Nature and Music

• Introduction
• Learners
• Standards
• Process
• Resources


• Student Page

Standards

• Students perform on at least one instrument (e.g., band or orchestra instrument, keyboard instrument, fretted instrument, electronic instrument) accurately and independently, alone and in small and large ensembles, with good posture, good playing position, and good breath, bow, or stick control
• Students perform with expression and technical accuracy on at least one string, wind, percussion, or classroom instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6
• Students perform music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed
• Students play by ear simple melodies on a melodic instrument and simple accompaniments on a harmonic instrument
• Students who participate in an instrumental ensemble or class perform with expression and technical accuracy a varied repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 3, on a scale of 1 to 6, including some solos performed from memory

• Students improvise simple harmonic accompaniments
• Students improvise melodic embellishments and simple rhythmic and melodic variations on given pentatonic melodies and melodies in major keys
• Students improvise short melodies, unaccompanied and over given rhythmic accompaniments, each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality

• Students compose short pieces within specified guidelines (e.g., a particular style, form, instrumentation, compositional technique), demonstrating how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance
• Students arrange simple pieces for voices or instruments other than those for which the pieces were written
• Students use a variety of traditional and nontraditional sound sources and electronic media when composing and arranging

• Students read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 3/8, and alla breve meter signatures
• Students read at sight simple melodies in both the treble and bass clefs
• Students identify and define standard notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression
• Students use standard notation to record their musical ideas and the musical ideas of others
• Students who participate in a choral or instrumental ensemble or class sight-read, accurately and expressively, music with a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6