Class: Symphonic Orchestra, Period
Teacher: Mrs. Amber Petersen
Contact: ampetersen@ssusd.org
Students will learn the importance of string technique and optimal playing as a balance between the systems of intonation, tone quality, articulation, communication, and expression.
Students will develop an understanding of technique that will lend itself to an ensemble with good intonation, synchronization, blend, and balance.
Students will learn and improve their skills in musicianship, music terminology, music literacy, and sight reading, and further develop their understanding of music history, literature, and musical styles and genres.
Students will listen to a variety of musical styles and genres, learning the cultural and historical significance and learn to give objective critique in connection with the elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, form, texture, dynamics, genre, style, and instrumentation.
Students will learn through playing in class and performance, a variety of orchestral styles and genres of music.
Students will learn to play in unison, rounds, solo and small ensembles, and full orchestral harmony. Students will perform throughout the year at concerts on campus, and off campus.
Your final grade will be a reflection of your learning and progress. Much of making music is about the process of music-making and your grade is reflective of that importance. Orchestra is a performing arts class, and therefore performing is a mandatory component of this class and your grade. I am looking forward to making music with you!
Active Engagement: This is 35% of your grade. In class music activities are our process of discovery and learning. You will be able to earn 3 points each day of class to allow for 15 points per week.
Criteria:
3 Consistent participation in activities and remaining engaged or almost always engaged in class activity.
2 Needs reminders to participate or participates in some of the activities
1 chooses not to participate in majority of class activities
Performance: This is 40% of your grade. We will have performances that are on campus and off campus. Performances are mandatory and listed below so that you can prioritize your calendar to include these activities. In an ensemble, it is crucial that all members of our team are at all performances; if someone is missing, the entire ensemble is affected and diminished by the absence of even (only) one member. Please be sure to put all of our performances in your calendar and your family's calendar so that you do not miss any.
Criteria:
3 Performs selections with accuracy or near accuracy.
2 Performs selection with some accuracy.
1 Performs selection with little accuracy or does not perform.
Quizzes:This is 20% of your grade. We will have learning mastery checks on our music literacy, vocabularry, and history.
Criteria:
3 Demonstrates mastery or near mastery of quiz content
2 Demonstrates basic understanding of content
1 Does not demonstrate understanding of content
Self Assessment: This is 10% of your grade. You will be assessing your strengths and weaknesses as a musician weekly. As part of this process we will work on goal setting and growth. You will be creating a reflection of your strengths and weaknesses and setting goals in a journal. We will process this together.
Criteria:
3 Demonstrates self- reflection with assessment and makes progress with goals.
2 Demonstrates some self-reflection and makes little progress with goals.
1 Does not demonstrate self-reflection or progress with goals.
Be respectful of yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and the work we are doing as singing artists.
Engage with our ensemble in a way that builds community and skills.
Be responsible for your growth and development as a musician.
Ask questions and challenge yourself to grow.
Why Learn Music?
MUSIC IS A SCIENCE. It is exact, specific, and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor's full score is a chart, a graph that indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.
MUSIC IS MATHEMATICAL. It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions, which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper.
MUSIC IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English -but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.
MUSIC IS HISTORY. Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation, often even the country and/or racial feeling.
MUSIC IS PHYSICAL EDUCATION. It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lip, cheek, and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back, stomach, and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.
MUSIC DEVELOPS INSIGHT AND DEMANDS RESEARCH.
MUSIC IS ALL THESE THINGS, but most of all, MUSIC IS ART. It allows a human being to take all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion. That is one thing science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion, call it what you will.
That is why we teach music!
Not because we expect you to major in music
Not because we expect you to play or sing all your life
Not so you can relax
Not so you can have fun
BUT - so you will be human
so you will recognize beauty
so you will be sensitive
so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world
so you will have something to cling to
so you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more
good - in short, more life
Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live? That is why we teach music!*
*Attributed to: SOUTHERN MUSIC COMPANY 1100 BROADWAY. P.O. BOX 329 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78292
Please read through the dates below and put them in your calendars. Performances are a mandatory aspect of this class.
If there are any conflicts that you are aware of now, list them below and I will work out an alternate assignment (for partial credit) for that planned absence.
August 24, 2022 6:00 p.m. Back to School Night
Choir, Madrigals, and Orchestra Performance 5:00 Call Time
October 27, 2022 Scary Music Party with JMMS and MMS
SSUSD Orchestras 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. BHS Multi-use room
November 4, 2022 Culture Fest
Cross Curricular 6:30--9:00 p.m. Multi-use, Senior Stage, Patio, Kitchen
Call time 5:30 p.m.
Dress: Black pants and Green BHS Music T-shirt
November 14-16 Musical Auditions (Cinderella) PPAC
Choir, Madrigals, Drama 11/17 Callbacks
November 30, 2022 Winter Concert BHS Band PPAC 7:00 p.m.
Call time 5:30 p.m.
Dress: Concert Black (Provided by Music Boosters)
December 1, 2022, Winter Concert BHS Choir & Orchestra PPAC 7:00 p.m.
Call time 5:30 p.m.
Dress: Concert Black (Provided by Music Boosters)
December 4 - 8, 2022. Hawaii Band, Choir, & Orchestra BHS
February 25, 2023 SSUSD Solo & Ensemble Festival with JMMS and MMS
SCSBOA– BHS Hosting
PPAC, F-9, BR, + 7:00 am-5:00 p.m.
March 21, 2023 JMMS and MMS 8th grade Invitational (BHS Music Tour replacement)
PPAC 10:00 a.m. Symphonic Band, Stage Band, Concert Choir, Madrigals, Orchestra & Symphonic Orchestra
Call time: 8:00 a.m.
Dress: Black pants and Green BHS Music T-shirt
March 10, 11, 17, 18, 2023 Cinderella BHS Choir and Drama
Tech Week Rehearsals 2/27-3/3 3:00- 5:30 p.m. (required)
Dress Rehearsals 3/6, 3/7, 3/8 , 3/9 3:00-7:00 p.m. (required)
March 10, 11, 17, 18, PPAC 5:00 call time 7:00 p.m. Curtain
April 27, 2023 BHS Bands Concert
PPAC 6:30 p.m. concert
April 28-29 Heritage Festivals Anaheim, CA
Band, Choir, Orchestra
Call time TBA
Dress: Concert Black
May 16, 2023 SSUSD Spring Choral Concert with JMMS and MMS
PPAC 6:30 p.m. Concert
Call time: 4:00 p.m.
Dress: Concert Black
May 17, 2023 SSUSD Spring Orchestral Concert with JMMS and MMS
PPAC 6:30 p.m. Concert
Call time: 4:00 p.m.
Dress: Concert Black