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: Performing

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

Process Components: Interpret

EU: Performers make interpretive decisions based on their understanding of context and expressive intent
EQ: How do performers interpret musical works?

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

• Sing or play music with attention to expressive elements such as dynamics and articulation
• Perform music from a variety of cultural traditions, focusing on holidays and special days.

Creating

• Create new verses for familiar songs.
• Use manipulatives or movement to inform melodic contour.

Reading/ Writing

• Write rhythmic phrases that include quarter notes and paired eighth notes using standard or iconic notation.
• Read rhythmic phrases containing quarter notes, quarter rests, and paired eighth notes using standard or iconic notation.
• Indicate melodic contour using manipulatives such as yarn, or by drawing lines that reflect the melodic contour.
• Identify expressive markings in printed music.

Responding/ Evaluating

• Determine the appropriate dynamics and articulation for different types of music (ex.
March = staccato, forte; lullaby = legato, piano).

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.

Artistic Process: Performing

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

Process Components: Interpret

EU: Performers make interpretive decisions based on their understanding of context and expressive intent
EQ: How do performers interpret musical works?

Rhythm

• Eighth note, eighth rest, half note, half rest, whole note, whole rest
• Strong/ weak beat — 2/4; 3/4 meter
• Accelerando/ ritardando

Melody

• Pitch Set: Do , Re, Mi, So, La
• Five-line staff
• Treble clef
• Names of lines/ spaces (treble staff)

Harmony

• Melodic ostinati
• Partner songs

Form

• AAB, AABA, Rondo
• Verse/ Refrain

Expression

• Orchestral instrument families
• Piano (p), forte (f)
• Crescendo/ decrescendo
• Orchestral Music: programmatic
• Indigenous music: Native American
• American music: slave songs, colonial folk songs

Other

• Age-appropriate pitch matching (B3-D5)¹
• Mallet/ drumming technique: alternating hands

Performing

• Perform age-appropriate music with attention to expressive markings indicated in the printed music.

Creating

• Perform an improvised interlude to a known song, matching expression and rhythmic/melodic themes.

Reading/ Writing

• Identify expressive markings in printed music.
• Identify meter marking in printed music.

Responding/ Evaluating

• Notate from dictation 8-beat rhythm patterns using standard notation.
• Perform short melodic patterns from standard or iconic notation.

Artistic Process: Responding

Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Process Components: Interpret

EU: Through their use of elements and structures of music, creators and performers provide clues to their expressive intent.
EQ: How do we discern musical creators' and performers' expressive intent?

Rhythm

• Eighth note, eighth rest, half note, half rest, whole note, whole rest
• Strong/ weak beat — 2/4; 3/4 meter
• Accelerando/ ritardando

Melody

• Pitch Set: Do, Re, Mi, So, La
• Five-line staff
• Treble clef
• Names of lines/ spaces (treble staff)

Harmony

• Melodic ostinati
• Partner songs

Form

• AAB, AABA, Rondo
• Verse/ Refrain

Expression

• Orchestral instrument families
• Piano (p), forte (f)
• Crescendo/ decrescendo
• Orchestral Music: programmatic
• Indigenous music: Native American
• American music: slave songs, colonial folk songs

Other

• Age-appropriate pitch matching (B3-D5)¹
• Mallet/ drumming technique: alternating hands

Performing

• Demonstrate understanding of musical intent when performing, through attention to expressive markings.

Creating

• Demonstrate understanding of cultural authenticity by performing music with appropriate stylistic expression

Reading/ Writing

• Identify repeat signs and multiple verses in a verse/refrain song

Responding/ Evaluating

• Explain musical decisions that contribute to the expressive intent of the music.
• Describe the context of lyrics in a verse/refrain song.