The Visual and Performing Arts Departments throughout Ridgefield Public Schools aim to create inspiring experiences that are common to all the arts: exploring, creating, performing, presenting, interpreting, connecting, and reflecting. We believe the arts promote awareness of the world and provide an opportunity to seek meaning through a creative process.

Music at Ridgefield Public Schools and in the State of Connecticut is based on the National Core Art Standards/Connecticut Arts Standards. These standards are based on the artistic processes of Creating, Performing, Responding and Connecting. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards defines these processes as:

Creating : Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. Improvising and composing.

Performing: Realizing and presenting artistic ideas and work.

Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning. Critical listening with intent.

Connecting: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

Based on the interests and need of the students in a particular class, specific projects and pieces are selected by the music teacher.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

• Musicians evaluate, refine and share their work.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?

OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to . . .

• with limited guidance improvise rhythmic and ostinato patterns with pitched and unpitched instruments.
• with limited guidance create a response to music through movement, drawing, instruments and notation.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

• Musicians select musical works to present based on interest, knowledge, technical skill and context to express their musical ideas, musicians analyze, evaluate and refine their performance over time through planned practice, feedback, reflection and collaboration.
• Musicians perform expressively, with informed interpretation, technical accuracy and appropriate concert etiquette.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What skills are required to accurately perform music?
• How do performers interpret musical works?
• How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
• When is a performance judged ready to present?

OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to . . .

• demonstrate knowledge of music concepts (such as steady beat and melodic contour) using a varied repertoire of music.
• demonstrate an awareness of fast, medium and slow tempos.
• perform songs in unison with an awareness of melodic direction.
• demonstrate an awareness of music’s expressive qualities (such as dynamics and tempo) in performance.
• demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively in group musical performances.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

• Establish criteria based on an understanding of the elements of music, (melody, harmony, rhythm, form)

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How do we describe music?
• How do we judge the quality of musical works and performances?
• How do we make meaningful connections to the arts, other disciplines, contexts and daily life through music?

OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to . . .

• with limited guidance apply personal and expressive preferences in the evaluation of music using elements of music.
• with limited guidance compare and contrast basic elements of music in a song, (high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft).
• with limited guidance, demonstrate and identify how specific music concepts such as beat, tempo, dynamics, form and melodic directions are used in a musical selection through movement and singing.
• demonstrates appropriate concert etiquette for performances (example: school, professional).