Continuity in a School
Music Program
Jordan D. Mantey
Questions
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Why is consistency important in a
music program?
What expectations do we have as
educators for a student once he
or she has completed the music
program?
How do teachers impact
continuity?
Where can changes be made to
allow for smoother transitions in a
music program?
Why consistency is important
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The best learning is a building process
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If knowledge is meaningfully related to prior
knowledge, it will be retained
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“If we completely ignore everything from earlier
years, we are not building upon a foundation, we
are just providing random experiences”
Instead of having to “start over” year after year,
teachers can build upon material that the previous
teacher has taught
Teachers must think about what is meaningful to
students
The lack of consistent continuity is one of the
reasons why music is kept defined as a “special”
area rather than a curricular one
Expectations (Standards)
What a student should be proficient at
after progressing through a music program
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of
music
Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a
varied repertoire of music
Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
Composing and arranging music within specified
guidelines
Reading and notating music
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding relationships between music, the other
arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Understanding music in relation to history and culture
How teachers can impact continuity
Smooth Transitions
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All aspects of the standards should
be present at every grade level to
reach expectations when a student
completes the music program
Gradual movement to/from each
grade level is very important
Individual teacher philosophies can
create a problem when
communication among teachers is
not present
“K – 12 crescendo”
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Crescendo – a gradual increase
in volume
The K – 12 Crescendo
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As a student progresses in the program, more details
of each standard should be presented
Basic ideas should expand to include in-depth
coverage of material and techniques
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Concepts should be revisited with greater depth and
sophistication each year
Students should be continually immersed in a wide
range of musical experiences starting in kindergarten
– those experiences should gradually increase in
intensity through high school and beyond
The K – 12 Crescendo
•All standards are present at all points in this timeline
•Detail becomes greater as a student progresses
reading
analyzing
performing
composing
singing
listening
Ways to create smoother
transitions between grade levels
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Conversations should be made among the music
teachers
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The design of the curriculum should include a
standards-based system of transitions
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Teachers can know what material the students are coming
to them with
Curriculum needs to flow K – 12 and be developed as a K –
12 curriculum and not within specific areas of study (general
music, band, vocal)
Material needs to be reinforced and revisited from
year to year
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Take the same concepts and ideas and revisit them with
greater depth and sophistication
Standard 4
Composing and Arranging
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This standard allows students to become
creatively involved in music
Students automatically compose at their own
level (there is no single “correct” answer)
This standard is more sensitive to individual
differences than the others
This standard is not as valuable unless it is
tied to the evaluation/analysis standards
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Students need to make critical judgments about
their own compositions and those of their peers
Notice how the standards get more detailed
from one level to the next
Kindergarten – 4th Grade
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Create and arrange
music to accompany
readings or
dramatization
Create and arrange
short songs and
instrumental pieces
within specified
guidelines
Use a variety of sound
sources when
composing
K – 4th grade composition
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Early grades will not be notating yet
Compositions will have to be tape
recorded or notated by the teacher
Learning composition as a class
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Modeling/composing as a class is helpful in
introducing the idea
5th Grade – 8th Grade
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Compose short pieces within
specified guidelines,
demonstrating how the
elements of music are used to
achieve unity and variety,
tension and release, and
balance
Arrange simple pieces for
voices or instruments other
than those for which the
pieces were written
Use a variety of traditional
and nontraditional sound
sources and electronic media
when composing and
arranging
5th – 8th grade composition
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More advanced composition and use of
notation
Integration of other standards
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Standard 5 (reading and notating music)
becomes more important in recording
compositions
Standards 6 and 7 (analyzing and evaluating
music) become crucial in describing compositions
and taking part in self-evaluations of compositions
Composition in small groups or individually
9th Grade – 12th Grade
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Compose music in several distinct
styles, demonstrating creativity in
using the elements of music for
expressive effect
Arrange pieces for voices or
instruments other than those for
which the pieces were written in
ways that preserve or enhance the
expressive effect of the music
Compose and arrange music for
voices and various acoustic and
electronic instruments, demonstrating
knowledge of the ranges and
traditional usages of the sound
sources
Compose music, demonstrating
imagination and technical skill in
applying the principles of composition
9th – 12th grade composition
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Detailed notation and use of expression
Relationships between own performance and
composition
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Highly individualistic
Full integration of standards
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Students can see a connection between their own
compositions and the expression they perform
with
There is a strong usage of standards in completing
a composition
Prior composing experience definitely plays a
positive role
My Conclusions
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Students need a sequential music program
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The best learning is a building process
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The K – 12 crescendo provides a good example of the increase
of depth and sophistication from kindergarten to 12th grade
Continual communication among teachers is vital
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The brain remembers information better when it can draw upon
prior knowledge to make a meaningful connection
Teachers must discuss curriculum and make decisions that can
be universal across it
This is true of any discipline, not only music
Expectations must be clear
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The National Standards should provide a framework for
expectations, but they should not be the sole foundation for
them
Transitions from grade to grade can be made smoother by
knowing expectations at the beginning of a student’s journey in
a school music program
The “K – 12 crescendo” idea provides an effective way to
include concepts throughout K – 12 and expanding on them
more and more each year
References
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Kerchner, Jody L. “Incorporating the National Standards in
Performance Classes.” Teaching Music August 2001: 40-44.
Ormrod, Jeanne E. Educational Psychology: Developing
Learners. Prentice Hall, 1997.
Taggart, Cynthia C. Personal interview. 28 Mar. 2003.
Wells, Richard. "Designing Curricula Based on the Standards."
Music Educators Journal July 1997: 34-39.
The School Music Program: A New Vision. MENC. 28 Mar. 2003
http://www.menc.org/publications/books/prek12st.html.
Any Questions?