Performance Activities

Sharing your music through performance is an integral part of Music in Year 11. 

This year we aim to help build on your previous years performances.

You will participate in a number of smaller performances/workshops over the course of the year and build towards a final more substantial performance.

You must choose an instrument to focus on for the year and ideally should be having lessons on this. You will discuss this with your teacher. We would expect you to demonstrate 2+ years worth of development by the end of the year. 

Your teacher will provide you with details of each of the performance activities you will undertake. 

You will receive feedback on the following elements: 

• Technical ability - this is the nuts and bolts of being able to play your instrument and will be based on your experience. 

• General Musicianship - this is being able to play in time, recognise if you are out of tune, play dynamics etc. 

• Musical understanding - is there evidence that you understand the music you are playing, and play it accordingly. 

• Performance conventions - this includes things like introducing yourself and piece, acknowledging your audience, etc. 

• Ensemble awareness (for group performances) - do you understand your role in the group, balance and blend with rest of the group, etc. 

If you are performing as a member of a group, you must be heard and play a unique and easily identifiable part. If your performance includes improvisation, your improvisation will be assessed according to its appropriateness to the musical style. Ideally a group should comprise 3 – 7 members. We are looking for how well you understand your role within the group and that you perform accordingly. 

Practice!

You will not improve without practising. You will have some time in class to practice, but you will need to do some of your own practice also. Music rooms are open throughout intervals and lunchtimes for you to practice. Your teacher will show you how to book these. 

Practice Log

A great way to maintain your development momentum is to create a document for you to keep track of what you are working on in your practice and reflect on how you are going. Make sure you fill this out regularly. 

Your teacher will give you some details about what they will be focusing on for each performance. Remember, these should be accumulative, so each successive performance should include the things you focused on previously.

• Enter the performing area with confidence and acknowledge the audience

• Ensure that your equipment/music is correctly positioned

• Give a short but informative, well projected and clearly spoken introduction that includes your name, your year level and the names of the pieces and composers you will be playing. You should also acknowledge and introduce your accompanist(s).

• Perform the pieces of music expressively with a high degree of musical understanding i.e. awareness of, and response to style, interpretative detail, accuracy, articulation, phrasing, dynamics, rhythm and feel.

• Perform the pieces of music with fluency and security in a range of advanced technical skills i.e. techniques appropriate to the instrument that are consistent throughout the performance.

• Fluently performs the pieces with a high level of technical* security and errors are few and do not mar the convincing nature of performance, with the understanding that live performances are seldom completely accurate.

• Perform the pieces of music with convincing communication skills i.e. rapport with the audience and capacity to engage an audience, appropriate posture and appropriate stagecraft

• Perform the pieces of music with convincing communication skills and ensemble awareness i.e. responding to other members of the group or accompanist, appropriate stage craft and presentation skills, sensitivity to role, the composer’s intention, communication, and an awareness of intonation, blend and balance.

• Confidently acknowledge the audience (e.g. bow) and leave the performing area

Your Performance Activities will fall into one of two categories: 

Performance Workshops - these are for feedback - you will have at least one of these per term. In your early workshops you will only need to perform a shorter excerpt of the piece you are working on. As you progress, you will perform more. Use this as performance practice and take on the feedback from your peers and teacher. 

Summative Performance(s) - this will be the culmination of your hard work and practice. The majority of your learning progression will be based on this performance (though we may take in to account your earlier workshop performances). You should aim to use all the feedback you have been given throughout the year and take this performance seriously. 

Use the rubric below to self assess your progress.