These standards are intended for students who have elected course work in music in grades 9 - 12. The proficient level represents the level of achievement expected of every student. This level should be achievable by most students who have had one to two years of instruction in music beyond grade 8. The advanced level is intended for students who have completed courses involving relevant skills and knowledge for three to four years beyond grade 8. The goal of every school should be to provide a learning environment in which students enrolled in music classes achieve at least the proficient level.

The standards in this section describe the cumulative skills and knowledge expected of students exiting grade 12 who have enrolled in relevant music courses. They presume that the students have achieved the standards specified for grades 5-8. Every course in music, including performance courses, should provide instruction in creating, performing, listening to, and analyzing music, in addition to focusing on its specific subject matter.

The study of music in grades 9-12 contribute in important ways to the qualify of every studenT's life. Every musical work is a product of its time and place, although some works transcend their original settings and continue to appeal to humans through their timeless and universal attraction. Through singing, playing instruments, and composing, students can express themselves creatively, while a knowledge of notation and performance traditions enables them to learn new music independently throughout their lives. In grades 9-12, skills in analysis, evaluation, and synthesis are important because they enable students to recognize and pursue excellence in their musical experiences and to understand and enrich their environment. Because music is an integral part of human history, the ability to listen with understanding is essential if students are to gain broad cultural and historical perspective. The adult life of every student is enriched by the skills, knowledge, and habits acquired in the study of music.

Every course in music, including singing, playing, and composing courses, should provide instruction in creating, performing, listening to, and analyzing music, in addition to focusing on its specific subject matter.

Content Standard 1:

Sing Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. sing with *expression, proper vocal technique, and *technical accuracy and well-developed ensemble skills
2. sing music written in up to four parts, with and without accompaniment
3. sing a large and varied repertoire of vocal literature with a *level of difficulty of 4, on a scale of 1 to 6, including some songs performed from memory

Content Standard 2:

Perform On Instruments, Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. perform with expression, proper playing technique, and *technical accuracy a large and varied repertoire of instrumental literature with a *level of difficulty of 4, on a scale of 1 to 6
2. perform an appropriate part in an ensemble, demonstrating well-developed ensemble skills
3. perform in ensembles with one student on a part

Content Standard 3:

Improvise Melodies, Variations, And Accompaniments

1. improvise rhythmic and melodic variations on given melodies
2. improvise melodies over a given chord progression in major and minor keys

Content Standard 4:

Compose And Arrange Music Within Specified Guidelines

1. compose an original melody demonstrating technical skill in applying the *elements of music
2. arrange a familiar melody for two or three voices or instruments

Content Standard 5:

Read And Notate Music

1. demonstrate the ability to read an instrumental or vocal score of up to four staves by describing how the elements of music are used
2. Students who participate in a choral or instrumental ensemble or class
3. sight-read, accurately and expressively, music with a *level of difficulty of 3, on a scale of 1 to 6
4. Students who participate in a computer music clas
5. use computer technology to notate an instrumental or vocal score up to four staves which demonstrates the correct use of musical signs and symbols

Content Standard 6:

Listen To, Analyze, And Describe Music

1. analyze aural examples of a varied repertoire of music, representing diverse *genres and cultures, by describing the uses of the elements of music and expressive devices1
2. demonstrate knowledge of the technical vocabulary of music
3. identify and explain compositional devices and techniques used to provide unity and variety, and tension and release in a musical work and cite examples of other works that use similar devices and techniques

Content Standard 7:

Evaluate Music And Music Performances

1. evolve specific criteria for making informed, critical evaluations of the quality and effectiveness of performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations
2. apply the criteria developed in (7a) to evaluate a recorded ensemble performance
3. evaluate a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to similar or exemplary models

Content Standard 8:

Understand Relationships between Music, The Other Arts, And Disciplines Outside The Arts

1. understand how the elements of music are related to the various arts in similar and distinctive ways and cite examples
2. compare characteristics of two or more arts within a particular historical period or style and cite examples from various cultures
3. explain ways in which the principals and subject matter of music relate to the various disciplines outside the arts

Content Standard 9:

Understand Music In Relation To History And Culture

1. classify an unfamiliar example of music by *genre or style and by historical period or culture
2. understands the development of American music and identify well known musicians associated with the various genres⁸
3. compare in several cultures the functions that music serves, the roles of musicians, and the conditions under which music is typically performed

Content Standard 10:

Understand And Create Music Through Technology

1. use notation software to print musical scores up to four staves
2. use sequencing and accompaniment software to arrange music in a variety of styles and forms

Content Standard 1:

Sing Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. sing with expression and *technical accuracy a large and varied repertoire of vocal literature with a *level of difficulty of 5, on a scale of 1 to 6
2. sing in small ensembles with one student on a part
3. perform with expression and *technical accuracy solo repertoire with a *level of difficulty of 4
4. prepare an audition appropriate for an honors festival, competition, or university application

Content Standard 2:

Perform On Instruments, Alone And With Others, A Varied Repertoire Of Music

1. perform with expression and *technical accuracy a large and varied repertoire of instrumental literature with a *level of difficulty of 5, on a scale of 1 to 6
2. perform with expression and *technical accuracy solo repertoire with a *level of difficulty of 4
3. prepare an audition appropriate for an honors festival, competition, or university application

Content Standard 3:

Improvise Melodies, Variations, And Accompaniments

1. improvise a stylistically appropriate harmonizing part to a given melody
2. improvise original melodies in a variety of styles, over given chord progressions, each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality

Content Standard 4:

Compose And Arrange Music Within Specified Guidelines

1. compose music in several distinct styles, demonstrating creativity in using the *elements of music for expressive effect
2. compose and arrange music for four or more different voices or various acoustic and electronic instruments

Content Standard 5:

Read And Notate Music

1. demonstrate the ability to read a full instrumental or vocal score by describing how the elements of music are used and explaining all transpositions and clefs
2. interpret nonstandard notation symbols used by some twentieth century composers
3. Students who participate in a choral or instrumental ensemble or class
4. sight-read, accurately and expressively, music with a *level of difficulty of 4, on a scale of 1 to 6
5. Students who participate in a computer music class
6. use computer technology to notate a score of five or more staves for transposing instruments demonstrating knowledge of proper score organization

Content Standard 6:

Listen To, Analyze, And Describe Music

1. demonstrate the ability to perceive and remember music events by describing in detail significant events² occurring in a given aural example
2. compare ways in which musical elements are used in a given example relative to ways in which they are used in other works of the same *genre or style
3. analyze and describe uses of the elements of music in a given work that make it unique, interesting, and expressive

Content Standard 7:

Evaluate Music And Music Performances

1. evaluate a given musical work in terms of its aesthetic qualities and explain the musical means it uses to evoke feelings and emotions. Students who participate in a choral, instrumental, or computer music class
2. apply the criteria developed in (7d) to evaluate a recorded solo performance

Content Standard 8:

Understand Relationships between Music, The Other Arts, And Disciplines Outside The Arts

1. compare the uses of characteristic elements, artistic processes 4, and organizational principles 5 among the arts in different historical periods and cultures 6
2. explain how the roles of creators, performers, and others involved in the production and presentation of music are similar to and different from one another in the various arts 7

Content Standard 9:

Understand Music In Relation To History And Culture

1. identify and explain the stylistic features of a given musical work that serve to define its aesthetic tradition and its historical or cultural context
2. identify and describe music *genres or styles that show the influence of two or more cultural traditions, identify the cultural source of each influence, and trace the historical conditions that produced the synthesis of influences

Content Standard 10:

Understand And Create Music Through Technology

1. use technology to create a musical composition which demonstrates imagination, technical skill, and an understanding of the expressive qualities of music

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