Course Code:
AMU3M/AMU4M
Teacher:
Ms. A. Parsons
Phone: 519-925-3834 ext238
Email: andrea.parsons@ugdsb.on.ca Course outline/Weekly assignments available on school website
Course Description:This senior level music course is designed to further develop musicianship skills on a wind/percussion
instrument and to prepare students for study at the college or university level. Focus will be on improved tone
production, technical proficiency, rhythmically challenging repertoire in changing meter, introduction to jazz studies and
musicianship all through the medium of technical studies, scales and repertoire. Students in grade 11 will perform as a
small ensemble at the Senior Recital in January, students in grade 12 will be expected to perform a solo at this event. This
event is in addition to the annual Christmas performance, and will be the final practical exam portion for this course.
Students will be expected to practice outside of classtime to the equivalent of 1- 1 ½ hours per week to prepare for
practical testing. Theorectical studies and ear training will be included 1 day per week on Wednesdays and the
corresponding assignment will be due the following Monday. Small ensemble work and an introduction to jazz will be
conducted on Fridays. Finally, students will be asked to choose a secondary instrument, requiring them to read music in a
different clef or choose from a different family of instruments from their primary instrument, two half-periods per week.
Big Ideas (overall learning outcomes for the course):
•Understanding and fluency on the primary instrument in various keys to develop improved technical proficiency for
instrumentalists and advanced rolls, paradiddles, flams and syncopated rhythms for percussionists
•Advanced understanding of the elements of music (pitch, rhythm, meter, dynamics, tone, melody/harmony) as they
combine to create a musical performance.
•Understanding of basic theory equivalent to grade 1 Royal Conservatory standards
•Understanding of basic jazz idioms, 12-bar blues progression, blues scale, chord structure and improvisation
•Understanding of and performance on a second instrument to enhance musicianship /improve score arrangements
Course Evaluation: Students need to complete all assigned class work (Formative) to be prepared to do their
best work on the 6-8 “fewer-richer” evaluations (Summative tasks) that will be used to determine the student’s
final mark.
Formative
Homework- Practical
Weekly assignmentsTheory/Ear training
Jazz group ensemble
practice- Large class
ensemble practice
Term Work
Summative Tasks (70%)
Unit Tests –Practical Performance testing on primary
instrument and secondary – 50%
Option Assignment 10%- see next page for details
Concert band, 60-bar student arrangement, or tutoring
Approx. 15 hours commitment
Theory Assignments and Music history group project– 10%
Final Practical Exam 20% – Christmas Concert and Senior
Student Recital – Final Written Exam – 10%
Timeline
Approx. 1/week
Throughout
semester
Approx. 1/week
Lesson on Wed.,
Assignment due
Mon.
Wed. Dec 10th, 2014
Thurs. Jan 16th
2015, exam period
Grade 11 and 12 instrumental music – option assignment
Choose from any of the following three options to complete by the end of the course term in January
2015. Each option is approximately 15 hours of equivalent time. Students may recover up to 2 hours of
missed time for option 1 by filing music in the library, decorating the music display case or volunteering
to set-up/take down a concert.
Option Number 1
Perform as a member of the concert band. Students may miss TWO rehearsals without penalty, for a
total of 10% towards the final mark. Rehearsals run from 3:30-5pm Mondays after school.
•
Monday Sept 8 regular
•
Monday Sept 15 regular
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Monday Sept 22 regular
•
Monday Sept. 29 regular
•
Monday Oct. 6 regular
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No rehearsal – Monday Oct 13th – Thanksgiving
•
Monday Oct. 20 – regular
•
Friday October 24th – Perform at Commencement Ceremonies – 6:30-7:45pm Concert Dress
•
Monday Oct. 27 – regular
•
Monday Nov. 3 – regular
•
Monday Nov. 10 – regular
•
Tuesday November 11 – Perform at Remembrance Day service at CDDHS – 10am
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Monday Nov 17 – regular
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Monday Nov 24 – regular
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Monday Dec 1- regular
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Monday Dec 8 – Rehearsal in Café for concert – to 5:30pm
•
Wednesday December 10 Christmas Concert in Café – 7pm (snow day- Thurs. Dec 11)Concert
Dress
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Monday Dec. 15- Cancelled – Monday Dec. 15 and Tuesday Dec 16th – Elementary School Visits
Option Number 2 – Tutoring
Assist a grade nine student during your lunch hour or on your own schedule with private tutoring on
their instrument. A grade nine student will be matched up with you and the two of you arrange your
own schedule for 10 half-hour lessons. Tutor will organize, (in conjunction with the teacher), areas that
the student needs to work on and will keep a record of the areas worked on, progress, dates and times
of practice and submit this to the teacher at the end of the semester for a total of 10% of the final mark.
Option Number 3 – Band Score Arranging
Choose a piano piece you would like to arrange for a small ensemble. It must have a minimum of 6
parts, but could be scored for the full concert band if the student wishes. Write a master/conductor’s
score, plus copy parts out for each of the instruments, rehearse your arrangement with the necessary
instrumentalists and conduct it at the Senior Recital in January. You will be responsible for finding
students for your parts, so it is recommended you find people willing to perform BEFORE starting your
arrangement. Score must be at least 50 measures in length or finish at an appropriate place in the
music for a total of 10% of the final mark.