ALEX Classroom Resource

Artistic Process: Creating

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Process Components: Imagine

EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians' work emerge from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?

Rhythm

• Steady beat
• Long/ Short
• One and two sounds per beat
• Silent beat

Melody

• High and low
• Pitch set: So, Mi
• Musical alphabet

Harmony

• Accompaniment/ no accompaniment

Form

• Like and unlike phrases
• Echo

Expression

• Speak, sing, shout, whisper
• Solo/ Group
• Unpitched percussion
• Flute, trumpet, violin, piano
• Loud/ Soft
• Fast/ Slow

Other

• Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Performing

• Chant, move, play, and sing grade level skills.
• Echo simple rhythmic patterns.
• Echo a three-pitch melodic pattern using the correct syllables and hand signs.

Creating

• Perform an improvised rhythmic pattern within a framework of four beats.
• Perform an improvised melodic pattern on a pitched percussion instrument set to the pentatonic scale within a framework of four beats.
• Improvise short songs and instrumental pieces using a variety of sound sources, including traditional or classroom sounds, body percussion, and sounds produced by electronic means.
• Explore musical sources freely using found sounds, electronic sounds, or sounds from voice or instruments found in classroom, remembering to use sound and silence.

Reading/ Writing

• Create a visual representation of sound.

Responding/ Evaluating

• Respond to a musical call or question with an age- appropriate musical answer.
• Evaluate peer performance to determine steady beat/no steady beat.

Artistic Process: Performing

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

Process Components: Analyze

EU: Analyzing creators' context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?

Rhythm

• Steady beat
• Long/ Short
• One and two sounds per beat
• Silent beat

Melody

• High and low
• Pitch set: So, Mi
• Musical alphabet

Harmony

• Accompaniment/ no accompaniment

Form

• Like and unlike phrases
• Echo

Expression

• Speak, sing, shout, whisper
• Solo/ Group
• Unpitched percussion
• Flute, trumpet, violin, piano
• Loud/ Soft
• Fast/ Slow

Other

• Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Performing

• Demonstrate same and different (e.g., fast/slow, loud/soft, high/low and long/short).
• Demonstrate a steady beat and maintain it while performing.
• Sing using head voice and appropriate posture.
• Play a variety of classroom instruments, alone and with others, and demonstrate proper technique.

Creating

• Create a wide variety of vocal and instrumental sounds.

Reading/ Writing

• Explore connections between sound and its visual representation.

Responding/ Evaluating

• Move to music of various and contrasting styles, composers and cultures.
• Demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Artistic Process: Responding

Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Process Components: Analyze

EU: Response to music is informed by analyzing context (social, cultural, and historical) and how creators and performers manipulate the elements of music.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?

Rhythm

• Quarter note, quarter rest, paired eighth notes
• Strong/ weak beat
• Steady beat/ rhythm
• Allegro/ adagio

Melody

• Pitch set: Mi, So, La
• Steps/ skips/ repeated notes
• Melodic direction
• Modified staff
• Line notes and space notes

Harmony/texture

• Rhythmic ostinati
• Simple bordun

Form

• AB, ABA

Expression

• Legato, staccato
• Piano (p), forte (f)
• Classroom instrument classifications
• Clarinet, trombone, cello, drum
• Orchestral music: ballet
• Non-Western music celebrations

Other

• Proper singing posture
• Age-appropriate pitch matching (C4 - C5)¹
• Mallet/ drumming technique — hands together

Performing

• Select appropriate music for specific events such as school festivals, community events, and class or grade level performances.

Creating

• Create a rhythmic ostinato that reflects the style of the music performed (ex: finger cymbals/lullaby).

Reading/ Writing

• Identify repeated rhythmic passages in music and notate using iconic notation (ex: rhythm of repeated melodic phrase in "In the Hall of the Mountain King").

Responding/ Evaluating

• Aurally identify clarinet, trombone, and cello in the context of an ensemble performance.