Assignment due by Friday at 2:30. Theory assignments will only be created and completed in the Orchestra NTI chat classroom going forward. Have a great week!

i will be reaching out to families by phone, email, and remind who have not returned work in the previous week.

Week 4 NTI.

Smart Music students continue working on the assigned piece with a focus on pitch, articulation, and rhythm. Take a look at your previous submission. Smart Music shows inaccurate notes in red, these should be review and corrected. You also have a new scale to submit this week. 2 octave F major/d minor in 8th notes. You should practice both of these 15 minutes a day 5 days a week with your final submission due by Friday at 2:30. Please also go back and complete any assignments you have not submitted.

Theory students complete Unit 4 questions. Notice question 8 in the review of lessons 14-17. You will need to print out staff paper (found in link I provided in orchestra chat nit stream), rewrite the music, take a picture and upload to google classroom. Let me know if there are issues. Due Friday by 2:30

Week 5 NTI.

Students,

I have updated the engagement category in Infinite Campus to reflect engagement during NTI. You had received 2 points a day/ total of 10 per week for being engaged during orchestra class with music, pencil, and good rehearsal practices. Your NTI student engagement category has been updated to reflect engagement during NTI for orchestra. I have been in contact will all students and also referenced the FCHS no digital access list to ensure all orchestra students have access to technology. We have been in NTI 4 weeks and have 4 remaining, everyone should be participating at this point.

You will now have an opportunity to earn 20 points in orchestra each week if you submit work. I am forgiving engagement for the first four weeks but please know that if you are not submitting work you will be losing points for Engagement and Progression categories going forward. Reach out to me w questions. Enjoy your weekend.

Smart Music students New scale this week, A Melodic minor. Notice how 6th and 7th scale degrees are raised when ascending and lowered when descending, adjust tempo to refine intonation (slow the metronome if needed).

Students who have received a score of 90 or higher by smart music may move on tp the new music assigned. Students who have not received a score of 90 on Afterburn or Lyric need to continue working on these pieces of music.

All smart music students need to turn in

You should practice both of these 15 minutes a day 5 days a week with your final submission due by Friday at 2:30. Please also go back and complete any assignments you have not submitted.

Theory students complete Unit 5 questions. Let me know if there are issues. Due Friday by 2:30

Week 6 NTI.

Two and a half weeks of NTI remain. I have done some grade calculating and would like to share some information. If you are not participating in orchestra NTI and continue to fail to complete assignments your grade will most likely fall to a D or be given an incomplete for the semester. This grading forecast applies to several who currently have B's in orchestra but have not been completing NTI for this course. As I mentioned a previously there are no students on the no digital access list so ALL orchestra students should be submitting work. Please go back and complete any missing assignments before NTI ends.

Theory students read and complete unit six.

Smart students.

I see many of you are practicing but not submitting the work? Please submit your work on the assigned pieces.

Week Six, same as last week almost! continue practicing 15 minutes a day/or 1hr and 15 minutes a week. Redo any music you have scored below a 90. Begin working on the new Bach piece if you have scored above 90 on all assignments.

Be advised, I have been giving some of you credit for practicing and doing partial work, (scales not pieces assigned) but there is only 2 weeks left of NTI for you to complete your work. I will begin grading accordingly as NTI concludes. Your assigned music will be part the Final.

All assignments due by Friday 2:30

Week 7 and 8 NTI.

Week 7 and 8 will be spend concluding your NTI work by completing the "Final" and any NTI work you have not yet completed. I will accept all work for full credit until 05.27 at 2:30. I will not take any work after the school year ends the afternoon of the 27th. Email with any questions. All students- keep any school instruments you have over the summer.

Theory students go back and complete any Units you have not yet completed and also submit your work for the new Final assignment. The Final is a set of definitions from terms you encountered in Unit 1-6.

Smart Music students.

2nd period- your final to to make sure all assignments thru Legends of Pirate Cove are submitted with a smart music score of 90 or higher.

3rd period- your final is to make sure all assignments thru Last assignment you submitted are graded in smart music w a score of 90 or higher.

Once you have reached a 90 or higher on all assignments you are finished for the semester and no longer need to practice 15 minutes a day for this class.

There are only 4 of you working in smart music, contact me if you are unsure what your specific assignments should be.