A Cappella Choir
Lizabeth Diaz, Director
Renton High School, Grades 9-12
This is the most advanced choral class offered for high school students. The singing and studying of the finest
types of choral literature, plus the review of basic fundamentals all help the A Cappella Choir members develop
creative, interpretive and appreciative abilities. This group does considerable performing and participation in all
performances is required of all members. Considerable opportunity is also given for solo and small ensemble work
within this group.
We study and practice music from all around the world. In the process, students develop an open mind, understand
multiple perspectives and appreciate music with an international flavor.
Singing is a balancing act. As A Cappella members rehearse and perform, they balance critical thinking about
musicianship, vocal technique and literature along with physical control of the vocal apparatus and emotional
connection to the music. In order to place the musical repertoire into context, members investigate historical,
cultural and stylistic information about the performance repertoire as well as build connections between the
repertoire, their personal stories and cultures and local, national and world issues. Through structured steps,
A Cappella members learn to use the languages of music, poetry, world language, vocal sound and body language
in an increasingly collaborative process to communicate meaning. Performance is inherently a risky business.
A Cappella members strive to be impeccably prepared for their time on stage. With preparation they learn to be
courageous. The group works in concert with the director to balance the powers of collective and individual
decision making, evaluating and improving through reflective journaling, written critiques and class discussions.
Members discover personal leadership qualities as council members, section leaders, committee members and
soloists. Members encourage an empathetic atmosphere through mutual respect and communication as well as by
combining their efforts in rehearsals, performances and community service projects.
Content
Rhythm:
Whole, half, eighth and sixteenth notes and
rests in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4.
Skills
Read rhythms involving whole, half, eighth and
sixteenth notes and rests in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4 divided
into measures by barlines.
Assessment
Students count rhythms using whole, half,
eighth and sixteenth notes and rests in 4/4, 3/4
and 2/4 in writing and out loud.
Measures and barlines
Students perform rhythms using whole, half,
eighth and sixteenth notes and rests in 4/4, 3/4
and 2/4 divided into measures by barlines.
Conducting patterns
Ability to read conducting patterns in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4.
Students follow a conductor in the
performance of patterns in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4.
Pick-up notes
Ability to read pick-up notes.
Students identify pick-up notes in written
music.
Students perform pick-up notes.
Melody:
Pitch matching
September – October (Fall Concert Season)
Major, minor, chromatic
Ability to sing the pitches in a melody that has been
sung or played.
Students perform unison warm-ups.
Ability to sing major, minor and chromatic scales and
melodies a cappella.
Students perform major, minor and chromatic
scales and melodies a cappella during warmups.
Students perform the individual parts of their
music a cappella.
Harmony:
Unison melody with accompaniment
Ability to sing a melody with accompaniment.
Students perform a piece featuring melody
with accompaniment.
Parallel motion
Ability to hold vocal part when choral harmonies
move in parallel motion.
Students perform a piece featuring harmonies
in parallel motion.
Modulation
Ability to hear a modulation.
Students identify modulations in listening
examples.
Ability to vocalize a modulation.
Students perform a piece featuring a
modulation.
Tone Color:
Produce sound on demand
Control of the onset of singing.
Students perform warm-ups which require
control of the onset of singing.
Produce characteristic tone
Ability to produce a classic vocal tone.
Students perform a piece with a classic vocal
tone.
Ability to alter the vocal tone to match the style of the
music.
Students perform pieces requiring different
sorts of vocal tone
Ability to accurately echo a phrase that is sung or
played.
Students echo individual vocal lines.
Understanding of how the beginning and ending of a
musical selection are notated.
Students identify in writing the beginning and
ending of a piece, AB, verse/chorus, and ABA
forms, solo versus ensemble, repeat signs,
D.C. al Fine and 1st and 2nd endings.
Form:
Echo, beginning/end
AB, verse/chorus, ABA
Ability to recognize AB, verse/chorus and ABA forms
in writing and by ear.
Solo/ensemble
Ability to recognize a solo section versus ensemble in
writing and by ear.
Repeat, D.C. al Fine
Ability to read repeat signs and D.C. al Fine.
1st and 2nd endings
Ability to read 1st and 2nd endings.
Round (polyphony)
Ability to hold a part when singing a round.
Students perform rounds.
Measure counting
Ability to find a specific measure in a piece.
Students identify specific measures in a piece.
Students perform music incorporating AB,
verse/chorus, and ABA forms, solo versus
ensemble, repeat signs, D.C. al Fine and 1st
and 2nd endings.
Expression:
Dynamics
Ability to identify and understand dynamics, tempos
and accents.
Students identify and explain dynamics,
tempos and accents in writing.
Tempo
Students perform dynamics, tempos and
accents in the music.
Accent
Phrasing
Understanding of phrasing.
Students explain the concept of phrasing.
Students perform phrases in the music.
History/Style:
Expression as it relates to style
Themes (repertoire) derived from culturally
significant materials
Understanding of how expressive elements relate to
the style of the music.
Students describe how expressive elements
relate to the style of an excerpt of music
listened to in class.
Understanding of important themes, composers and
social history in their repertoire.
Students perform music of different styles,
cultures and time periods.
September – October (Fall Concert Season)
Composers and social history as applicable
Vocal Technique:
Posture
Students connect music of different styles,
cultures and time periods to their own life
experiences, prior knowledge and
understanding of current events through the
lens of a guiding question in writing.
Understanding and application of strong vocal
technique; good posture, breathing and breath control,
diction, vowel matching and consonant formation.
Students demonstrate strong vocal technique;
good posture, breathing and breath control,
diction, vowel matching and consonant
formation in daily warm-ups and in the
performance of vocal literature.
Ear training, step-wise and larger intervals
Ability to identify step-wise motion and larger
intervals visually and by ear.
Students identify intervals and major/minor
distinctions by ear.
Ear training, major/minor/chromatic
distinctions
Ability to identify major/minor distinctions by ear.
Students sing diatonic intervals and
major/minor/chromatic scales.
Intonation
Ability to sing in tune.
Students sing in tune with accompaniment and
a cappella.
Students understand notation involving whole, half,
quarter, eighth notes and rests, dotted notes, sixteenth
notes and rests and treble and bass clefs.
Students identify whole, half, quarter, eighth
notes and rests, dotted notes, sixteenth notes
and rests and treble and bass clefs in writing.
Breathing and breath control
Diction, vowel matching, consonants
Notation:
Whole, half, quarter, eighth notes and rests
Dotted notes
Sixteenth notes and rests
Students write whole, half, quarter, eighth
notes and rests, dotted notes, sixteenth notes
and rests and treble and bass clefs to notate
rhythms and melodies.
Clefs
Communication:
Sing expressively
Ability to show appropriate emotion when singing.
Students show appropriate facial
expression/emotion/movement in
performance.
Recognize the relationship between music
and emotions
Ability to express the emotion of a musical piece.
Students perform music in an emotionally
sensitive manner.
Understand the role of music in cultures
Ability to explain the function of music within a
culture being studied.
Students investigate historical, cultural and
stylistic information about the performance
repertoire.
Through dialog and journaling, students
explain the function of music within a culture
being studied.
During concerts, students present performance
notes concerning the cultural significance of
the music being performed.
November – December (Winter Concert Season)
September – October (Fall Concert Season)
Artistic Process:
Listening
Ability to critically listen to a piece of music.
Students analyze and evaluate a piece of
music that they are listening to.
Integration of music and movement
Ability to move in a stylistically and artistically
appropriate way to the music being performed.
Students create and perform choreography to
their music.
Critical Evaluation
Ability to evaluate performances based on guiding
questions.
Formal public performance at Fall Choral
Concert.
Solo and/or small group performances at Fall
Talent Show.
Self and Group Reflections after the Fall
Choral Concert.
Self and Group Reflections after the Fall
Talent Show.
Literature:
Music is chosen based on the skill level of
the group, with every effort to emphasize a
medium-advanced to advanced level of
difficulty, to represent a variety of styles
and cultures and to be appropriate for a
large choir. Choral literature drives the
teaching and learning of concepts,
development of skills and organization of
assessments.
Continued reinforcement of content
addressed from September – October.
Harmony:
Countermelody texture
Accompaniment
Vocal Technique:
Ear training, sight-singing
Artistic Process:
Critical Evaluation
Continued reinforcement of skills addressed from
September – October.
Continual assessment of skills addressed from
September – October through writing and
performance.
Ability to hold vocal part when choral harmonies
involve countermelody texture.
Students perform a piece involving a
countermelody.
Ability to hold vocal part when choral harmonies
provide accompaniment.
Students perform a piece featuring harmonies
that provide accompaniment.
Students can sight-sing eight measure phrases
including step-wise motion, 3rds, 4ths and 5ths.
Students work in pairs to sight-sing eight
measure phrases including step-wise motion,
3rds, 4ths and 5ths.
Students evaluate performances based on criteria.
Based on a rubric created by the choir,
students evaluate their performance at the
Winter Concert.
As their written semester final, students
connect the music they performed over the
course of the semester to their own life
experiences, prior knowledge and
understanding of current events in an essay
which answers the guiding question for the
year. This DRAFT essay will be crafted and
extended through the end of the year to
accommodate new knowledge, performance
repertoire and writing skills.
Continued reinforcement of content
addressed from September – December.
Rhythm:
Syncopation, beat, off-beat
Continued reinforcement of skills addressed from
September – December.
Continual assessment of skills addressed from
September – December through writing and
performance.
Ability to recognize, count and perform syncopated
rhythms.
Students count syncopated rhythms in writing.
Students perform syncopated rhythms.
Melody:
Melodic direction
Patterns, phrases
Ability to phrase a melody based on its direction.
Based on its direction, students provide
feedback to the teacher on how a melody
should be phrased.
Ability to phrase a melody based on musical patterns
or lyrics.
Based on musical patterns or lyrics, students
provide feedback to the teacher on how a
melody should be phrased.
Students perform a piece at contest with
phrasing agreed on by the group.
Harmony:
Pattern
Ability to hear patterns in harmonies.
Students sing harmonic patterns in warm-ups,
responding by ear.
Ability to hold vocal part when choral harmonies
move in patterns.
Students perform a piece featuring harmonies
in that move in patterns.
Ability to blend one’s voice with the overall sound of
the section and ensemble.
In performance, students blend their
individual voices with the overall sound of
their sections and ensemble.
Vibrato/straight tone
Ability to either vibrato or straight tone.
Students perform pieces requiring both
vibrato and straight tone.
Subtlety of tone/controlled tone
Ability to control tone in a way that matches the piece
being performed.
Students perform pieces requiring different
sorts of vocal tone.
Nuances
Ability to nuance vocal tone in a way that enhances
the lyrics, melodic line, harmonies or overall musical
interpretation of a piece.
In the performance of their music, students
nuance vocal tone in a way that enhances the
lyrics, melodic line, harmonies or overall
musical interpretation of a piece.
Understanding of the terms staccato and legato.
Students define staccato and legato verbally
and in writing.
Ability to sing staccato and legato.
Students perform warm-ups and sections of
pieces staccato and legato.
Understanding of the terms rubato and tenuto.
Students define rubato and tenuto verbally and
in writing.
Ability to sing rubato and tenuto.
Students perform warm-ups and sections of
pieces rubato and tenuto.
Dialogue between conductor and ensemble
Ability to follow the conductor.
In warm-ups and performance, students
follow the conductor.
Dynamic contouring
Ability to contour the vocal line through the use of
dynamics.
In warm-ups and performance, students
contour the vocal line through the use of
dynamics.
Mood
Ability to express the mood of a piece.
In performance, students express the differing
moods of their musical selections.
Ability to correctly pronounce the words of the foreign
language text of a piece of music.
In performance, students correctly pronounce
the words of the foreign language text of a
piece of music.
Ability to understand the words of the foreign
language text of a piece of music.
Students explain the words of the foreign
language text of a piece of music verbally and
in writing.
January – March (Festival Season)
Tone Color:
Ensemble Awareness
Expression:
Staccato/legato
Rubato, tenuto
History/Style:
Foreign Languages
Vocal Technique:
Attacks and releases
Understanding of and ability to appropriately begin
and end a note, based on style and notation.
Students explain how to appropriately begin
and end a note, based on style and notation.
January – March (Festival Season)
In performance, students appropriately begin
and end a note, based on style and notation.
Articulation
Artistic Process:
Problem solving
Ability to appropriately articulate a piece of music
based on style and notation.
In performance, students appropriately
articulate a piece of music based on style and
notation.
Ability to spot, diagnose and solve musical challenges
and performance issues.
In rehearsal, students provide input into
musical challenges and performance issues
verbally and in writing.
In performance, students spot diagnose and
solve issues.
Critical Evaluation
Ability to evaluate performances based on criteria.
Group Performance Review as preparation for
Regional Choral Festival.
Self-reflections of performance at the
Regional Choral Festival based on judges’
comments.
Communication:
Use foreign language songs/words to
enhance intercultural understanding
Ability to understand more about how another culture
relates to the mainstream culture based on knowledge
of new words from the non-mainstream culture.
Students connect music in different languages
to their own life experiences, prior knowledge
and understanding of current events through
the lens of a guiding question in writing.
Students deliver program notes, translating
music for our audiences.
Students perform non-English music with
appropriate non-verbal expression.
Continued reinforcement of content
addressed from September – March.
Continued reinforcement of skills addressed from
September – March.
Continual assessment of skills addressed from
September – March through writing and
performance.
Ability to read rhythms involving eighth note triplets
4/4, 3/4, 2/4 and 6/8.
Students perform rhythms using eighth note
triplets 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 and 6/8.
Ability to write rhythms as one hears them.
Students take dictation of rhythms involving
whole, half, eighth and sixteenth notes and
rests as well as eight note triplets in 4/4, 3/4,
2/4 and 6/8.
Ability to write intervals and melodies as one hears
them.
Students take dictation of diatonic intervals
and four measure melodies.
Notation:
Eighth note triplets
Ability to write and count eighth note triplets.
Students write and count eighth note triplets.
Key signatures
Understanding of key signatures.
Students identify key signatures in writing.
Artistic Process:
Critical Evaluation
Ability to evaluate performances based on criteria.
Group Performance Review as preparation for
Regional Choral Festival.
April – June (Spring Concert Season)
Rhythm:
Eighth note triplets
Dictation
Vocal Technique:
Ear training, dictation
As their written final, students connect the
music they performed over the course of the
year to their own life experiences, prior
knowledge and understanding of current
events in an essay which answers the guiding
question for the year.
Composition
Ability to write music.
Students compose eight measure pieces which
include melodic, harmonic and rhythmic lines
with a repeat.
Depending on their level of musical
accomplishment, seniors may compose a
piece to be performed at Graduation.