Continuity in a School Music Program

1. Continuity in a School Music Program Jordan D. Mantey

2. Questions • 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?

3. Why consistency is important • The best learning is a building process • “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 • If knowledge is meaningfully related to prior knowledge, it will be retained • 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

4. Expectations (Standards)What a student should be proficient at after progressing through a music program • 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

5. How teachers can impact continuitySmooth Transitions • 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” • Crescendo – a gradual increase in volume

6. The K – 12 Crescendo • 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 • 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

7. The K – 12 Crescendo • All standards are present at all points in this timeline • Detail becomes greater as a student progresses reading analyzing performing Kindergarten 12th Grade composing singing listening

8. Ways to create smoother transitions between grade levels • Conversations should be made among the music teachers • Teachers can know what material the students are coming to them with • The design of the curriculum should include a standards-based system of transitions • 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 • Take the same concepts and ideas and revisit them with greater depth and sophistication

9. Standard 4Composing and Arranging • 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 • 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

10. Kindergarten – 4th Grade • 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

11. K – 4th grade composition • Early grades will not be notating yet • Compositions will have to be tape recorded or notated by the teacher • Learning composition as a class • Modeling/composing as a class is helpful in introducing the idea

12. 5th Grade – 8th Grade • 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

13. 5th – 8th grade composition • More advanced composition and use of notation • Integration of other standards • 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

14. 9th Grade – 12th Grade • 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

15. 9th – 12th grade composition • Detailed notation and use of expression • Relationships between own performance and composition • Students can see a connection between their own compositions and the expression they perform with • Highly individualistic • Full integration of standards • There is a strong usage of standards in completing a composition • Prior composing experience definitely plays a positive role

16. My Conclusions • Students need a sequential music program • The brain remembers information better when it can draw upon prior knowledge to make a meaningful connection • The best learning is a building process • 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 • 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 • 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

17. References • 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.

18. Any Questions?