Argyle Middle School

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

BEGINNING BAND (full year)

This course is designed for students who wish to learn to play a band instrument for the first time or continue developing their basic facility on a band instrument. Attention is focused on reading musical notation, tone production, and making aesthetic musical judgments and decisions. Beginning Band provides students the opportunity to begin their training on woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments as aligned with the National Standards for Music Education. Public and in-school performances are mandatory. 20

Students develop and refine their instrumental technique and musical comprehension, cultivating greater insight into the interpretation of band literature. Emphasis is placed on strengthening note reading and rhythmic understanding, functioning as an ensemble, and following a conductor. Students learn the social, cultural, and intellectual influences reflected in the musical works they are studying and discuss performance styles and musical forms of corresponding historical periods. Music theory is explored through the performance and recognition of major scales, diatonic/chromatic intervals, and simple melodic dictation. Critical listening skills that are developed as a result of preparation for instrumental performance are used to help the student formulate criteria for effectively evaluating his/her own performance, as well as the performance of others. Public and in-school performances are mandatory. (Music teacher approval required.)  

Students develop and refine their instrumental technique and musical comprehension, cultivating greater insight into the interpretation of band literature. Emphasis is placed on strengthening note reading and rhythmic understanding, functioning as an ensemble, and following a conductor. Students learn the social, cultural, and intellectual influences reflected in the musical works they are studying and discuss performance styles and musical forms of corresponding historical periods. Music theory is explored through the performance and recognition of major scales, diatonic/chromatic intervals, and simple melodic dictation. Critical listening skills that are developed as a result of preparation for instrumental performance are used to help the student formulate criteria for effectively evaluating his/her own performance, as well as the performance of others. Students begin to assume leadership roles within the large performing ensemble. Exploratory experience may be offered in orchestra, jazz ensemble, and solo/ensemble performance. Public and in-school performances are mandatory. (Music teacher approval required.)  

This course is designed for students who wish to learn to play a string instrument for the first time or continue developing their basic facility on a string instrument. Attention is focused on reading musical notation, tone production, and making aesthetical musical judgments and decisions. In-school performances are mandatory. Beginning Orchestra provides students the opportunity to begin their training on a string instrument (violin, viola, cello, double-bass) as aligned with the National Standards for Music Education. Public and in-school performances are mandatory.

Students refine skills and develop more advanced performance techniques. The course stresses developing technical skills necessary to perform music at the MODA grade II level. Emphasis is placed on strengthening note reading and rhythmic understanding, functioning as an ensemble, and following a conductor. Students learn melodic form and construction as they examine and perform more complex folk arrangements and compositions from master composers. Students discuss the social and intellectual influences affecting the creation of the music that they are studying. Students develop aesthetic criteria for measuring the quality of an instrumental performance. Public and in-school performances are mandatory. (Music teacher approval required.) 21

Students develop and refine their instrumental technique and musical comprehension, cultivating greater insight into the interpretation of orchestra literature. Emphasis is placed on strengthening note reading and rhythmic understanding, functioning as an ensemble, and following a conductor. Students learn the social, cultural, and intellectual influences reflected in the musical works they are studying and discuss performance styles and musical forms of corresponding historical periods. Music theory is explored through the performance and recognition of major scales, diatonic/chromatic intervals, and simple melodic dictation. Critical listening skills that are developed as a result of preparation for instrumental performance are used to help the student formulate criteria for effectively evaluating his/her own performance, as well as the performance of others. Students begin to assume leadership roles within the large performing ensemble. Exploratory experience may be offered in orchestra, jazz ensemble, and solo/ensemble performance. Public and in-school performances are mandatory. (Music teacher approval required.)  

Students learn beginning guitar technique, including selected major, minor, and seventh chords; basic fingerpicks and strums, and tuning technique. Music theory and historical perspective are studied as they relate to guitar performance. This course is open to all students regardless of musical background. Students will make use of music technology to explore contemporary applications of guitar performance/recording.