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MUSIC HONORS OPTION COURSES – 2019 2020 Honors Option High School Music Ensembles
Mission / Rationale
The mission of the Parkway Music Ensemble Honors Option is:
To offer a rigorous additional program of study which will challenge and inspire students who wish to undertake a more serious and superior level of work in the field of music.
To foster artistry in musically gifted and talented students through special guidance, experience and opportunity.
To encourage the continuing development of exemplary musicianship through the study of solo performance skills in competitive situations and in juried exams.
To increase and develop audition skills and provide multiple opportunities for students to take greater responsibility for their independent learning and musical growth.
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To increase reflective and analytical skills through written music critiques or essays.
To develop and maintain a separate, unique and evolving personal curriculum and learning plan, directly supporting the ensemble class curriculum without duplicating it in any way.
To increase musical achievement through appropriate and varied assessments, which provide specific feedback, guiding student work and ensuring continued growth.
To prepare music students for collegiate level music experiences in varied and appropriate ways.
Vision / Goals and Objectives for Honors Option High School Music Ensembles
In the course of a semester honors study, students will:
Develop a personal curriculum by completing a contract and learning plan, with guidance from their music instructor, which will evolve each semester that one applies for the honors grade. The contract must be signed by student, parent and teacher.
Demonstrate ongoing personal growth in the areas of solo audition and solo performance skills and in analytical and written expression.
Maintain a portfolio which will include artifacts that document growth in skills and a higher quality of work, which spirals from semester to semester, demonstrating individual progress and growth.
Prepare and perform for a teacher approved, auditioned music ensemble outside of the school setting, or prepare and perform a solo at Solo and Ensemble Festival, demonstrating collegiate level of musical preparation.
Perform a graded juried performance exam for appropriate music faculty reflecting a semester’s worth of growth and development.
Research and write a scholarly indepth musical critique or critical essay on an approved musical topic or compose a musical composition in an approved format and form.
These goals and objectives align with the Parkway Mission to create curious, capable and confident learners.
Additional Honors Grade Information for Performing Ensembles
In order to apply and be considered for an honors grade, students must maintain an A in their music ensemble, receiving a 97%. In addition, individual growth, progressive skills, advancing knowledge and continual development must be demonstrated and documented at the completion of each semester and reviewed from semester to semester. Documentation of activities and their evaluations must be kept in an individual student portfolio in the music department. All items from the semester checklist must be completed in order to be considered for the H grade.
Honors Portfolios will be maintained and kept throughout a student’s career for each honors student in his/her music department and will consist of contracts and learning plans, written assessments, graded essays and papers, contest assessments and other documentation and artifacts which reflect and support each student’s growth and development throughout each semester. The portfolios will serve as a reference for students when doing selfevaluation or reflective essays and as a reference for teachers when developing a new individual learning plan. The portfolios will serve as a resource when assessing and thus assuring growth throughout a student’s musical career.
JUNIOR MUSIC HONORS OPTION SEMESTER #1 CHECKLIST
Fall Semester
Students will:
1. Declare their intent and meet in Preconference with their ensemble director/ teacher to discuss the development of a personal contract and individual learning plan for the semester.
2. Create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that will outline goals for increased growth in musicianship and technical proficiency and the specific solo repertoire, which will facilitate this growth. The ILP must be completed and kept on file in the student’s portfolio by week three of each semester.
3. Audition for a teacher approved music ensemble outside of the school setting. Appropriate ensemble auditions include St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, All Suburban and All State Ensembles.
4. Perform a solo jury for appropriate music faculty, which will demonstrate increased musicianship and technical proficiency and a semester’s worth of study. The jury material will be selected from the student’s ILP. The solo jury will include:
- ● prepared solo(s)
- ● sight reading and/or scales
- ● appropriate technical exercises
- ● demonstration of knowledge of appropriate music theory,
expressive elements and terms
5. Write and submit a reflection essay based on selfassessment, which will support and document the successful completion of their semester Individual Learning Plan. The paper should discuss the student’s technical and musical developments of the semester and reflect upon their audition and jury performance experiences. It should be two to three pages in length, printed in doublespaced in Times New Roman font 12 and reflect excellent writing practices.
The reflective essay will be graded using Parkway’s Grades 1112 Six Trait Analytic Rubric.
JUNIOR MUSIC HONORS OPTION SEMESTER #2 CHECKLIST
Spring Semester
Students will:
1. Declare their intent and meet in Preconference with their ensemble director/ teacher to discuss the development of a personal contract and individual learning plan for the semester. Ensemble director/teacher must refer to prior individual learning plans to ensure continued growth through study of new repertoire and the establishment of further goals.
2. Create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that will outline goals for increased growth in musicianship and technical proficiency and specific solo repertoire, which will facilitate this growth. The ILP must be completed and kept on file in the student’s portfolio by week three of each semester.
3. Research, write and submit a scholarly indepth musical critique or critical essay on an approved musical topic or musical composition, original or masterwork . The paper, guided by menu of topics, should reflect a higher Depth of Knowledge level.
4. Students will prepare and perform a solo(s) for District Solo and Ensemble Festival and must receive a Superior rating or Excellent rating. The solo must be selected from the approved State music list. The solo(s) must be on an equal or more advanced level from any previous solo repertoire studied. Students receiving Superior ratings at the district level must participate in State Solo Festival.
5. Perform a solo jury for appropriate music faculty, demonstrating increased musicianship and technical proficiency and a semester’s worth of study. The jury material will be selected from the student’s ILP. Second semester honors jury expectations will increase in technical and musical attributes and a higher level of performance in the jury is expected. The jury performance may not consist of any music played for a previous jury. The solo jury will include:
- ● prepared solo(s)
- ● sight reading and/or scales
- ● appropriate technical exercises
- ● demonstration of knowledge of appropriate music theory,
expressive elements and terms
6. Write and submit a reflection essay based on selfassessment, which will support and document the successful completion of their semester Individual Learning Plan. The paper should discuss the student’s technical and musical developments of the semester and reflect upon their solo and ensemble and jury performance experiences. It should be two to three pages in length, should be printed in doublespaced in Times New Roman font 12 and should reflect excellent writing practices.
The critical and reflection essays will be graded using Parkway’s Grades 1112 Six Trait Analytic Rubric.
SENIOR MUSIC HONORS OPTION SEMESTER #3 CHECKLIST
Fall Semester
Students will:
1. Declare their intent and meet in Preconference with their ensemble director/ teacher to discuss the development of a personal contract and individual learning plan for the semester. Ensemble director/teacher must refer to prior individual learning plans to ensure continued growth through study of new repertoire and the establishment of further goals.
2. Create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that will outline goals for increased growth in musicianship and technical proficiency and specific solo repertoire which will facilitate this growth. Third semester honors expectations will increase in technical and musical attributes for each student. The ILP must be completed and kept on file in the student’s portfolio by week three of each semester.
3. Audition for a teacher approved music ensemble outside of the school setting. Appropriate ensemble auditions include St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, All Suburban and All State Ensembles.
4. Perform a solo jury for appropriate music faculty, which will demonstrate increased musicianship and technical proficiency and a semester’s worth of study. The jury material will be selected from the student’s ILP. The jury performance may not consist of any music played for a previous jury. Third semester honors jury expectations will increase in technical and musical attributes demonstrated by the level of performance in the jury. The solo jury will include:
- ● prepared solo(s)
- ● sight reading and/or scales
- ● appropriate technical exercises
- ● demonstration of knowledge of appropriate music theory,
expressive elements and terms
5. Write and submit a reflection essay based on selfassessment, which will support and document the successful completion of their semester Individual Learning Plan. The paper should discuss the student’s technical and musical developments of the semester and reflect upon their audition and jury performance experiences. It should be two to three pages in length, should be printed in doublespaced in Times New Roman font 12 and should reflect excellent writing practices.
The reflection essay will be graded using Parkway’s Grades 1112 Six Trait Analytic Rubric.
SENIOR MUSIC HONORS OPTION SEMESTER #4 CHECKLIST
Spring Semester
Students will:
1. Declare their intent and meet in Preconference with their ensemble director/ teacher to discuss the development of a personal contract and individual learning plan for the semester. Ensemble director/teacher must refer to prior individual learning plans to ensure continued growth through study of new repertoire and the establishment of further goals.
2. Create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that will outline goals for increased growth in musicianship and technical proficiency and specific solo repertoire, which will facilitate this growth. The ILP must be completed and kept on file in the student’s portfolio by week three of each semester.
3. Research, write and submit a scholarly indepth critical essay o n an approved musical topic or compose an original musical composition. This essay should be a higher level Depth Of Knowledge paper guided by menu of topics. Senior research topics should be complex in nature and should reflect indepth research on a specific topic. They should not be broad in topic or merely descriptive in nature and should reflect a high level of writing skills. An original music composition must be of a predetermined length and form. It must be written in manuscript form and reflect advanced skills and knowledge of music composition.
4. Students will prepare and perform a solo(s) for District Solo and Ensemble Festival and must receive a Superior rating or Excellent rating. The solo must be selected from the approved State music list. The solo(s) must be on an equal or more advanced level from any previous solo repertoire studied. Students receiving Superior ratings at the district level must participate in State Solo Festival.
5. Perform a solo jury for appropriate music faculty, which will demonstrate increased musicianship and technical proficiency and a semester’s worth of study. The jury material will be selected from the student’s ILP. Fourth semester honors jury expectations will increase in technical and musical attributes demonstrated by the level of performance in the jury. The jury performance may not consist of any music played for a previous jury. The solo jury will include:
- ● prepared solo(s)
- ● sight reading and/or scales
- ● appropriate technical exercises
- ● demonstration of knowledge of appropriate music theory,
expressive elements and terms
6. Write and submit a reflection essay based on selfassessment, which will support and document the successful completion of their semester Individual Learning Plan. The paper should discuss the student’s technical and musical developments of the semester and reflect upon their solo and ensemble and jury performance experiences. It should be two to three pages in length, should be printed in doublespaced in Times New Roman font 12 and should reflect excellent writing practices.
The critical and reflection essays will be graded using Parkway’s Grades 1112 Six Trait Analytic Rubric.