Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Individual and collective expression is rooted in history, culture, and community.
Growth as a musician requires perseverance, resilience, and reflection.
Music is a process that relies on the interplay of the senses.
Aesthetic experiences
emotional, cognitive, or sensory responses to works of art
have the power to transform the way we think and feel.
Music offers unique ways of exploring our identity and sense of belonging.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
elements, principles, vocabulary, symbols, and theory of music
metre, duration, rhythm, dynamics, harmony, timbre, tonality, instrumentation, notation, pitch, texture, register, terms in Italian and other languages, expressive markings, abbreviations; methods, processes, and concepts used in creating and performing music
techniques specific to individual or families of instruments, including:
- winds
- fingerings/slide positions, including alternate and trill fingering
- intonation
- articulation (e.g., tonguing, multiple tonguing)
- ornamentation (e.g., trills, glissando, grace notes)
- embouchure
- breath control
- tone quality (including vibrato)
- use of mutes
- percussion
- stick, mallet, beater, and brush technique
- hand-drumming technique
- pitched percussion technique
- articulation
- fills, shots, tone quality, intonation
- keyboard
- articulation: techniques that use touch or pedals to alter the transitions between notes (e.g., staccato, legato, phrasing, use of pedals)
- fingering and chording technique
- chord voicing
- comping technique: chords, rhythms, and patterns played to accompany an improvised solo or melody (e.g., ii-V-I)
- keyboard instrumentation: keyboard alone or with bass and/or guitar
- blend and balance: the use of relative volume and tonal techniques to highlight certain instruments or create a homogeneous timbre (e.g., accompaniment versus solo technique)
- orchestral strings
- left-hand technique (e.g., vibrato, double-stopping, triple-stopping, shifting)
- finger pattern profiles
- bowing technique (e.g., detaché, martelé, spiccato)
- pizzicato
- intonation
- tone quality
- harmonics
- guitar
- chord playing (open and arpeggiated chords)
- single note playing
- picking, fingering, strumming, hand positions
- articulation: techniques affecting transitions between notes (e.g., legato, staccato, slurs, damping, bends, hammer-ons)
- intonation
- tone quality: techniques that impact timbre or the overall sound of the instrument
- voicings: the distribution or vertical arrangement of notes in a chord (e.g., rootless, R37, R73)
- acoustic versus electric guitar technique
- rhythm guitar patterns and accompaniment techniques
- single-line melody reading, tablature, modes
Note: Students are only expected to know techniques related to their instrument(s) of choice.
technical skills, strategies, and technologies
creative processes
the means by which an artistic work (in dance, drama, music, or visual arts) is made; includes multiple processes, such as exploration, selection, combination, refinement, reflection, and connection
movement, sound, image, and form
role of the performer, audience, and venue
traditional and contemporary First Peoples worldviews and cross-cultural perspectives, as communicated through music
history
the influences across time of social, cultural, historical, political, and personal context on musical works; includes the influences of historical and contemporary societies on musical works
of a variety of musical genres
ethics of cultural appropriation
use of a cultural motif, theme, “voice,” image, knowledge, story, song, or drama, shared without permission or without appropriate context or in a way that may misrepresent the real experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn
and plagiarism
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Explore and create
Perform in large ensemble
ensemble in which many musicians perform the same part (e.g., concert band, concert choir, jazz band, string or symphony orchestra, guitar ensemble)
, small ensemble ensemble in which musicians play alone or with only a few others, performing a particular part (e.g., rock band or similar contemporary genre, jazz combo, brass quintet, string quartet, chamber choir, vocal jazz ensemble)
, and solo contexts
Express meaning, intent, and emotion through music
Improvise
spontaneously compose or embellish musical phrases, melodies, or excerpts; improvisation provides a means for high-level reasoning, creative thinking, and problem solving in a variety of ways
and take creative risks make an informed choice to do something where unexpected outcomes are acceptable and serve as learning opportunities
in music
Study and perform a variety of musical styles and genres
Explore a variety of contexts
for example, personal, social, cultural, environmental, and historical contexts
and their influences on musical works, including place any environment, locality, or context with which people interact to learn, create memory, reflect on history, connect with culture, and establish identity. The connection between people and place is foundational to First Peoples perspectives on the world.
and time
Develop and refine technical skills and expressive qualities
Explore music that reflects personal voice, story, and values
Reason and reflect
Describe and analyze musicians’ use of technique, technology, and environment in musical composition and performance, using musical language
vocabulary, terminology, and non-verbal methods of communication that convey meaning in music
Reflect on rehearsal and performance experiences and musical growth
Consider the function of their voice within the ensemble
Analyze styles of music to inform musical decisions
Communicate and document
Document
through activities that help students reflect on their learning (e.g., drawing, painting, journaling, taking pictures, making video clips or audio-recordings, constructing new works, compiling a portfolio)
and share musical works and experiences in a variety of contexts
Receive and apply constructive feedback
Use discipline-specific language to communicate ideas
Contribute personal voice
a style of expression that conveys an individual's personality, perspective, or worldview
, cultural identity, and perspective in solo or ensemble musical study and performance
Demonstrate respect for self, others, and the audience
Use music to communicate and respond
through activities ranging from reflection to action
to social and global issues
Connect and expand
Demonstrate personal and social responsibility associated with creating, performing, and responding to music
Make connections with others on a local, regional, and global scale through music
Use technical knowledge and contextual observation to make musical decisions
Demonstrate safe care, use, and maintenance
the appropriate inspection, diagnosis, and basic repair of instruments and equipment
of instruments and equipment
Practise appropriate self-care to prevent performance-related injury
for example, repetitive stress injuries, vocal strain, other damage to oral and aural health